EU tells Greek PM time is running out for debt deal

“Time is running out” was the message delivered to the Greek prime minister as he looked for help from the top players in the EU’s economic union last night.

In an unprecedented move Alexi Tsipras asked to meet the leaders of just two EU countries — France and Germany — together with the head of the ECB, the European Council and the Commission.

The meeting took place after the EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels but there was little appetite for it, despite the fact that money is flowing out of the Greek banks and that within a few weeks the government will have to decide whether it can pay the IMF what it owes, or pay public servants wages.