Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has defended a bailout deal struck at a euro zone summit, saying that although it had been «a bad night for Europe» and «imposed» on Greece, the agreement saved it from exiting the euro and must be implemented.
«I am fully assuming my responsibilities, for mistakes and for oversights, and for the responsibility of signing a text that I do not believe in, but that I am obliged to implement,» Tsipras said in an interview on public television.
Tsipras said he had fought a battle not to cut wages and pensions, adding that the fiscal adjustment agreed in the deal was milder than adjustments agreed to in the past.
Tsipras, who faces strong discontent within his Syriza party over the deal, said Greece must stick to the fiscal adjustment the deal foresees and added that he intends to serve a full four-year term, ruling out early elections.
«I won’t escape these responsibilities and will try to implement my political programme over a four-year period,» he said.
«The hard truth is this one-way street for Greece was imposed on us,» a bitter Tsipras said.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald