ATHENS, Greece – Caught between its own defiant campaign pledges and pressure from creditors, Greece’s left-wing government was readying a list of reforms demanded by debt inspectors for final approval of extended rescue loans.
But it is already facing dissent within its ruling party over claims it is backtracking on its recent election-winning promises to ease budget cuts for the recession-battered Greeks.
A government official said the list will be sent early Tuesday – pushing a deadline by a few hours – and be reviewed at a teleconference of eurozone finance ministers later in the day.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to make comments to news media.
READ MORE: Greece to submit reforms list Sunday, PM warns of difficult negotiations ahead
Greece and bailout creditors have been in a standoff since Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party won general elections last month on a pledge to tear up bailout agreements and seek a massive write off of bailout debts, totalling 240 billion euros ($271 billion).
But they reached an agreement Friday to extend the country’s rescue loan program by four months, avoiding the risk of a Greek default and exit from the euro currency.
The government official said reforms would focus on curbing tax evasion and excessive bureaucracy and address poverty caused by a six-year recession.
“Creditors will be skeptical. These are notoriously difficult reforms and, in the case of the latter, usually cost money,” said Megan Greene, chief economist at Manulife Asset Management.
“It will be difficult for the Greek government to provide concrete measures for achieving these goals, and they will almost certainly be unable to achieve much before the next round of negotiations in June.”
Tsipras is also facing pressure within his party.
READ MORE: Greece and eurozone settle their differences—for now
Several prominent Syriza members have publicly said the party should honour its campaign promises.
Environment Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, an outspoken bailout critic, lashed lead bailout lender Germany for insisting that Athens stick with austerity measures – an effort he insisted would fail.
“Red lines in negotiations cannot be crossed – that’s why they are red,” he told the weekly Real News. “If the Germans choose to push the issue to a rift, they will bring catastrophic consequences on themselves.”
The dissent could complicate approval of the overhauled reforms in parliament, with Syriza lacking a majority and relying on right-wing coalition partner, the Independent Greeks.
Government spokesman Gavrill Sakelaridis argued Greece is still locked in tough negotiations with lenders.
“No one can be expected to change everything in three weeks. We haven’t got a magic wand,” he told private Skai television.
Nikos Chountis, the deputy foreign minister, said the government had not abandoned its main goal of easing the country’s debt burden with a write off. Any talks on lightening Greece’s bailout burden would only come later – after the loan extension is approved this week, guaranteeing both sides have time to discuss the issue in depth.
“The big negotiation will be on whether the national debt is viable or not, and how it will be dealt with,” he told pro-Syriza Sto Kokkino radio.
Monday’s hurried preparations in Athens found Greeks celebrating a public holiday, the start of lent before Orthodox Christian Easter, on a day marked with picnics and kite flying.
Athens resident Christos Kotsabouyoukos took his young son and daughter to fly their kite on a hill facing the ancient Acropolis, and appeared resigned to more bad news.
“The way we’re living now isn’t nice … Greeks are hungry and they are miserable,” he said. “”If Europe now wants to kick us out, they can kick us out – what can we do?”
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