FRENCH President Francois Hollande gave his backing yesterday to a Greek request to start negotiations with bailout lenders by the end of the year in a bid to gain better debt repayment terms.

Mr Hollande, on the second day of a visit to Greece, said the talks should start after bailout inspectors finish a review of progress in implementing creditors’ demands.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras promised to honour bailout commitments “to the letter.” But he claimed “extreme neoliberal” supporters in Europe — a thinly veiled reference to fiscal hawks in Germany’s Finance Ministry — were trying to undermine the deal.

Meanwhile, journalists’ union ESIEA held a 24-hour strike over plans to sell off all private TV licences next year, setting stricter financial standards on broadcasters.

Civil service union Adedy and private-sector union GSEE have also called a general strike for November 12 to oppose new austerity measures.