- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/MORNING Greeks nervous as PM flies to Brussels to negotiate deal
- Date: 7th July 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 7, 2015) (REUTERS) GREEK PARLIAMENT AT THE BACK OF SYNTAGMA SQUARE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PASSER-BY, KATERINA, 65, SAYING: "We committed suicide, but the Greek people made their choice. They deserve what they get." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PASSER-BY, YANNIS, 65, SAYING: "It's one thing, the people of Europe, and another
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3PW0DRPQTNOEY7SY2YE4QJ34O
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greeks remained unsure about the future of their country on Tuesday (July 7), as their prime minister set off for a new round of negotiations with international lenders in Brussels.
Two days after a successful "No" vote against austerity demands in Greece, leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was to take a proposal for a new deal to Tuesday's euro zone summit.
On the streets of the Greek capital, no-one was certain about what would happen next, but there was a range of opinions.
"We committed suicide, but the Greek people made their choice. They deserve what they get," 65-year-old Katerina told Reuters on Athens' central Syntagma Square.
"It's one thing, the people of Europe, and another thing, the leaders of Europe. The leaders of Europe are serving specific interests. If democracy prevails for the people of Europe, many things will change," said Yannis, also 65.
"Whatever Tsipras had to do, for better or for worse, he did it. The people stand by him, he has come to an agreement with all the other political parties. I imagine that he has a specific plan in mind, but the answer now will come from the other side. So if they (Europeans) want to have an agreement, there will be an agreement. If however they have their own plans and they are ready for a split, and for Greece's exit from the euro, with whatever consequences for Greece and for the European Union, the euro zone, then so it will be," said 43-year-old civil servant Mathildi.
"A bailout is definitely coming. What can I say? The situation with the banks is not good. Let's at least hope that the situation will stabilise. Equally harsh measures will come," said 27-year-old Argiris.
Greece's political leaders, more accustomed to screaming abuse at each other in parliament, on Monday (July 6) issued an unprecedented joint statement after a day of talks at the president's office backing efforts to reach a deal with creditors.
They called for immediate steps to reopen banks and said any deal must address debt sustainability - code for reducing Athens' crushing debt - but gave no hint of concessions from the Greek side toward its creditors' demands for deep spending cuts and far-reaching reforms of pensions and labour markets.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the euro zone's most powerful leaders, said Athens must move quickly if it wants to secure a cash-for-reform deal with creditors and avoid crashing out of the single currency.
By voting decisively against tough bailout conditions, as Tsipras had urged them to do, Greeks have strengthened his negotiating hand. But the crisis remains acute, with the country's banks already closed for more than a week to avoid a massive outflow of money that could lead to their collapse.
Only emergency support from the ECB is keeping the banks afloat and saving Greece from a chaotic euro exit that would inflict more pain on its people and gravely damage the currency, the strongest symbol of the EU's drive for an "ever closer union" on a continent once ravaged by two world wars. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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