In the light of the crucial meeting today on a possible bailout deal for Greece, the president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella stated:

"The conditions to hammer out a deal between Greece and its creditors have been met. The solution is on the table. Now more than ever, we are inches away from a possible comprehensive agreement that would benefit both Greece and the stabilization of the European Union in turn. Therefore the S&D Group urges all parties involved – the IMF included – to take this very last step. It is the future of Europe that is at stake here. A negative outcome of the negotiations will have very serious political implications for the European institutions."