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If we were to paraphrase at present the old saying about the Greeks who were bringing gifts, it would sound like this, "Beware of Greeks, when they want an extension of the funding." Athens is making today its last attempt to return to the negotiating table with its European partners, submitting a written request for an extension of its funding by six months, until August 2015. At the same time, the Greek government pledges neither to take measures that will burden the budget nor to take unilateral decisions. The meaning of unilateral decisions is that Greece will stick to the reforms, which have been already implemented under the rescue programme, and if it decides to abandon the planned but so far unimplemented reforms included in the programme, it will have to offer its lenders other measures that will replace them.
     Government sources in Athens claim that the Greek proposal is actually the text of Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, with which Greece had agreed at the latest meeting of the Eurogroup on Monday, but which, according to Athens, had been withdrawn at the last minute at the request of Germany. The same sources indicate that the request is not for extending the rescue programme, which Alexis Tsipras had promised before the elections not to want, but only for the financing of Greece.
     The move taken by Athens aims at two things - one is to continue the dialogue with Brussels, and the other to send a positive signal to the board of the European Central Bank, which will meet today to decide whether to extend the funding of Greek banks through the Emergency Liquidity Assistance by another 15 days.
     At the same time, tomorrow, Thursday, 19 February, the government will submit to parliament a draft law on the forgiveness of bad loans and the cancellation of sequestration of houses. It will be discussed and voted under the fast procedure within 24 hours. This move of Alexis Tsipras is a perfect example of a unilateral decision, as the law in question cancels the existing law that was prepared in cooperation with the lenders. Yesterday the Greek Prime Minister announced before the parliamentary group of SYRIZA his intention to unilaterally cancel other reforms included in the rescue programme in order to "put an end to the Middle Ages in labour relations."
     The opposition is talking about a simple game of nerves with the lenders, whose representative Jeroen Dijsselbloem, President of the Eurogroup, had very clearly announced on Monday the conditions of the European partners, which are as follows: firstly, the partners are ready to discuss the replacement of some measures with others but not to accept unilateral decisions; secondly, already implemented measures which have been agreed with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund cannot be repealed; thirdly, Greece must fulfil its loan obligations; fourthly, it must ensure its financial stability. Obviously, the bill on the forgiveness of bad loans does not fit into the conditions of the lenders.
     A source from the European Commission told the newspaper Kathimerini that since the request is not for extending the existing bailout programme but actually for a new contract for Greece, the decision whether to accept it or not is beyond the competence of the Eurogroup and will require the vote of some national parliaments, such as the German one.
    The Greek request will be submitted to Brussels today and Jeroen Dijsselbloem will examine it to decide whether the request satisfies the finance ministers as a starting point for negotiations. If so, the Eurogroup will meet again on Friday.