Greek Prime Minister Warns about Deep Crisis in Europe

Europe is going through a deep crisis and it is like a sleepwalker who walks towards a cliff, warned Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in an interview published in the French newspaper Le Monde on Thursday.

When elaborating on his warning, the head of Government pointed out that there is a confluence of the refugee crisis, the security crisis, the terrorist threat and the economic crisis that creates an alarming situation for the region.

The politician criticized the current inequalities between northern and southern Europe.

'Today we have a north that accumulates the surpluses and a south affected by big shortages. There is no a European convergence when such disparities exist,' he stressed.

Tsipras considered necessary to limit the austerity policies as a way to fight unemployment and support growth.

'If we do not prioritize employment, Europe is threatened by decomposition, with other possible referendums against the European Union and anti-European government within the Union,' he noted.

In reference to Greece, the prime minister underlined that things are improving little by little, but he considered very necessary that the EU partners accept to alleviate the country's debt.

'If they refuse to move forward on this issue, then it will be very difficult for my country to return to growth,' he stated.

Amid the economic crisis, Greece was one of the European nations that received a rescue from EU institutions and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for the implementation of severe austerity measures.

That implied a cut in public expenditures that caused a drastic increase in unemployment, the fall in wages and pensions, as well as the deterioration of social services like health care and education.

Tsipras called for a summit of European Mediterranean countries in Athens on Friday, and participation is expected by French President François Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.