Greece is asking for political support and time to implement its Stability and Growth Program and prove that it is once again trustworthy, prime minister George Papandreou said in an interview with the BBC, stressing that the government has the great majority of the Greek people on its side, who want to proceed with the changes.
What we ask of our partners is to be able to borrow on the same terms that the other eurozone countries borrow, he added, in an appearance on the Andrew Marr Show.
Reiterating that Greece is seeking political, and not financial, support, Papandreou said: "Give us time, give us support — and I'm not talking about economic support, but about political support — to prove that we have done what we are doing what we've said we'd do, and that we are once again trustworthy."
At this time, the Greek premier explained, Greece does not need to borrow, as its borrowing needs are covered up until mid-March. But what Greece is saying is that it needs assistance so as to be able to borrow at the same interest rates that the other (eurozone) countries borrow, and not at higher interest, which undermines the prospect for achievement of the targets (for reducing the deficit), he said.
Papandreou further said that the government has the widest support of the Greek society for the economic reforms, despite the protest rallies against the austerity measures that have been taken to tackle the crisis.
Despite the fact that they are indeed austerity measures and are truly painful, the government has the backing of 50-60 percent of the population to implement the measures, the prime minister continued.
Papandreou said he sees a sense of unity of the Greek people paralleled only by that during the time of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, a true desire to make the change.
The Greek premier suggested: "Let's sit together with the European authorities, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, and see what progress we have achieved, how the Stability and Growth Program we've drafted is going."
Indeed, he stressed, Greece is "within the targets, and even higher", in its January statistical data, so "we're doing well".
However, he added, if additional measures are needed to meet the target of reducing the deficit by 4 percentage points in 2010, his government will take them. "We are prepared to do so, if necessary," Papandreou said.
