PUBLISHED: 15:54, Mon, Jun 29, 2015 | UPDATED: 16:22, Mon, Jun 29, 2015
Jean-Claude Juncker tells the Greek people to vote yes to austerity
The top Brussels bureaucrat today warned Greece not to "commit suicide because you are afraid of death" in a startling intervention ahead of Sunday's critical referendum in the debt-stricken country. Mr Juncker, who has faced scrutiny over his policies on tax avoidance while Luxembourg prime minister, ordered the people of Greece to vote "yes" to savage EU-demanded spending cuts, which have been rejected by their government during weeks of tense deal-brokering. The president of the European Commission (EC) claimed a "no" vote would mean Greece was turning its back on the EU, with Mr Juncker dropping a heavy hint the broke country will not be able to stay in the eurozone if it rejects the reforms. The top EU boss spoke directly to the Greek people, who he claimed to "love deeply", while he blasted their leftist government. Mr Juncker said: "The whole planet would consider a Greek 'no' to the question posed... as meaning that Greece wants to distance itself from the eurozone and from Europe. "I will say to the Greeks who I love deeply: you mustn't commit suicide because you are afraid of death.... You must vote yes, independently of the question asked." Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced on Friday evening that he would offer his people a vote on an demand by the country's creditor for severe austerity measures in return for a €7.2bn (£5.6bn) bailout loan. Mr Juncker today said that he felt deeply distressed and betrayed by Mr Tsipras's surprise move, believing that until late on Friday both sides were pushing towards a deal. The shock comments from the EC president were followed up by Germany, which today said that Greece is voting on its future in the euro. German chancellor Angela Merkel said it was necessary to point out the consequences of a "no" vote by Greece. Sigmar Gabriel, the German vice-chancellor, added that the EU is in its worse crisis since its inception. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel also warned about the GReek vote The Greek government had been haggling over the terms attached to a bailout loan with its creditors since January. But with Athens now completely out of cash and due to make a debt repayment of €1.5bn (£1bn) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tomorrow, the crisis has now reached a head. Greek leader Mr Tsipras said that creditors including the EC and IMF had tried to blackmail his government into accepting the annihilating reforms . If the country says no, it is now almost certain it will have no choice but to declare bankruptcy and leave the euro, sparking unprecedented economic chaos and political turmoil . Ahead of the historic vote, Greek banks remained closed on Monday and are set to remain shut until after Sunday's result. British holidaymakers have been urged to take enough cash to Greece to cover their holiday as ATMs run dry and fears that credit card systems could stop working.
