With his country on its economic knees and facing the prospect of a disorderly exit from the euro, Tsipras knows that Greece’s future for years if not decades could hinge on how talks later pan out.
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Juncker said that later in the day in Brussels, he will urge the Greek Prime Minister to explain the Greek vote to him, and call for an immediate halt to the escalation in rhetoric. But that may be more than Germany and its northern allies can swallow.
“With respect to the dignity of Greek people, I must say that I strongly object the accusations thrown to the Greek public in the referendum campaign that we are terrorists”, Juncker said “Who are they and who do you think I am?”
Addressing the European Parliament Tuesday on the review of the Latvian Presidency and ahead of the Euro summit on Greece, Juncker said he is against “those within the EU who, either openly or secretly, are pushing for Greece to be expelled from the euro zone”.
However, he said there was little chance of a solution being found at the summit, which will be preceded by a meeting of the common currency’s finance ministers.
The Greek government has expressed its commitment to staying in the monetary union, and the majority of Greeks still support the country’s use of the euro. No one should want to expel the Greeks.
Mr Tsipras was due to put his latest proposals to eurozone leaders, following Sunday’s referendum in which the Greek people rejected by 61 per cent to 39 the tax rises and spending cuts being demanded by its creditors. Bild, the country’s biggest daily newspaper, resurrects the spirit of Germany’s champion of 19th century unification, Otto von Bismarck, with the headline: “No new billions for Greece”. The replacement of outspoken finance minister Yanis Varoufakis with the more softly spoken Euclid Tsakalotos appeared to have improved the mood in negotiations. Three opposition parties offered backing for Tsipras in the bailout negotiations.
In an interview with the RTL radio network Tuesday, Valls denied that Greece’s “no” vote was a rejection of Europe or its values but rather an expression of pride. I am texting with the Greek prime minister. “It is a conception of the world”.
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Tuesday’s meetings are critical because Greek banks are fast running out of money despite been propped up for months with money provided through the European Central Bank’s Emergency Liquidity Assistance scheme.
