Greece bailout talks continue

(Vatican Radio) The newly-arrived head of the International Monetary Fund mission to Greece, Dalia Velculescu, in her inaugural meetings with Greek officials today, urged the Greek government to slash public spending and reform the pensions system yet more.

Listen to John Carr's report: 

Velculescu is the leading member of what is now called the Quartet – representing the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission – that has replaced the old Troika as the arbiter of Greece’s economic destiny. 

What’s at stake now is whether the Syriza government and the Quartet can patch up an agreement by 20 August, to finally open the taps for an 86 billion euro bailout. The Greek media are treating Velculescu as a near-celebrity, calling her a tough negotiator behind an attractive exterior.

Meanwhile, the rift inside Greece’s ruling Syriza party has widened, as at least 17 members of the Central Committee, including three cabinet ministers, resigned from it, protesting the presence of the Quartet and expected new austerity measures. The Syriza troubles have naturally worried Greece’s creditors, who now wonder openly whether Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will have the clout to clinch a deal three weeks from now.