“I urge Mr. Tsipras to reply. If Greeks say NO, when will the banks start functioning again? In that case, banks are likely to open again in September, most probably after a haircut of the deposits. “NO” means a deposits haircut. The government was reassuring us that banks would not shut down, later it was insisting that there would be no capital controls. Now, they say that there will be no haircut and this sounds ridiculous. Everything has been disproved in a few hours,” stated Stavros Theodorakis in an interview with Antonis Sroiter, in Alpha TV, a few hours before the crucial referendum. The leader of Potami also pointed out that if Greeks say YES, Europe will get the message that Greeks want to remain in their European family. I think that if the outcome of the referendum is YES, with a high percentage, then we will be able to reach a good deal for growth, as well as debt restructuring”.
These are the main parts of the interview in Alpha TV:
The Prime Minister cannot go to the Armed Forces, three days before the Referendum, encouraging them to vote NO. This is wrong. What was also wrong was the banner at the Ministry of Finance, for the “NO”. Does a Minister have the right to encourage his employees to go for a certain choice, using means of propaganda? Why are employees treated like this? As if they have no personal political will? You think that we have no supporters working in the Public Administration and the Army? We do, but we do not manipulate their vote.
Mr. Kammenos stated that the army will guarantee internal security. This statement is at the borderline. The army has nothing to do with internal security. The army is responsible for defending our borders. As a politician, and as a person who fulfilled his military service at the nation's frontiers, I can responsibly say that the army’s function is at the nation's frontiers. Mr. Panousis is in charge of the internal security in the country.
The Greek economy and the banks need money. Money comes from the European Central Bank. Can any serious analyst claim that if the Greek people say NO, the ECB will still send money on Monday?
The government has repeated, seven times, that a deal was imminent. This deal is yet to come and the market is dead.
There are many SYRIZA members telling us that holding the Referendum is a bad decision. We reply that this conversation is not supposed to take place in the Parliament’s corridors. They need to change their Prime Minister’s and ministers’ mind on the Referendum. Today, we even see ANEL MPs declaring in favor of the “YES” in the referendum, while SYRIZA pro-Europeans choose to remain silent. This is wrong. This is wrong. There are pragmatists in SYRIZA. They must stand up and raise their voice.
If Greeks say NO, Tsipras will get back to Brussels and negotiate with Mr. Draghi, Mr. Juncker and Prime Ministers of European countries. These potential interlocutors of Alexis Tsipras have made it clear that “NO” is a message of exit. It is like waving goodbye to Europe. The mission of any government will be very hard, if Greeks say “NO”. If Greeks say NO in the referendum, this will be perceived as a message that we want to distance ourselves from Europe.
From this point on, there is no such thing as paradise. This is where we ended up, with the way that the government handled things. In March, we would have concluded a good deal. This is why we expressed our support to the government. But, the government delayed, and, now, the chances for a good deal are gone.
Even if YES prevails, the days to come will not be easy. But, in that case, Europe will get the message that the Greeks want to remain in their European family. I think that if the outcome of the referendum is YES, with a high percentage, then we will be able to reach a good deal for growth, as well as debt restructuring. In no case does this mean that we forget Europe’s mistakes, i.e. its austerity policies.
I urge Mr. Tsipras to reply. If the Greek people say NO, when will the banks start functioning again? In that case, banks are likely to open again in September, most probably after a haircut of deposits. “NO” means a deposits haircut. The government was reassuring us that banks would not shut down, later it was insisting that there would be no capital controls. Now, they say that there will be no haircut and this sounds ridiculous. Everything has been disproved in a few hours.
5 July 2015
