Debate during the plenary session of July in Strasbourg on the review of the Latvian Presidency and the situation in Greece. Statements by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&D, IT), Group leader, Roberts ZĪLE (ECR, LV), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), Paul NUTTALL (EFDD, UK) and Gianluca BUONANNO (ENF, IT).

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

PITTELLA, Gianni (S&D, IT)

economic situation in Greece (T)

NUTTALL, Paul (EFDD, UK)

ZĪLE, Roberts (ECR, LV)

HARMS, Rebecca (Greens/EFA, DE)

BUONANNO, Gianluca (ENF, IT)

Latvian Presidency of the EU (T)

Review of the Latvian Presidency: extracts from the MEPs debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group leader, <p>"We've had lengthy negotiations between Mr. Juncker and the Greek negotiators, in fact it was a fair deal. There were no cuts to the pension. There was an investment package offered of 35 million, that would be plowed into the future of Greece for future growth, but that was rejected. Mr.JUNCKER is right, it was a fair deal. I don't know how, it goes beyond my imagination, how we can make further suggestions to that deal? So Syriza is playing a very dangerous game here."</p>

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), S&amp;D Group leader, "To Mr.TSIPRAS and his government I wwould say that it is very important at the summit this evening they come with some sensible proposals because this is a moment for everybody to show their responsibilities and the accusations that have been made by a former Greek minister calling the creditors terrorists, well that's totally unacceptable."

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberts Z&#298;LE (ECR, LV), "So, at the end of the Greece deal, for Latvians, it is very important that, I agree it is complex, it is not simple as the President of the Commission said, but for Latvians after austerity programme it's very important it should be a fair deal."

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), ALDE Group leader, "We have to recognize that this is not working they way we have dealt with th Greek crisis until now. A new approach, that means for me, and it is now said by most of the political leaders in Europe, that Mr.TSIPRAS has to come forward with a credible real reform package, not a number of accounting measures, like we have it today on the table. but real in-depth reform.That means ending the clientelistic system, there is nothing in the seven pages today. Ending corruption in the country, down-sizing the public sector, there's an enormous public sector with 800,000 civil servants for the moment. Finally breaking up the public banks and having a private financing sector, and so on, opening the markets also. That's the first thing. Let him come now. He has to deliver. He has run away from the negotiation table."

SOUNDBITE (German), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), Greens/EFA Group leader, "The BILD magazine says that what we need now is the iron chancellor and to that I say no. I think we Germans need to recall what would have happened if we Germans would have had to deal with iron neighbours. We in Germany therefore need to show a very special responsibility."

SOUNDBITE (English), Paul NUTTALL (EFDD, UK), "As a eurosceptic I would like to see Latvia extend their presidency for another six months, because another half a year of this, could the whole EU fall to bits, thank you."

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Gianluca BUONANNO (ENF, IT), "Mr.JUNCKER, you talked about a hundred million euro of investment, where have they gone? This here is euro and this is toilet paper (brandishing euros and toilet paper roll), what's the difference? To me they are both worth the same. Nothing has happened, you are not doing what is of primary interest to people. You should be standing down and apologise to the Greece, you should be asking for apologies to the whole of Europe. What you've done is economically speaking is suicide, it is an economic disaster, you've got illegal immigrants all over the place and the whole thing is a disaster."