Austrian Finance Chief Bashes Greece Over Snap Referendum

Austrian Federal Minister Hans Joerg Schelling bashed the Greek government on Saturday for losing time on bickering over reforms proposals and eventually dropping out of talks to declare a snap referendum, in what he said was an untimely thing to do.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called a surprise referendum on whether Athens should accept or ditch proposals aimed at bailing the country out before the current financial aid program expires on June 30. The vote is scheduled for July 5.

"It is a legitimate, democratic right to hold such a referendum – but not when the [bailout] program has expired and at a time when no agreement has been reached," Schelling told reporters in Brussels.

Schelling argued that the creditors’ offers had been on the table for a while now and the Greek government had enough time to sound out Greeks on what they thought about the proposals.

He ruled out any extension to the bailout program since Greece had left the negotiating table.