Spain denies conspiring against Greece and advises focus on reforms

USPA NEWS - The Spanish government has denied the accusations of Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras, about the existence of a Hispano-Luso shaft against his government and has joined the protest of Portugal to the European Commission.

Tsipras accused the governments of Spain and Portugal to form an axis in Europe to torpedo the agreement between Greece and the Eurogroup, regarding Athens negotiations to achieve an extension of financial aid received his Government. "We found an axis powers, led by the governments of Spain and Portugal, who, for obvious reasons, tried to bring the whole abyss negotiations," Tsipras told his party. "His plan was, and is, wear us, topple our government before the example of Greece affect other countries, mainly before elections in Spain," said Greek Prime Minister.

The Secretary of State for the EU of the Spanish Government, Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, rejected these accusations and reminded Tsipras that "Greece's problems are not solved with statements but with reforms." Méndez de Vigo urged the Greek government to "get to work" and further deepen reforms in the line marked by the Eurogroup. Similarly the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, who recalled that "we are not responsible for the frustration generated by the Greek radical left, who promised the Greeks that he knew he could not keep, as has expressed demonstrated". Spain has joined the protest of Portugal to the European Commission, but she said that is not going to pronounce on the statements of Tsipras and Rajoy.

The four-month extension of financial aid to Greece came into effect on March 1, as agreed by the Eurogroup with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. But the agreement does not solve the underlying problems of Greece, so that the European Commission requires Athens adopt structural reforms in the style of those applied in Spain. For the Greek government, the European demands are conditioned by the axis Spain-Portugal, whose attitude, according Tsipras, is motivated by the fear of populist leftist movements that threaten the political status quo in both countries. In Spain, the polls on voting intentions we placed populist party Podemos in second place after conservative PP and ahead of the Socialist Party.