German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Greece on Tuesday for talks with leaders eager for her support to avoid bankruptcy and remain in the eurozone as angry Greeks prepare to protest against her austerity drive.
A huge security operation is underway to secure Merkel's six-hour
visit, her first to Greece since the debt crisis broke out three
years ago. More than 7,000 policemen, including snipers, have been
deployed in Athens to secure the route of Merkel's motorcade.
Police have imposed a ban on demonstrations in many areas in
central Athens.
The ban will not affect two separate demonstrations organized by
trade unions and opposition parties to coincide with Merkel's arrival
at 1:30 pm (1030 GMT) for talks with Prime Minister Minister Antonis
Samaras.
The coalition government headed by Samaras wants more leeway in
implementing spending cuts demanded by Greece's international
creditors in return for bailout funds.
The daily Kathimerini newspaper said Samaras hopes to secure
Merkel's approval for a more lenient austerity package, which Greece
is negotiating with the European Union, International Monetary Fund
and the European Central Bank.
Merkel's visit has been interpreted as a sign of her determination
to prevent a Greek exit from the eurozone. It is also a show of
support for Samaras's reform programme.
A large majority of Greeks blame Merkel for demanding painful cuts
in exchange for the bailout. Greece has been in recession for five
years and has been asking for more time in implementing austerity
measures to allow a return to growth.
Samaras wants to scale down the highly unpopular cuts, worth
13.5-billion-euros (17.5-billion-dollars), to avoid harming salaries
and pensions. Critics say the cuts will push Greece to a sixth year
of recession in 2013.
Merkel will also meet Greek President Karolos Papoulias and
representatives of German and Greek industry.
