German politicians from all parties back Merkel's hardline over 'irresponsible' Athens

German politicians from across the political spectrum backed Chancellor Angela Merkel's firm line in aid talks with Athens yesterday despite the growing risk of a Greek default that could push it out of the euro zone.

A day after negotiations between Greece and its euro zone creditors broke down, members of Merkel's conservative party accused Athens of losing touch with reality.

But some of the toughest rhetoric came from her left-wing coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), who have traditionally favoured a softer line with Greece.

The reaction reduces the chances that Merkel might flinch and make eleventh-hour concessions as the standoff with Greece enters a critical phase. Without a deal in the coming days, a default will begin to look inevitable.

"In our view, the Greek government is behaving increasingly irresponsibly, including towards its own country," said Yasmin Fahimi, general secretary of the SPD and a politician who has not shied away from criticising the government in the past."Solidarity is not a one-way street," she added.Volker Kauder, leader of Merkel's conservative bloc in parliament, said the government's goal remained to keep Greece in the euro zone. "But it won't work that Greece sets the terms and says "everyone else has to dance to our tune". Greece needs to get back to reality," Kauder said.

Conservative lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity said that although there was a general consensus that a Greek exit from the euro zone should be avoided, there was also a firm belief that concessions to Athens could create problems for other governments like Spain and Portugal.