“Without further loans, Greece won’t make it, that’s the reality,” was Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s verdict hours after a late, late-night TV appearance by Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, who tried to outline his cash-strapped government’s next steps in tough negotiations with Eurozone partners and institutional creditors.

The Dutch finance minister, best known for heading up the Eurogroup, said there has been little progress in negotiations over the past two months. Moreover, he said Tsipras’ idea of a referendum to allow Greek voters to decide on a deal or not – the probable question – is not a good idea.

Speaking to Reuters, he said such a prospect would “…cost money, it would create great political uncertainty, and I don’t think we have the time. And I don’t think the Greeks have the time for it.”

Moreover, he said the radical leftist government dramatically miscalculated the ECB’s position on the crucial issue of extending liquidity to Greek banks.

“The Greek government gambled that if it negotiated with us the ECB would open its cashier drawers, relax its rules,” he said.

Referring to the sidelining of FinMin Yanis Varoufakis, Dijsselbloem said the shake-up would not by itself resolve the impasse between Greece and its creditors, with new bailout funding absolutely essentially to keep Athens afloat.