Following the agreement on the Greek crisis announced at the end of the EU summit, the president of the Socialists and Democrats Group, Gianni Pittella, stated:
“We welcome the agreement on the Greek crisis. It has required important efforts and difficult choices from both sides. To make this agreement a new beginning for Greece and the Greek people, it is essential to implement measures conducive to investment and growth foreseen by the agreement as soon as possible.
“Finally, the unthinkable option of Grexit has been put aside as the Socialists and Democrats Group, as well as the whole of European socialist family, always and firmly fought for.
“Schäuble’s irresponsible and dangerous intention to kick Greece out of the Eurozone has been rejected.
“Now, we call all national parliaments involved in this process to ratify this agreement.
“Nevertheless, we firmly believe that the Greek crisis must be a lesson from which we all have to learn: Europe, as it is now structured, must be changed. As long as national egoism will have the weapon of veto power over the common interest, the European Union will be ineffective and incapable to face future challenges. This intergovernmental Europe must come to an end, giving way to a community method, in order to make a more integrated and stronger European Union.”