Greece brandished the threat of a referendum on the euro – BBC

On the eve of the Eurogroup meeting to vote on its proposed reforms, the Greek Finance Minister also sought to open immediate discussions with its international creditors.

The Eurogroup members are notified. In case of rejection of the proposals on its debt and reviving growth to be studied today in Brussels, Greece could hold a referendum or early elections. In an interview Sunday with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera , the Greek Minister of Finance says Yanis Varoufakis an opposition of European authorities would show “” problems “and that he could” come back in elections, “or” a referendum “.

Yanis Varoufakis does not specify what the referendum would it evokes, but it was rumored recently that a stalemate could force the Greek government to hold a public consultation on the issue of the acceptance of the European Union structures, which would raise the question of the place of Greece in the euro area. In the interview, Yanis Varoufakis said that so far the euro zone partners had responded with “silence” its proposals to replace the current debt indexed bonds nominal growth. “I want Europe to understand that it would be a way to pay more money and not less,” he said of those obligations.

On Friday, Yanis Varoufakis addressed a letter to the President of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, to seek the immediate opening of technical discussions with its international creditors. This letter detailing the seven reforms that the new government of Alexis Tsipras is ready to commit to receive new loans, received a positive response. Saturday Jeroen Dijsselbloem stressed the need to continue discussions on the Euro Working Group (the instance of the euro area senior level, ie), and between the technical teams, so that the decision of 20 February can be implemented. ” This 20 February, Greece’s partners had agreed, after tough negotiations, to help the new government of radical left as long as it has a deemed credible reform program. Final approval of the reforms by the end of April with its partners is vital for the new Greek government, which receives more aid from the IMF and the EU in the meantime.

“The issue is not that the reforms that Greece would also like, but of how they will be assessed by the Eurogroup has already replied to the letter,” said Yanis Varoufakis. Driven by the popularity of his government side that exceeds 40%, an opinion which he understands that his party is against the “establishment”, the Minister of Finance who is optimistic.