EUROCRATS and creditors denied yesterday that they had demanded pensions cuts as they pressed Greece to accept a bailout deal.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told a meeting of the bailout negotiation team that he had rejected demands by the European Central Bank, International Monetary Fund and EU states for further cuts to already low state pensions.

But European Commission spokeswoman Annika Breidthardt insisted that Greece had been intransigent while creditors had made “quite substantial” concessions.

“It is a gross misrepresentation of facts to say that the institutions have called for cuts in individual pensions,” she claimed.

“Yes, the pension system is one of the most expensive parts of spending. It is also one of the most expensive pension systems in Europe and therefore a reform of the pension system is part of the requirement.”

French President Francois Hollande urged Greece to resume negotiations, saying: “Greece must not wait … there’s not a moment to lose.”