German party chief calls on Greece to embrace reforms

Greece needs to renew its commitment to budget revisions to retain continued financial backing from Germany, said Christian Lindner, general secretary of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Free Democratic Party coalition partner.

“European solidarity is being seriously jeopardized in Athens,” Lindner said Saturday in an e-mailed statement. “The heads of the IMF and the Euro group should travel to Athens without delay to seek binding declarations to achieve the agreed targets from Greek leaders.”

European Union and International Monetary Fund officials suspended a review to allow Athens to work on measures to boost growth. Support from the three entities is critical to Greece getting a sixth payment of loans under a $156 billion bailout approved in May 2010.

“Greece needs to reaffirm its commitment to stability and reform,” said Lindner. “The taxpayers in northern Europe, and especially in Germany, can’t be held accountable for reluctance and impotence.”