Greece let yet another deadline slip on Monday for responding to painful terms for a new European Union/IMF bailout as patience in Brussels wore thin over drawn-out negotiations among its feuding political leaders.
Failure to strike a deal to secure the 130-billion-euro ($170-billion U.S.) rescue risks pushing Athens into a chaotic debt default which could threaten its future in the euro-zone.
Panos Beglitis, spokesman of the PASOK socialist party, said on Sunday that leaders of the three parties backing technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos' government had to give their responses in principle by noon (5 a.m. ET).
However, a government official denied that the parties had been given an ultimatum to respond on Monday.
Asked whether the parties had to respond in time for a Euro Working Group meeting of finance ministry officials in Brussels, the Greek official said: "No, there is no deadline."
He said the entire Greek side had to agree terms of the rescue, which would be the second for Athens since 2010, with international lenders before the next meeting of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers.
"The only deadline is to have a staff agreement for the second bailout and the agreement of the political leaders before Eurogroup," said the official, who requested anonymity.
No date has yet been set for the Eurogroup meeting, although it is expected this week.
Related Stories
