Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras accuses Spain and Portugal of leading a conspiracy against his government

According to Reuters, he said Spain and Portugal took a particularly hard line during Greece’s bailout negotiations, which ended this week.

 

The two countries are also being subjected to tough austerity measures by the Eurozone's creditor nations, and Tsipras believes they want to suppress radical forces at home before their elections later this year.

 

"We found opposing us an axis of powers … led by the governments of Spain and Portugal which for obvious political reasons attempted to lead the entire negotiations to the brink," he said. 

 

"Their plan was and is to wear down, topple or bring our government to unconditional surrender before our work begins to bear fruit and before the Greek example affects other countries," he continued. "And mainly before the elections in Spain."

Tsipras's Syriza party was voted into power in January on the back of promises to renegotiate Greece’s bailout package and reverse some of the tough austerity measures imposed on it. 

 

But the agreement reached after multiple Eurogroup meetings was not what was originally promised – Greece now has an extension of its current bailout programme, rather than a renegotiation of it. 

 

Nonetheless, Tspiras described it as a victory for Greece, saying the attack made by some German Conservatives on the Greek leadership once a deal was made reflected that concessions had been made. 

 

"We have all watched the strong opposition within Angela Merkel's party which shows that unacceptable concessions have been made to Greece," he said.