Macron visits Greece, shares EU vision

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Greece on Thursday for a two-day visit to discuss Greece's economic crisis, European affairs as well as French investments in the country.

Greece considers France a vital ally and counterweight to fiscally hawkish Germany in its efforts to ease the stringent terms of its international bailouts.

Macron backed Germany's idea of a European Monetary Fund (EMF) stressing the ultimate goal should remain a euro zone budget.

Macron wants a giant leap forward in European cooperation, pushing for the creation of a euro zone finance minister and parliament, as well as a stand alone budget for the currency bloc to cushion economic shocks and head off future crises.

The French leader is running up against resistance in Berlin despite conciliatory public signals from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Her finance minister has proposed transforming the euro zone's rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), into a fully fledged EMF that would have more powers to support vulnerable member states.

"We should head towards a European Monetary Fund but this should in no way be mixed up with a (euro zone) budget," Macron said during a visit to Athens.

Grexit: the end of euro

Macron speaking at Greek newspaper Kathimerini said a possible Grexit could mean the end of the euro. He pointed out that avoiding exit from the EU can be achieved by creating an ambitious plan.

Macron told the newspaper that his visit marks the support of France in Greece's new beginning and wants to pass a message of confidence and friendship.

The French president also stressed out Turkey's distant position from the EU but said a rift between the two should not happen since Turkey is an important ally especially when it comes to the refugee crisis and fighting terrorism.

Greek debt

Macron praised Greece's austerity reforms and reiterated his call for an easing of the Greek debt burden.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Greece supported France's proposals for a closer euro zone. He said the ESM should be reformed and replace the International Monetary Fund in Europe.

"We respect the IMF, but we can manage better with an organization which was set up to have a European mentality and understand the euro zone’s special features," Pavlopoulos told Macron.

Euro zone governments in June approved another 11th-hour credit line for Greece worth nearly $10 billion after the IMF said it would in principle join the country's current bailout having hesitated for two years.

Macron helped bridge differences between the fund and some euro zone member states, including Germany.