"Europe needs an agreement, Greece needs an agreement, so we will reach an agreement. What happens is that if 'Yes' wins in the referendum, we will have not just a bad deal, but an absolutely disastrous one," Varoufakis told the Spanish daily El Mundo.
Hoping that Greeks take charge of their destiny today and strike a blow for democracy in the face of EU aggression. #Grefenderum #austerity
— Jason O'Rourke (@jasonoruairc) 5 июля 2015
Should Greeks vote against accepting the deal, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will have the leverage to fight for a better agreement with its ‘Troika’ of creditors: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission.
No more slavery No more servant No more futureless #YesGreece #YesEurope #greece #Grefenderum #Oxi #Oxi2015 #Nai pic.twitter.com/fkTrycJVZr
— 血笑鴉@OXI_Greece (@baienmiura) 5 июля 2015
No to inhumane austerity measures, global loan sharks and elitism. If we can bail the bankers out, we can bail the people out. #Grefenderum
— Miriam Brett (@MiriamBrett) 5 июля 2015
"Don't get me wrong, if 'No' wins, we will not reach a fantastic agreement, but not as bad as the one currently offered," Varoufakis explained. The finance minister reiterated that in the event of a "No" vote, Tsipras would go to Brussels on Monday to secure a deal and the banks, which closed last week, would reopen.
EU officials, including Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, have said that the "No" vote would be interpreted as a step toward an exit from the Eurozone.
The current Greek government came to power on an anti-austerity platform in early 2015. It has been engaged in months-long talks over the bailout deal but has failed to reach an agreement with the creditors, prompting Tsipras to call for a nationwide referendum.
At my polling station in Petroupoli, working-class Athens suburb. #GReferendum #Greece pic.twitter.com/puyCscIkWj
— Matina Stevis (@MatinaStevis) 5 июля 2015
The second bailout program for Greece ran out on June 30. The same day, Athens failed to transfer a $1.7-billion loan repayment to the IMF. The country's overall debt stands at about 350 billion USD, or more than $31,000 for every man, woman and child in the country.
A YES in #Grefenderum will kill what little is left of my faith in democracy. Varoufakis is right when accusing EU of fear mongering.
— Isis Giraldo (@isisgiraldoa) 5 июля 2015
Approximately 10 million Greek citizens are expected to take part in the Sunday referendum. The question on the ballot reads: "Should the plan of agreement, which was submitted by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the Eurogroup of June 25, 2015 and is comprised of two parts that constitute their unified proposal be accepted?
Everyone I've spoken to in Athens this morning seems to be expecting a No vote
— Gideon Rachman (@gideonrachman) 5 июля 2015
