EU hints at more time, but no Greek write-offs

EU finance chiefs hinted on Monday (26 January) that Greece could be given more time to repay its debts but refused to budge on the new Greek government’s demands to write-off a large part of its debts.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chaired a meeting of euro finance ministers on Monday, said that he welcomed the left-wing Syriza government’s “ambition” to remain in the eurozone and had had a 15-minute phone call with the likely finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis.

But he warned new Gree...