Greece’s Tsipras Gets ‘Reality Check’ at EU Summit

 leader told Athens won’t get more money until much of its bailout program passes into law

By MATTHEW DALTON

Updated March 20, 2015 1:37 p.m. ET

41 COMMENTS

BRUSSELS—Alexis Tsipras, the new Greek prime minister, came to Brussels on Thursday hoping to secure offers of desperately needed financial support from the currency bloc during a meeting with eurozone leaders.

What he got instead was a splash of cold water from the two people who control the eurozone’s purse strings: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. They said the eurozone won’t give Athens more money until it passes into law much of the bailout program the new Greek government signed up to late last month, according to people briefed on the meeting.

“This wasn't a meeting to make decisions, but to have a reality check,” European Council President Donald Tusk, who organized the meeting, told reporters on Friday, “and to avoid misunderstandings at the highest political level.”

The tough message renews pressure on Mr. Tsipras to execute a dramatic turnaround in talks on a revised bailout program at a time when clashes between his government and the eurozone are flaring up daily.

Technical discussions in Athens over the past week have accomplished nothing. Experts representing the government’s creditors from the eurozone and International Monetary Fundwere blocked from accessing government ministries, EU officials said, and some have received death threats.

“You crucified our people there in Athens,” Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, told Mr. Tsipras in the meeting, according to an official briefed on the exchange. Mr. Draghi also forcefully complained about the treatment of the experts.

Mr. Tsipras agreed in the coming days to present a list of legislative overhauls the government wants to pursue, and more importantly which provisions of the old bailout it wants to scrap. He told reporters on Friday that the meeting was key to put Greece’s agreement with its partners “back on track,” adding that the atmosphere was “warm and friendly.”

But he could find himself facing a political revolt within his leftist-Syriza party if the eurozone and the IMF insist on some of the old program’s most controversial measures, such as cuts to Greece’s pension system.

“The Syriza-led coalition is trapped between a rock and a hard place,” said Diego Iscaro, senior economist at the consulting firm IHS Global Insight. “Even if an agreement is reached, there will continue to be significant uncertainty regarding Syriza’s ability and willingness to comply.”

Officials said a list of overhauls could be presented by Athens, in the best case, in seven to 10 days.