German MEP Manfred Weber spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime - he is a member of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, the sister party to Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

While Europe digests the Greek government's reform proposals - Mr Weber says that the Greek government needs to explain to the country's voters that it cannot deliver on the promises that it made during the general election.

"I have no problem with a government fighting for the interest of its people - that is normal - but the question is, who will pay for its promises?"

Mr Weber is also Chairman of the European People's Party Group in the European Parliament, the largest political grouping in Europe. Fine Gael is also a member.

When asked about the possibility of shift towards the left in Ireland, the German official says that he cannot see this happening:

"I am sure that in Ireland the people will see that there is no alternative [to structural reforms]. When you have a lot of left-wing populists who are promising the people everything - I am sure that people will recognise that these policies will not - and cannot work."

Bloomberg is reporting that the proposals submitted by Greece last night are going to be accepted - this will give the country a four month extension of its current bailout deal.

The Slovakian finance minister, Peter Kazimir has also tweeted saying that the temporary deal will go through.

#eurozone deal with #Greece reached on Fri holds. Greeks have lots of heavy-lifting to do until end-April. We all want to see numbers now.

— Peter Kažimír (@KazimirPeter) February 24, 2015

Greece's proposals have required the Syriza government to make a lot of compromises - but they still include a commitment to spending more than €750m on a programme of meal subsidies for struggling Greeks - and €60m on free electricity.