Wolfgang Schaeuble

Kathimerini understands that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is prepared to do whatever it takes to conclude the second review of Greece's third bailout so that it can join the European Central Bank's quantitative easing program (QE), on the condition that the government agrees to a package of pension cuts and a reduced tax threshold - amounting to roughly 2 percent of GDP.

The government sought on Tuesday to put a positive spin on an agreement reached between Greece and its international creditors at Monday's Eurogroup, insisting that any increase in financial burdens on Greeks would be offset by countermeasures.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble denied on Sunday that he had said Greece would have to leave the eurozone if it failed to implement economic reforms.

Schaeuble said in an ARD television interview that Greece would not have problems if it implemented agreed reforms, but would if it fails to carry these out.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble doesn't expect euro zone finance ministers to reach a final deal on Greece at their meeting today in Brussels, a spokesman said on Monday.

Euro zone finance ministers are meeting in the Belgian capital to assess Greece's progress in fulfilling the conditions of its bailout.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble denied on Sunday that he had said Greece would have to leave the eurozone if it failed to implement economic reforms.

Schaeuble said in an ARD television interview that Greece would not have problems if it implemented agreed reforms, but would if it fails to carry these out.

Germany and France must work together to ensure a "balanced" approach in negotiations with Greece that keeps the eurozone intact, French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other German officials on Tuesday.

Greek opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has presented German Chancellor Angela Merkel with New Democracy's plan for extracting Greece from its ongoing crisis during a meeting in Berlin according to reports Monday.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos has blamed German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble for the failure to complete the second review of Greece's bailout program.

"Exclusive responsibility for the delay right now lies with [Schauble], with his constant ambivalence and indecisiveness," Tzanakopoulos said in an interview with Newport.gr website Monday.

As the government attempts to get bailout talks with creditors back on track, the leader of the main opposition New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is due in Berlin Monday and Tuesday for meetings with German Chancellor Angela and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, and is expected to present them with his alternative plan for extracting Greece from its ongoing crisis.

Germany is focused on ensuring that a review of Greece's bailout is successful, a Finance Ministry spokeswoman said when asked about remarks by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that Athens would have to leave the eurozone if it ignored its commitments.