Debate during the plenary session of July in Strasbourg on the Conclusions of the European Council (25-26 June) and of the Euro Summit (7 July) and the current situation in Greece during the EP plenary session of July in Strasbourg. Closing statements by Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister

statement

Strasbourg

debate

economic situation in Greece (T)

TSÍPRAS, Aléxis (EL)

European Council meeting 25-26 June 2015 (T)

Conclusions of the European Council (25-26 June) and of the Euro Summit (7 July) and the current situation in Greece: extracts from the closing statement by Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "I think that this debate should have happened quite some time ago. Because the debate we've held here today isn't only about the future of Greece, it is about the future of the Euro zone. It's not possible for these debates to take place behind closed doors, that's not our responsibility. For five months negotiations have been conducted indeed behind closed doors."

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "The Commission and the ECB, were there because they pay, but how is it possible, within the troika, to allow people to take decisions, that is the IMF, but not the European Parliament, the House of European democracy."

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "Firstly if the Greek side has tabled proposals, you will decide whether they are decent ones or not, well yes.We provided a 47-page document which was the result of a very painful and difficult negotiating process. Unfortunately the image that has been put out is that we didn't table proposals. Last Monday the Greek came back with a new document with reliable proposals, it was accepted as the basis for discussions between the three institutions."

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "In those countries under a programme, elections shouldn't take place. Governments should be appointed, technocrats.And they would be responsible for taking the decisions. (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "Now, if I would have had the aim of taking Greece out of the euro, I would have immediately have made the statement as soon as the ballot boxes closed. To understand the outcome, not as a mandate to break with Europe, but rather as a mandate to achieve a better, fairer and more sustainable agreement.That is our objective, and I have no other hidden plan. And I am really putting my cards on the table in saying this."

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Al&#233;xis TS&#205;PRAS, Greek Prime Minister, "We want a sustainable programme. Because we want to be in a position to repay the loans that we've accepted. And we when we ask to reduce the debt, we are asking for that, because we want to be able to pay this back. We don't want to be forced time and time to accept new loans to pay off the old ones. Mr.Weber, well the strongest moment of solidarity in modern European history was in 1953 when your country came out of two world wars, and Europe, the people's of Europe, at the London conference 1953, the greatest possible solidarity. 60 percent of Germany's debt was written off at that time. And that was the most significant expression of solidarity in modern European history."