ATHENS: Greece still faces “a long road to recovery” after leaving its bailout programme last week and needs to continue balancing its books and cleaning up its banking sector, European Central Bank policymaker Jens Weidmann said.
Greece emerged from the biggest bailout in economic history on Aug 20 but jaded Greeks are finding little reason to celebrate after nine years of cuts and job losses.
Weidmann, the head of Germany’s influential Bundesbank, praised Greece’s “impressive progress” but added Athens had to stay the course on reforms.
“(The) end of the third adjustment programme is not the finishing line, but a milestone on a long road to recovery,” Weidmann told an event in Athens.
Greece has received 288 billion euros ($335.98 billion) in financial aid since 2010, with the European Union as its biggest lender.