SPD party candidate for the chancellorship in the upcoming German elections, Peer Steinbrück visited Athens yesterday and held meetings Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos.

Following his meetings, Steinbrück repeated his call for Greece to be given more time to complete its fiscal adjustment.

He then expressed reservations about when the Greek government might be able to return to the international markets for its borrowing requirements. He also said that the government had to make greater efforts to produce a fairer tax system.