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| Eurozone suspends Greek debt-relief plan | Eurozone suspends Greek debt-relief plan |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Eurozone lenders to Greece have suspended their recently agreed debt-relief plan for Greece. | Eurozone lenders to Greece have suspended their recently agreed debt-relief plan for Greece. |
| The lenders are unhappy that the Greek government is planning to spend €617m (£517m) on giving poor state pensioners a pre-Christmas bonus. | The lenders are unhappy that the Greek government is planning to spend €617m (£517m) on giving poor state pensioners a pre-Christmas bonus. |
| The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the body that helps eurozone governments in trouble, said it had not been asked to agree the bonus. | The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the body that helps eurozone governments in trouble, said it had not been asked to agree the bonus. |
| The ESM said it would now scrutinise the proposed payment to the pensioners. | The ESM said it would now scrutinise the proposed payment to the pensioners. |
| "Following recent proposals by the Greek government to spend additional fiscal resources for pensions and VAT, our governing bodies have put their decisions temporarily on hold," a spokesman for the ESM said. | "Following recent proposals by the Greek government to spend additional fiscal resources for pensions and VAT, our governing bodies have put their decisions temporarily on hold," a spokesman for the ESM said. |
| "Institutions are currently assessing the impact of Greek government decisions vis-a-vis the ESM programme commitments and targets. | "Institutions are currently assessing the impact of Greek government decisions vis-a-vis the ESM programme commitments and targets. |
| "[We] will then analyse the institutions' assessment and subsequently decide how to proceed," he said. | "[We] will then analyse the institutions' assessment and subsequently decide how to proceed," he said. |
| The debt-relief deal between Greece and the ESM was agreed on 5 December and would reduce the interest burden on the country's debts. | The debt-relief deal between Greece and the ESM was agreed on 5 December and would reduce the interest burden on the country's debts. |
| The Greek government announced its bonus for poor pensioners - those earning below 800 euros a month - just three days later, but without consulting the eurozone representatives. | |
| It also exempted residents of Aegean islands from VAT because of the influx of migrants. | |
| A spokesman for Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup - the eurozone finance ministers who have been negotiating with the Greek government over its massive debts - said the Greek government's action appeared "to not be in line with our agreements". | A spokesman for Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup - the eurozone finance ministers who have been negotiating with the Greek government over its massive debts - said the Greek government's action appeared "to not be in line with our agreements". |
| There was "no unanimity now for implementing short-term debt measures," the spokesman added. | There was "no unanimity now for implementing short-term debt measures," the spokesman added. |