EC president in Athens today

Tsipras said that Juncker is visiting Greece at a critical time, not so much for Greece but for Europe, but every critical moment for Europe is also critical time for Greece.

He concluded that the difficult times will be dealt with the same wisdom as in the past in order to create a better Europe for the future of its people.

Meanwhile  Mr Juncker has come under fire by German media for being arbitrary and fickle, as well as not following proper procedure. The German press also attacked his personal habits.

During his meeting with President of Hellenic Republic, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker praised the courage of the Greek people” and especially those who are poorer than other Greeks and Europeans”.

“What Greece does is not a message to be sent to Brussels, it’s an investment for the future of our children,” he added.

Without mentioning the government or the name of Alexis Tsipras, Mr. Juncker noted that “The program is being implemented, the tranche is being disbursed and therefore for the first time we do not have to talk about adjustment programs.”

Mr. Junkcer clarified that the main issue to be discussed during his visit is the refugee crisis stressing that solidarity should be two-way street.

Referring to what happened in the summer of 2015, Mr. Juncker said that he “had never supported the absurd logic of Greece being expelled from EU and that is why I used all means to prevent a Grexit”.

Regarding the refugee crisis, the European Commission president stressed that “Europe must show solidarity with Greece, a country which has been more affected by the crisis. Besides, Greece has made great efforts regarding refugee issue” adding though that “Greece has a lot of work to do on refugee reception”.