The Greek crisis has exposed deep political faultlines in the eurozone.
Eurozone countries that endured their own harsh rescue programmes, such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland, do not want Greece to escape pain.
In eastern Europe, the eurozones poorest members are furious at the prospect of helping Greece fund better pensions than their own. Having suffered much greater recessions in the overthrow of Communism, they want Athens to stop complaining and start serious reforms. Their voices may be small, but their successful economic records carry weight.
The French socialist presidents irritation towards Berlin was palpable on Sunday. While a Berlin-led group of countries was unwilling to commit to new bailout talks with Athens before the far-left government passed a series of immediate budgetary measures in parliament, Mr Hollande urged an agreement tonight. He criticised Mr Schäubles temporary Grexit proposal, saying: There cannot be a temporary exit of Greece from the eurozone. Either Greece is in the eurozone or out of the eurozone. But in that case, Europe would be retreating and I dont want that.
Attacks on Greece have been regular, sharp and public. We need a solution but not at any cost, tweeted Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, echoing Germanys position. I agree, tweeted Taavi Roivas, the prime minister of Estonia, in response.
But it is among poorer countries in the east that criticism is most forthright. A typical pensioner in Lithuania will take home less than half of a pensioner in Greece. The failure to push through Greek pension reforms is therefore particularly tough for these countries to take.
Dalia Grybauskaitė, the often abrasive president of Lithuania, said last week: [With] the Greek government it is every time mañana.
