The initiative belongs to the head of the European People's Party (EPP) Manfred Weber and the general secretary of the EPP, Thanasis Bakolas, one of the close associates of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The timing for the closed meeting of around twenty leaders and party leaders – a "two-day brainstorming" session, as they call it among themselves – is not at all coincidental.

From Brussels today, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stated for Europe to improve, "...we need competitive ability, creation of new job openings - which is the number one problem - and, of course, solidarity among all member-states", according to ANA-MPA.

The position of Greece against any new horizontal measures and additional taxes was at the focus of what prime minister Antonis Samaras told German chancellor Angela Merkel, in a 20 minute meeting they had on the sidelines of the European Popular Party congress.