One by one, the leaders of the major European economies have sent a clear message to the Government of Alexis Tsipras and the Greeks called to vote in a referendum next Sunday: the query is not only about the agreement that was being negotiated, It is about the permanence of Greece in the euro.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, lamented the “betrayal” of Tsipras, accusing Athens of interrupting negotiations were “on track” and set the tone. “A ‘no’ means that Greece says’ no ‘to Europe.’” “I ask the Greeks to vote ‘yes’.”
When the Greek Prime Minister announced the country carrying out the consultation on the plan proposed by the creditors, the International Monetary Fund and European Union, other European leaders decided that the financial assistance plan is void. Tsipras called for extending the program, which officially ends Tuesday, but has been told that it will not happen. According to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, “there is no availability between member states” to review the decision.
After a meeting with Juncker, President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, shewed if even willing to go to Greece to explain that the proposal of the creditors is positive, contrary to what the Syriza and defend the vote “yes”. “As a convinced European, I will campaign and fight to convince the Greeks that they must accept the outstretched hand of the European and remain in the euro area”
In almost all EU capitals -. Lisbon was the major exception – , governments gathered urgency to assess the referendum announced by Tsipras early Saturday. There was extraordinary minister of directors, meetings of heads of state with their hard core, meetings with heads of the respective central banks or even in the case of Berlin, an unprecedented meeting that brought together the leaders of all parties represented in Parliament.
At the end of each meeting, each Head of State or Government had two messages. An internal, to reassure their populations face the consequences of a possible Greek exit from the euro and potential contagion risks to their economies; Tsipras and another addressed to the Greeks who elected him in January.
“It’s called democracy, the Greek people have the right to decide what you want for your future. But what is at stake is whether the Greeks want to stay in the eurozone or risk going out, “said Francois Hollande, the French President. Chancellor Angela Merkel was more restrained – after saying that “if the euro fails, Europe fails,” she explained that it wants to “press” the Greeks, but it is required to “point out the consequences” of the result of 5 referendum July.
It was up to Merkel’s coalition partner, Sigmar Gabriel, Deputy Foreign Minister said in so many words that “Greece is voting whether to stay or out of the euro, a vote on the ‘no’ is a clear decision against the stay in the euro. ” “This is the question the European referendum will not be a derby between the European Commission and Tsipras, but between the euro and the drachma. This is the choice, “he wrote in turn the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, in his Twitter page.
In London, David Cameron Government was assembled in the morning. In the afternoon, the finance minister, George Osborne, told the House of Commons that the referendum is a Greek choice about staying or not in the euro zone, warning that an exit will be “traumatic”. “We expect the best, but preparing for the worst,” also said, assuring British living in Greece that their savings are safe.
A day after he telephoned Merkel on Monday it was time for Barack Obama to call the French President. – The US leader and Hollande said is “willing to work together to help restart dialogue” and find a solution
Payoffs and credibility
Athens blames the lenders, Brussels and European capitals blame Athens. Some say that others lied, others on the other side there was never real willingness to negotiate.
“We hear of ultimatums, blackmail. But from where come the insults, the threats?”, Denounced Juncker, ensuring that Tsipras Government abandoned the negotiating table when the proposal was being discussed could have “easily” driven “to an agreement on Saturday Eurogroup”. It was “a demanding and complete package, but fair” that did not involve pay cuts or pensions “. Juncker says that if the proposal Friday appears as final, when there was still scope for working in places, Tsipras “lack of truth”, accusing him of “selfishness”.
The Athens answer It began to arrive via a statement from the executive spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis: “The required rate of good faith and credibility in negotiations is sincerity.” Then it was Tsipras himself to ensure that he was told was that “he had 48 hours to accept” what was described as “final proposal”. The prime minister refuses why was his government to abandon negotiations, as they had been given by finished the other side.
“I say to the Greeks that they should not commit suicide out of fear to die … should vote ‘yes’ regardless of the question, “also said Juncker, even before the contents of the ballot paper. The Luxembourg former prime minister also wanted to tell the Greeks that Syriza and its acts “are not worthy of the great Greek nation.” Like Renzi, turned to sports language yet to say who will not see “Plato in the second division.”
In a crisis that is perpetuated and that no one knows how many days were presented as “the all or nothing “means any volte-face is always possible.
For the president of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem, was the Greeks who decided this way, the removal of the negotiations, and in that no one” can involve “. But “the door is always open, even if the options and time are very limited.” At issue is the euro zone, he said, but first of all, Greece. “This is really about the future of Greece – also the eurozone – but mainly from Greece.”
Miguel Castro Mendes in Brussels
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