(MENAFN- AFP) Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on Friday urged lawmakers to back a bailout plan for Greece, saying "we will do everything in our power to make this last attempt a success".
Schaeuble -- a hawk in talks with the left-wing government in Athens, who has spoken in favour of a 'Grexit' -- said of the new plan on the table: "We believe there is a chance that we can bring this to a successful conclusion."
But he added that it would be "very complicated."
"We have to find a way that is workable," Schaeuble said.
Just the evening before, in a radio interview, the finance minister had sounded less optimistic, saying "we will see, during the course of the negotiations, if there is a way of arriving at a new programme," given Greece's sharply increased financing needs.
Schaeuble on Friday reiterated his deeply pro-European convictions, which he said had been "the credo of my entire political career," and insisted that the harsh criticism aimed at him over his hardline stance on Greece had not "thrown" him.
The minister has come under fire for his proposal that Greece could take a five-year "time out" and leave the euro temporarily, an idea he still stood by.
Nevertheless, such a solution is not feasible because neither Greece nor the majority of the other 18 eurozone countries are in favour, Chancellor Angela Merkel had said earlier.
Merkel singled out Schaeuble for praise in his handling of the Greek crisis, and the veteran minister was warmly applauded in the lower house of parliament after his speech.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.