Greece desperate for growth strategy as public mood darkens

With debt repayments of a7bn due in July and default looming, Greek government hunts rescue funds to boost employment

In the long and winding road of Greek debt drama, disappointment and hope have been the alternating emotions that every government has faced. With the nation's crisis no nearer to being resolved than when it erupted seven years ago, negotiations with creditors at another critical juncture and Europe engulfed in uncertainty, the need for hope has never been greater.

"What Greece needs is a shock of growth," the country's deputy prime minister Yannis Dragasakis told the Guardian ahead of a crucial cabinet meeting on Monday. "We will meet to discuss a new growth strategy that will focus solely on boosting investment and reducing unemployment to pre-crisis levels, that is to say 8% in the next 10 years."

Related: Greek debt: will EU and IMF finally offer light at the end of the tunnel?