Greece faces an exit from Europe's common currency block unless it clinches a deal on a second 130 billion Euro bailout with its international lenders, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.
Greece's creditors failed to persuade the leader of the main conservative party to drop his refusal to sign a pledge that he will back austerity measures under a bailout deal aimed at saving the country from financial ruin.
Greece's new government took a first step on Friday towards meeting terms of an international bailout needed to avoid bankruptcy, submitting a budget bill that foresees no new austerity measures next year as long as reforms are enacted.
Greek police clashed with anti-austerity protesters and Italy announced sweeping reforms in response to a European debt crisis that on Thursday pushed borrowing costs for France and Spain sharply higher.
Greece and holders of its debt hope to agree on a proposal to halve its privately held debt within weeks, both sides said on Thursday, raising hopes that a key pillar of Greece's 130 billion Euros bailout is still on track.
The European Central Bank stepped in on Wednesday to stem an accelerating sell-off of Euro zone government bonds, traders said, after the United States called for more decisive action to halt a spreading sovereign debt crisis.
Greece and private bondholders begun working on a deal to halve its public debt, a key pillar of a bailout plan to save the country from bankruptcy and ejection from the euro zone, sources said.
Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said on Monday the policies tied to Athens' international bailout had worsened a recession and pushed unemployment higher, but the problem could be mitigated with reforms.
As technocrats leaders in Italy and Greece rush to form governments as they sought to limit the damage from the Euro zone debt crisis – and the Euro climbed on relief that a key Italian bond auction drew decent demand from investors – German chancellor Angela Merkel stepped up to defend Europe’s common currency.
Greece named banker Lucas Papademos as head of a new crisis government on Thursday, ending the country's chaotic search for a leader to save it from default, bankruptcy and expulsion from the Euro zone.