ATHENS (Sputnik) — The predecessor of Tsakalotos, Yanis Varoufakis resigned on Monday, a day after Greeks voted overwhelmingly to reject the bailout proposals tabled by Greece’s international lenders in a nationwide referendum.
“I believe that the message sent by the referendum, the 61 percent of the votes [against the lenders-proposed bailout plan] will remain in the history. Everything that is going on will be engraved in the collective memory of Europe… I believe, something can change Europe,” Tsakalotos said at a ceremony at the Ministry.
He praised the work of Varoufakis as the Finance Minister of Greece.
“I cannot imagine anyone else becoming the Minister of Finance on January 28. The whole world discusses what’s going on here, in this country. All of us, not only the supporters of Syriza [Greek ruling party,] but all people of Greece, should thank him,” Tsakalotos said, adding that he and Varoufakis are “old friends.”
Greece's total debt currently stands at $350 billion, of which some $270 billion the country owes to its main international creditors, the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and some eurozone countries.
