Withdrawal from the European Union

By Eleni Varvitsioti

Finnish Prime Minister Alex Stubb is one of the 19 leaders in the eurozone that will be asked to sign a new agreement with Greece after the elections.

The likelihood of Greece leaving the European single currency remains relatively unlikely than during the peak of the eurozone crisis and the risk of contagion to other countries is lower than in 2012, rating agency Moody's said on Wednesday.

European Central Bank policymaker Ewald Nowotny thinks that a Greek exit from the eurozone would be a disaster for Greece, he said on Monday.

"For Greece it would a catastrophe, for the other euro countries a massive problem," Nowotny said an event in Vienna.

By Mike Dolan

British elections in May could arguably have as much impact on euro zone stability as this month's snap poll in Greece, making for an anxious period of up to six months for European investors.

A Turkish community leader in Germany warned Dec. 28 against proposals by mainstream politicians for "dialogue" with a far-right populist movement that has drawn thousands to anti-Islamic street protests.
      

 EU should slash Greece’s debt and government must implement more reforms to revert to healthy growth

By Dimitris Kontogiannis

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Government officials were seeking ways to bridge a rift with the country’s international creditors over the weekend after the budget for 2015 was submitted to Parliament without the troika’s approval.

The eurozone is reconsidering whether Greece needs the additional debt relief it has been hoping for, because its economic reforms and improved prospects have changed the arithmetic, officials say.

The German Federal Government has suggested that it considers a British exit from the EU as a possibility.

British EU referendum bill collapses

LONDON -- The British ruling coalition has failed to adopt a bill to organize a referendum on Britain's membership in the EU.

With this, parliamentary procedures regarding the bill have been halted.