Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras lambasted European partners on Wednesday for criticizing a new anti-poverty law hours before it is voted on, saying it was the euro zone rather than Athens that must stop “unilateral actions” and keep its word.
Tsipras’s impassioned speech to parliament as it prepared to vote on his government’s first bill marked the latest escalation in a war of words between Athens and its creditors that has raised the risk of a Greek bankruptcy and euro zone exit.
European Council President Donald Tusk called a meeting on Greece for Thursday evening at Tsipras’ request on the sidelines of an EU summit with the leaders of Germany, France, the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the chairman of euro zone finance ministers.
The leftist Greek leader is pressing for a political decision to break Greece’s cash crunch, while the creditors have insisted Athens must first start implementing previously agreed economic reforms and hold detailed talks on its financial plans.