Greek position will weaken if it votes 'No' in referendum: EU

Image
IANS Brussels
Last Updated : Jul 03 2015 | 8:07 PM IST

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in Luxembourg on Friday that the Greek government's position will be "dramatically" weakened in negotiations with creditors if the Greeks vote "No" in Sunday's referendum.

Juncker made the remarks at a press conference marking the beginning of Luxembourg's six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, Xinhua news agency reported.

"If Greeks vote 'No', the Greek position will be dramatically weakened," he said in a short response to a journalist's question.

"The programme has come to an end, there are no negotiations under way, if the Greeks vote 'No', they have done everything but strengthening the Greek negotiation position," he said.

"Even in the case of a 'Yes' vote, we will have to face difficult negotiations," he said.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged a "No" vote from citizens, saying it would enhance its hand in debt talks with creditors.

"That is exactly not the case, I agree with President Juncker," said Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

He said the Greek people "need to know what they are voting for".

"Voting a yes or no is not about whether Tsipras should stay or not, it is about whether or not Greece should stay in the eurozone," Bettel added. "It is about the future of the euro, it is about the future of the European Union."

Greece is set to hold a referendum on Sunday on a deal proposed by creditors.

According to the results of an opinion poll carried out by polling firm ALCO for Ethnos (Nation) newspaper, the "Yes" camp is slightly ahead with 44.8 percent against 43.3 percent for the "No" camp.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 03 2015 | 8:00 PM IST

Next Story