Greece's plea: No more austerity under the bailout deal

Greece's economy has met its budget targets and there is therefore no reason for further austerity measures to be imposed as part of a deal with bailout creditors, the government spokesman said today.

Greece has been struggling for months to conclude negotiations with its creditors on spending cuts and reforms demanded by European creditors and the International Monetary Fund as part of its third bailout program. It hopes to reach an agreement in time for a Monday meeting of eurozone finance ministers.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos noted the country had exceeded its bailout targets for the primary surplus -- the budget excluding interest rates -- and therefore no further austerity should be imposed on the Greek people.

A deal should be reached "without additional burdens, without additional cost for Greek society," Tzanakopoulos said. "Our aim, therefore, continues to be for a deal without a single euro's worth of additional austerity measures." Greece has relied on billions of euros from international rescue loans since 2010. In return for the bailouts from the IMF and other eurozone countries, successive governments have had to push through deeply unpopular reforms, increasing taxes and slashing spending, including on pensions and salaries.