| Author (Person) | Hope, Kerin, Spiegel, Peter |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 1.11.11 |
| Publication Date | 01/11/2011 |
| Content Type | News |
|
Greece would hold a referendum and a confidence vote on the 2nd European Union aid package October 2011 intended to resolve the country's debt crisis, Prime Minister George Papandreou said on the 31 October 2011. Greece stunned Brussels, Paris, Berlin and other European capitals by calling the referendum on the bailout plan only agreed to by EU leaders the previous week. The move threw efforts to rescue the euro into doubt and heralded weeks of market turbulence ahead of the vote. The Finnish Minister for Europe said Greece would in effect be voting on whether to remain in the euro. The leaders of France and Germany summoned Greek Prime Minister Papandreou to crisis talks in Cannes on the 2 November 2011 in advance of an important G20 summit meeting, 3-4 November 2011. There were calls for an early election within Greece. Mr Papandreou’s grip on power appeared to be slipping with his socialist party on the brink of revolt over his referendum proposal, although Mr Papandreou got the support of his cabinet to his referendum call on the 1 November 2011. Antonis Samaras, the conservative opposition leader whose New Democracy party held a strong lead in opinion polls, was quick to exploit the government’s vulnerability, demanding a snap election on the 1 November 2011. EUObserver reported that in a development that stoked fears of a potential military coup in the country, Mr Papandreou fired on the 1 November 2011 the entire high command of the armed forces along with some dozen other senior officers and replaced them with figures believed to be more supportive of the current political leadership. |
|
| Related Links |
|
| Subject Categories | Economic and Financial Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Greece |
