Greece’s new prime minister Alexis Tsipras has urged France to help drive European growth with "a change of policy" and a shift away from austerity at talks in Paris as he seeks to drum up support for easing Greece’s debt burden, reports FRANCE 24.
"We need a new accord in Europe for the return of growth and social cohesion, and in this effort we certainly need France playing a role of guarantor, a protagonist for this political change," said Tsipras, 40, after a meeting with French President François Hollande on Wednesday.
"France is a force for stability in Europe, and I think the stability of the European Union requires a change of policy – a determined turn towards growth," he added.
Greece’s leftist leader is looking for allies across Europe as he seeks a negotiated solution to write off part of the country’s €310 billion debt and relax the austerity measures imposed on his predecessors by the country's main creditors – the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank (ECB) and EU members, collectively known as the "troika".
Tsipras received a relatively sympathetic hearing in France, where the socialist government has frequently railed against austerity policies in Europe.
Following the talks at the Elysée Palace, the French president said he agreed that Europe needed to do more to spur economic growth – although he cautioned that Greece had to abide by EU rules and its existing commitments.
Hollande said the priority should be to have more open discussions among continental leaders. "This dialogue should take place in transparency and calm, and with a willingness to find a solution," he said.