EUROZONE-GREECE/SAMARAS-PARLIAMENT Greece on brink of disaster - former PM Samaras

Record ID: 148907

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/SAMARAS-PARLIAMENT Greece on brink of disaster - former PM Samaras
  • Date: 29th June 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 29, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE QUEUING AT ATM CASH MACHINES OUTSIDE ALPHA BANK VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE FOR THEIR TURN WOMAN AT ATM, OTHERS QUEUING BEHIND HER WOMAN PRESSING BUTTONS AT ATM WOMAN TAKING HER CARD AND THEN MONEY COMING OUT OF ATM WOMAN WALKING AWAY FROM ATM, ANOTHER TAKES HER PLACE
  • Embargoed: 14th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3H7QRQEO8CL4F7NNYZYQ17V1Q
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greece is facing one of the darkest moments in its modern history after the government called a referendum on the reforms-for cash proposals submitted by Greece's creditors, the leader of the main opposition New Democracy party, Antonis Samaras, said on Monday (June 29).
    "Greece is at the most critical moment of its modern history, faced with the prospect of disaster, a true disaster, an unprecedented in times of peace," the former prime minister told New Democracy lawmakers.
    Earlier on Monday the Interior Ministry released a sample ballot for the bailout referendum set to take place on July 5, when Greeks will be asked to decide whether their government should accept the proposals put forward by the country's EU and International Monetary Fund lenders.
    The creditors wanted Greece to cut pensions and raise taxes in ways that the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has long argued would be counter-productive.
    The referendum poses a simple question: "Should the agreement proposal, which was submitted to the Eurogroup on June 26, 2015 by the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, and is comprised of two parts that form the comprehensive whole of their proposal, be accepted?".
    But Samaras told his lawmakers that since Greece's EU/IMF creditors had pulled the proposal off the table there was no reason for the referendum.
    "The referendum they have proposed is a travesty, because it is unique by global standards in that is has no concrete subject. The bailout proposal that asks the Greek people to reject is not on the table anymore. It has already changed," said Samaras.
    After months of talks, Greece's exasperated European partners have put the blame for the crisis squarely on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for rejecting a package they consider generous.
    The Greek side said further austerity would simply deepen one of the worst economic crises of modern times in a country where a quarter of the workforce is already unemployed.
    Samaras said the true dilemma Greeks would face in the referendum isn't about agreeing to further austerity but in leaving the eurozone bloc currency.
    "Do you want to stay in the euro? Vote 'Yes'. Do you want us out of the euro? Cast a 'No' vote. Do you want open banks? Vote 'Yes'. Do you want closed banks? Cast a 'No' vote. Most importantly, do you want to stay in Europe? (Vote) 'Yes'. Do you want us to exit Europe? (Vote) 'No'. It's crystal-clear," said an emotional Samaras.
    On Sunday, the radical leftist-led government announced that it would close its banks and impose capital controls in a move to check the growing strains, by the mass withdrawals, on its crippled financial system.
    The banks will stay shut at least until after July 5, and withdrawals from automated teller machines have been limited to 60 euros a day.
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