NEWS

Voutsis calls in opposition parties to support referendum

The Greek interior minister called on all political parties to back his government’s decision to hold a referendum on bailout terms offered by the country’s foreign creditors for a cash-for-reforms deal that would stave off a looming default.

Addressing parliament, which convened on Saturday to approve the referendum plan, Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said a unanimous approval for the referendum would make the country’s position in negotiations stronger.

After a week of acrimonious talks in Brussels, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras dismissed lenders’ proposals as blackmail. After midnight, he appeared on television on Saturday to announce plans for a referendum on July 5.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.