ATHENS: In a surprise move, Greece Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Monday that he is resigning despite the Greek people rejecting proposals by the creditors in Sunday’s referendum, as requested by his government.
“Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement,” Varoufakis wrote in a blog. “For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today,” he said.
European Council President Donald Tusk convenes a special Euro Summit on July 7 to discuss the situation after the referendum in Greece. The European Central Bank is set to discuss on Monday whether to maintain the emergency liquidity assistance to Greece banks. The assistance from the ECB is vital for Greece banks to stay liquid.