Chancellor wants ‘clear signal’ from EU summit

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann has said he expects this evening’s (Fri) summit of Euro zone heads of state and government “to send a clear signal to the markets and to people in Europe.”Faymann’s spokesman Leo Szemeliker added today that the chancellor wanted the summit to agree on a rescue package for bankrupt Greece and ensure that the Greek government would comply with its obligations and become able eventually to pay back credits from EU member states.The spokesman had no comment about Faymann’s views on the possible spread of the crisis to Portugal and Spain but stressed that he opposed “alarmism” and believed that every country had to be evaluated on its own merits.Szemeliker added that the chancellor supported the creation of a European rating agency that would help prevent speculation of the type that had helped jack up the price of Greek bonds and believed there was enough political will to create one.The spokesman also noted that Faymann wanted stronger controls that would prevent a Euro-zone government from tricking the European Commission and other EU member states through provision of false data about its economy.