Verschuldung: Griechenland will erneut frühzeitig Schulden tilgen

Greece aims to significantly reduce its debt and loans early this year, reporting 13 billion euros by the end of the year, according to the newspaper Kathimerini. This includes around 2.5 billion euros from Greece's first aid program of 2010, originally due until 2041, and 2.2 billion euros to be used in paying off a state bond, along with a reduction of 1.2 billion euros in short-term state bonds, reports the newspaper citing the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The country will save around 360 million euros in annual interest through these premature repayments. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years. Greece had already paid back 6.9 billion euros early in June, also from the first rescue program. Greece has been making early repayments for several years. According to the Greek debt agency's estimates, the country's debt is set to decrease to 137% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year, potentially putting Greece in the same position as Italy, which is expected to have a debt-to-GDP ratio of 138.6% in 2026, as reported by the Italian broadcaster Rai News.

During the Greek financial crisis from 2010 to 2018, debt levels sometimes reached over 180% of economic output, threatening Greece's exit from the Euro. As a response, European rescue mechanisms like the Emergency Stability Mechanism (ESM) were created, which has provided financial assistance to struggling Eurozone countries since October 2012.