Belgium: Greek reforms "the key" to handling debt crisis, says European Commissioner Moscovici

Solid, quick and very specific commitments to reform are "the key to everything" when it comes to the Greek crisis, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said, Saturday, as he arrived at the Lux building in Brussels for a euro zone meeting on Greece. The reforms are the key "for lower risks ... to enable us to unblock a programme" and "to enable us to handle the debt matter," Moscovici stated. The finance ministers are expected to discuss a new plan to be presented to EU leaders on Sunday. The Greek government's bailout expired on July 30. Members of the Hellenic Parliament voted to back Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' new bailout plan which offers economic reforms in exchange for a new three-year €53.5 billion ($60 billion) bailout package. The proposal won the support of 250 out of 300 MPs. Reports indicate that 145 out of 162 Syriza-ANEL MPs voted in favour of the bill, while eight Syriza MPs abstained from voting including Minister of Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis, while seven didn't attend the session, and two voted no. In total 32 voted against the motion. The new proposals reportedly include the privatisation of regional airports and seaports, raising the retirement age to 67 by 2022, abolishing solidarity instalments for poorer pensioners before 2020, increasing the number of items with a 23 percent tax rate, cutting military spending by €300 million ($335 million) over the next two years and raising corporation tax to 28 percent. Now the proposal has the backing of parliament, Tsipras, Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis and new Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos will begin negotiations with Brussels on Sunday.