ATHENS The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, announced last night that it will hold a referendum on July 5 for the population in Greece to decide whether the government should accept the bailout program proposed by international creditors.
In a televised speech, Tsipras said he already briefed the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoul, and the main opposition party, the conservative New Democracy.
Saturday Eurogroup ministers will meet again in Brussels to try to agree on the reforms that Greece must implement for creditors to release a portion of outstanding aid by 7000 200 million euros.
It is estimated that this is the last opportunity to find a solution, after months of negotiations. The agreement would allow the country to avoid bankruptcy, that next Tuesday to pay thousand 600 million euros to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Earlier, the Greek prime minister warned that European negotiations for Greece’s debt take a wrong turn and go against the principles of the block.
“The fundamental principles of the European Union were democracy, solidarity, quality and mutual respect,” said Tsipras yesterday after participating in the EU summit in Brussels.
“These principles will not rely on extortion and ultimatums,” he said. Tsipras said that the proposal to creditors says “unsustainable burdens” to the country and asked the Greek one “strong response” to the “ultimatum”.
“These proposals, which clearly violate European rules and basic rights at work, equality and dignity, show that the purpose of some of the partners and institutions was not a workable agreement for all parties, but possibly the humiliation of a people whole, “Tsipras said.
Athens asked to rescue the agreement expires June 30 extends for a few days, considering the referendum, he said. The Greek Parliament will meet today to approve the cabinet’s decision to convene the consultation. “Greeks, to this blackmail to accept a humiliating austerity program that has no end and no prospect of returning to stand up, I call you to decide sovereign and proudly, as dictated by the proud history of the Greeks,” Tsipras said.
Several government officials, including Minister of State, Nikos Pappas Tsipras- -Hand right and the Minister of Energy, Panayotis Lafazonis, were confident that the people will vote with “a resounding ‘no’.”
The Greek government yesterday rejected the five-month extension offered by the institutions required to consider adopting “new measures that would cause a severe recession” as a condition for a “completely inadequate” funding.
“If the government and Parliament approve this proposal, the public and the markets understand that a period of about five months of recession, leading to further negotiations in conditions of crisis,” said government sources.
In a tactic of carrot and stick, the euro zone offered to release billions in frozen if Greece accepts and implements reforms in pensions and taxes are anathema to his leftist government, elected in January with the promise to help an end to austerity.
They also made a gesture to the demands of Tsipras of debt relief, by offering reaffirm a commitment of 2012 to study lengthen the maturity of loans, lower interest rates and extend a moratorium on the payment of interest on loans Eurozone to Greece, said a senior EU official.
If Greece does not seal a deal over the weekend to release the funds, will be exposed to default on its debt with the IMF on Tuesday, which could trigger a flight of bank deposits, capital controls and increased doubts about his future in the euro zone.
Marchan thousands
Thousands of followers of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) yesterday asked the government of Tsipras break with international creditors and with the EU.
At a mass rally in Syntagma Square to the Parliament, the secretary general of the political group, Dimitris Kutsumbas strongly criticized the leftist Syriza government to negotiate “against the interests of the working class”. Agencies
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