Greek Minister: 'I'd Rather Cut My Arm Off' Than Accept EU Deal
Thursday, July 2, 2015 06:19 AM
By: Guy Johnson and Matthew Campbell
Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said his country won’t "extend and pretend" that it can pay its debts and that he’ll quit if voters don’t back him up in Sunday’s referendum.
Varoufakis said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Athens that he would "rather cut my arm off" than sign a deal that fails to restructure Greece’s debt. Striking a defiant tone amid criticism of his government’s tactics by European partners, Varoufakis said he would resign if Greece endorses austerity in the plebiscite.
The minister’s comments illustrate the gulf between Greece’s left-wing government and its creditors as the financial crisis deepens, threatening to push it out of the euro.
European governments led by Germany have condemned last weekend’s decision by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to pull out of aid talks and call a snap referendum on the terms. He advocates a "no" vote. Polls suggest it’s too close to call.
"We desperately want to stay in the euro," Varoufakis said. "We are going to win on Sunday."
Syriza is urging Greeks to vote "no," arguing that the country can stay in the single currency on better terms if they do so. A "yes" vote could lead to the collapse of the Tsipras government and fresh elections, a possibility to which Varoufakis alluded.
"Maybe we’ll change the configuration of the government because some of us will not be able to stomach it," he said.
With no bailout program in place, Greece has imposed capital controls and banks are shut for a fourth day. Local media have begun to speculate that deposits could be seized to bolster the country’s finances.
http://www.newsmax.com/World/GlobalTalk/greece-eu-debt-austerity/2015/07/02/id/653173/
