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An extension and a bridging programme until 1 June, when Spain will hold parliamentary elections, is the request that Athens has placed with its European partners, as reported by the Greek media that refer to a senior official of the Ministry of Finance. In statements to reporters, he said that the restructuring of Greek debt is a request that the government in no case will abandon. At the same time, he expressed confidence that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde will not allow Greece to default.
 
"We want to be provided 1.9 billion euro within the bridging programme, which is equal to the profits of the ECB on Greek government bonds. We have also proposed to increase the limit for the issuance of government bonds to 8 billion euro," said the representative of the Ministry of Finance, adding that Athens had expected the suspension of financing by the European Central Bank.

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis delivered his speech within the context of the parliamentary debate on the policy statement of the new cabinet, which will end with a vote of confidence at midnight on Tuesday.
 
"Our government is under constant threats that have nothing to do with European ideals. They exert pressure on us to accept things that do not solve the problems. If it were a bitter but healing medicine for our people I would say to take it. I would accepted it if, at some point, even after many pains, it could get us out of the crisis. But even with compromises, I do not believe that this will be so. The drug is toxic and the worst thing is that the doctor knows this," said Varoufakis.

He pointed out that the Memorandum of economic aid was doomed to fail and said that Greece's lenders recognise that, when the microphones are turned off. "The time has come to say in public those things that are spoken behind ‘closed’ microphones. Even the members of the Troika recognise in private conversations that the programme does not work. However, they say different things in public," the Greek Minister of Finance stated.

In the course of his speech, he said that the government agrees with 70 percent of the reforms in this rescue programme but is strongly opposed to the remaining 30 percent of them. Varoufakis said that the government "has no intention to break with the Memoranda if the other party respects the mandate that the people gave us on 25 January."

Yanis Varoufakis promised that, at the forthcoming extraordinary meeting of the Eurogroup on Wednesday "I will be closed in the extremely unpleasant halls in Brussels. I will go with the thought that I will represent not only the 40 percent of the citizens who voted for us but also the 60 percent of the others who did not give their votes to us. I will comply with the European commitment to come to a solution. I will carry with me the strong desire of Konstantinos Karamanlis to make our country a member of the European Community, the hard but useful criticism of the Communist Party regarding the European cartels. Above all, I will bear in mind the lesson of Andreas Papandreou that no one respects the person who says “yes” to everything. I will do everything possible to say "yes" to every fair solution that will not plunge Greece into crisis."

At the end of his speech Varoufakis turned to the MPs of the opposition, saying, "I would like to believe that, inside and outside parliament, there will be no people who will act as the black dealers during the Occupation, who were saying in their prayers, "Hold on, Rommel". (He was German General Rommel, who commanded the Nazi troops in North Africa. According to historical sources, Greek speculators prayed for the battles on this front to continue, and with them the occupation of Greece, which provided them with greater profits – author’s note).

After his undoubtedly pathetic performance in parliament, Varoufakis did not fail to delight photographers who have followed his every step over the past two weeks. He left the building alone and set off to his office in the Ministry of Finance.

On his way, Varoufakis stopped at a street vendor and bought a bread ring for lunch. Reporters of Greek and international media were waiting for him in front of the Ministry and asked him for statements to be replied, "I will not make statements. Now I will eat my bread ring. "