Euro referendum needless, says Greek finance minister
November 4th, 2011 - 6:24 am ICT by IANSAthens, Nov 4 (IANS) Greece is ready to send European partners a clear message that there is no need to hold a referendum on the European Union (EU) bailout package to avert a default, said country’s finance minister Thursday.
The country is determined to swiftly ratify last week’s agreement in parliament, Xinhua quoted Evangelos Venizelos, who is also country’s deputy prime minister, as further stating.
Addressing a ruling party parliamentary group meeting in Athens, the minister presented a “road map” for the forming of a coalition government and eventually general elections.
He took the floor right after Prime Minister George Papandreou delivered an address.
Papandreou is under mounting pressure since early Thursday from cabinet ministers and ruling party lawmakers to resign over the referendum, which sent shockwaves internationally amid anxiety for a Greek exit from the eurozone that would destabilise the region.
Papandreou has dismissed the calls for him to resign and dropped his plan for the referendum in exchange for coalition government talks.
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Tags: anxiety, athens, bailout package, cabinet ministers, coalition government, deputy prime minister, european partners, european union, eurozone, finance minister, general elections, george papandreou, government talks, lawmakers, party parliamentary group, referendum, road map, ruling party, venizelos, xinhua