FRENCH President Francois Hollande emerged yesterday as an unlikely defender of Greece against its EU creditors.
Before a summit of EU leaders, he said: “It is out of the question to ask for further additional efforts from Greece or prevent them from taking a number of sovereign measures that respect the commitments” that Athens had previously given.
Days after the December 5 eurozone agreement to approve some debt relief, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced a Christmas bonus for some 1.6 million low-income pensioners and pledged to restore a lower sales tax rate for Aegean Sea islanders.
US tariffs have had Von der Leyen bowing in submission, while comments from the former European Central Bank leader call for more European political integration and less individual state sovereignty. All this adds up to more pain and austerity ahead, argues NICK WRIGHT
Meanwhile, over 110 human rights organisations and trade unions demand the EU immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel over its ‘egregious human rights abuses against Palestinians’


