GREEK Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has appealed to European leaders for more time to carry out promised cuts and meet Athens's borrowing obligations.

However, he faces a struggle to win over sceptical politicians in a series of meetings.

In talks yesterday, Mr Samaras tried to persuade Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the eurozone group of 17 governments, that his nation had the will to ram through reforms and deserves more time.

In an interview with a German newspaper, Mr Samaras said: "All we want is a bit of air to breathe to get the economy running and to increase state income.

"Let me be very explicit: we demand no additional money. We stand by our commitments and by fulfilling all our requirements."

But Mr Juncker is expected to tell the Greek Prime Minister his country must carry out vital cuts and there is little room for leeway.

And in response to Mr Samaras's comments, Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said: "If it concerns delaying reforms and cuts, then it is not a good idea."

This is likely to be hammered home again to the Greek leader when he travels to Berlin tomorrow to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and to Paris a day later for talks with French President Francois Hollande.

European paymaster Germany has already said it will not soften its demands of the twice-bailed out country.

Shortly after being elected, Mr Samaras's government said he would tour Europe to seek two more years to hit targets under Greece's €130 billion (£102 bn) bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

But faced with a lack of European appetite for cutting Greece more slack, the government expects to broach the idea during talks this week rather than formally requesting it.

A Greek government source said: "We must first re-establish our relationship with European partners that has been seriously damaged. Talking about certain parameters then comes at a second stage."

Key to restoring credibility will be Greece's attempt to push through €11.5bn of cuts over the next two years as demanded under the bailout – which Mr Samaras's administration has yet to fully piece together.

Mr Samaras and his moderate leftist and Socialist allies have broadly agreed on the measures, but the government is still struggling to nail down the final cuts amid howls of protest over moves such as slashing pensions.

Because salary and pension cuts will lead to lower tax revenues, the government will have to find €13.5bn euros in nominal savings to achieve its €11.5bn target, according to an official.

Cuts worth €10.8n have been identified so far.

The measures will be presented for approval to officials from the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and IMF due back in Athens next month for a final verdict on whether to keep money flowing to Greece.

After his win averted fears of an imminent Greek eurozone exit, Mr Samaras won a positive initial reception from European governments relieved firebrand leftist Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras, who had pledged to abandon the bailout, failed to assume power.

A poll last week showed a rising number of economists believe Greece will remain in the eurozone. But the country is off track from targets under its bailout and EU officials expect a further debt restructuring will be likely, with the cost falling on the ECB and eurozone governments.