European Parliament President on Greek referendum result: ‘This is a difficult day’
European Parliament President Martin Schulz, speaking after the “no” outcome in the July 5 referendum, said that he hoped that the Greek government would make in the next coming hours meaningful and constructive proposals allowing that it is meaningful and possible to renegotiate.
“If not, we are entering a very difficult and even dramatic time,” Schulz said.
“The ‘no’ side has won the referendum with an overwhelming majority and we have to respect the vote of the Greek people,” he said.
“In full sovereignty they expressed a clear ‘no’ to the proposals on the table in the eurozone. This is a difficult day: there’s a broad majority in Greece and the promise of prime minister Tsipras to the Greek people that with the ‘no’ the position of Greece for negotiating a better deal would become better is, in my eyes, not true,” Schulz said.
He said that, “we are in a difficult situation, the Greek people said no, but 18 other states of the eurozone agreed about the proposals to which the Greek people said ‘no’.”
“But this is democracy in Greece and democratic governments and parliaments in other countries had another view a different view. It is now up to the Greek government to make proposals which could convince the 18 other member states of the eurozone and the institutions in Brussels that it is necessary, possible and even effective to renegotiate, but this depends now on the proposals coming from Greece.”
Schulz said that the promise of the minister of finance that the banks would open on July 6 and that money will be available for tomorrow and Tuesday “seems to me very difficult and dangerous”.
“And, therefore, because I believe that the Greek people will be, during the week and even every day in a more difficult situation, I think we should tomorrow, at the latest on Tuesday for the eurozone summit discuss about a humanitarian aid programme for Greece .”
Schulz said that ordinary citizens, pensioners, sick people or children in kindergarten should not pay a price for the dramatic situation in which the country and the government had brought the country.
“Therefore a humanitarian programme is needed immediately and I hope that the Greek government will make in the next coming hours meaningful and constructive proposals allowing that it is meaningful and possible te renegotiate. If not, we are entering a very difficult and even dramatic time.”
(Photo of Schulz: EC Audiovisual Service)
