In a nationally televised address on Sunday evening after a comfortable “no” result in the same-day referendum, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras — who called the referendum — emphasized that he is fully aware that “the mandate you give me is not one of rupture with Europe.”
He emphasized that his government will proceed to negotiations with creditors, while noting that there are “no easy solutions”.
“The Greek people today answered to the right question. Greece will return to the negotiation table as of tomorrow (Monday), but this time with the issue of debt restructuring (on the table),” he said.
“There are no easy solutions, but fair and viable ones, provided that both sides want this.”
“Europe cannot be a one-way street of memorandums and austerity,” he said in his address.
Moreover, with banks closed and capital controls in place, he optimistically said the “ECB fully understands the situation … We are ready to continue negotiations on the basis of social justice and the transfer of the burden from the weaker (members of society) to the stronger…”
Tsipras later walked across the street from his office to the presidential mansion, where he was received by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. The latter repeatedly cited Greece’s European orientation and its place in Europe and the eurozone.
In echoing other political leaders statements earlier in the evening, he stressed that unity was now imperative.
