WARSAW, Poland, July 2 (UPI) -- The Polish finance minister, who will chair meetings of his counterparts in coming months, said the EU should try to foster growth, not austerity, in Greece.
Jacek Rostowski spoke at a Warsaw news conference Friday as Poland assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union for the next six months, the BBC reported.
Rostowski, who was born in Britain and received his academic training there as an economist, suggested the EU could learn from the experience of the International Monetary Fund.
"The IMF has been more proactive, has tailored programs more, bringing in programs that are not seen as the first step towards bankruptcy," he said. "In the case of our European programs, that has not been fully achieved. They must change their character and by doing that, change the way they are perceived."
EU finance ministers are discussing the details of a second round of aid for Greece. Rostowski suggested the focus should shift from tax increases and cuts in spending to measures that would increase the gross domestic product.
