Defiant Tsipras says NO to austerity, NO to Grexit (video in English)

Author: newsroom  | Published: June 30, 2015

The Greek PM rejects claims that the EU partners want to push Greece out of the euro “because the cost would be too big”

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told viewers that his governent is “facing threats calmly” ahead of a snap election on July 5 referendum during his interview on Greek state television (ERT). He criticized EU institutions for directing an ultimatum to the country and reiterated his position for a “no” vote on Sunday’s referendum.

“We call on you to reject it with all the power of your soul” he said in a direct appeal to viewers, stressing that the proposal put forth by institutions is not viable. He emphasized that the Greek eople would survive without a bailout program this week. “We’re not going to bury democracy in the land where it was born because a program ends (on June 30),” he said.

He stressed that he did not believe that the institutions would throw Greece out of the euro and he added that the cost of a Grexit would be huge. The Greek PM said that the creditors don’t want a collapse of the eurozone but a collapse of hope.

“The Greek government does not want an exit or the breakup of the eurozone but we will do whatever we can to ensure the survival of the Greek people,” he stressed. “A people, a country doesn’t go bankrupt, banks go bankrupt.”

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras takes a look at his notes as a technician prepares him before a TV interview at the State Television (ERT) in Athens, Monday, June 29, 2015. Anxious pensioners swarmed closed bank branches Monday and long lines snaked at ATMs as Greeks endured the first day of serious controls on their daily economic lives ahead of a July 5 referendum that could determine whether the country has to ditch the euro currency and return to the drachma. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

The next day – if voters say “yes” – would, according to Tsipras, would mean respecting the popular dexision and beginning the process of turning the austerity measures to law regardless of his own belief. He said that he was “an all-weather prime minister.”

“I didn’t assume this position because I love power,” he said. “I’m in this seat because it happened to be the choice of the people. As long as the people support this decision, I will be present, I will respect the people’s decision. We’ll initiate procedures so that what the people voted will become a law of the state.”