The Athens press focused on hopes that French President Francois Hollande may help improve the lot of Greeks by advocating a loosening of the terms of the dread bailout memorandum.   Some newspapers - mainly pro-Pasok and pro-ND - continued to lambaste Radical Left Coalition (Syriza) leader Alexis Tsipras over his remarks about Hollande at a Monday news conference.

...Syriza MPs noted that it was Tsipras' hosts in the Left Front who first used the term Hollandreou and that Tsipras simply repeated it. Though the statement was not exactly the epitome of diplomatic tact, Tsipras' political adversaries blew it up out of proportion.

At the same time, the press focused on Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos' surprise meeting with Hollande in Paris yesterday. It appears that the French leader wanted to boost the Greek socialists, who are determined to implement the memorandum and try and see if they can negotiate some changes.

Venizelos managed to use Hollande to cut Tsipras down to size, mainly through the pro-Pasok press. Hollande had earlier refused to meet with Tsipras, on the grounds that presidential protocol does not foresee meetings with foreign party leaders. He obviously made an exception for fellow "socialist" Venizelos, who led his party to a historic low in the last elections.

...Another front page story reported that German Social Democratic leader Sigmar Gabriel was stern with Tsipras, when the two met in Berlin yesterday. Gabriel said that if Greece does not fulfil its bailout commitments, Germany will stop giving loans.