FSN Packages Feed: Greece wrap: latest

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told his country to vote 'no' in an upcoming referendum that could determine whether Greece stays or leaves the euro.

Eurozone leaders have frozen talks with Greece on negotiating any new deal before Sunday's decision on the conditions for a financial rescue, after Athens submitted another fresh proposal offering some new concessions.

Our Europe correspondent Sandra Gathmann reports:

IN: "It's a…"

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VO:

It's officially a waiting game for Greece… Eurozone leaders have frozen talks on a new bailout until the Greek people decide whether or not to accept the terms for financial aid in a referendum on Sunday.

SOUNDBITE: Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloom.

There will be no further talks the coming days nor at Eurogroup level nor between the Greek authorities and the institutions on proposals or financial arrangements. We will simply await now the outcome of the referendum."

VO:

On Tuesday creditors dismissed a proposal from Athens offering some concessions…. saying Greece missed the chance to negotiate its last bailout which expired the night before. With no time left to negotiate a fresh deal - German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Sunday's referendum will determine the next course of action.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE CUTS TO MPS APPLAUDING PARTWAY THROUGH SOUNDBITE THEN BACK TO MERKEL):

"Holding a referendum is a democratic sovereign right of the Greek state. It is the legitimate right of Greece to do that whenever they want and about whatever they want and which whatever recommendation the government wants. But to make it as clear: It is also a democratic sovereign right of the other 18 member states of the euro zone to respond to the Greek decision in a proportionate way."

VO:

Meanwhile Alexis Tsipras has assured Greek people that rejecting the creditors' terms will not led to the collapse of the country.

GREEK PRIME MINISTER, ALEXIS TSIPRAS, SAYING:

"Wages and pensions will not be lost; the deposits of those citizens who chose not to move their money abroad will not be lost on the sacrificial altar of blackmail. I personally take full responsibility for finding a solution right after the democratic process (referendum)."

But whether Greece's banks will survive is another matter entirely....

NAT SOUND

On Wednesday European Central Bank has decided not to pump Greek lenders with more emergency loans… turning up the heat on Athens to agree to financial rescue or face a collapse of its banking system.

VO:

Greek people are already getting a sense of life with little cash - pensioners are struggling to survive on the little amounts allowed under capital controls introduced this week … with more and more people becoming fed up with the political impasse the odds for a No vote have climbed to 54%…but after Sunday, Greece and the euro will truly be in unchartered waters....Sign off.

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 1:18 AM, Sandra Gathmann Gonzalez <s.gathmann@gmail.com> wrote:

This on the package feed now:

SUGGESTED INTRO:

Greece is (will be) waking up to a second day of closed banks as the country prepares to hold a referendum o the terms of an international bailout deal.

Both the Greek government and eurozone creditors say the door is still open for talks but neither side has indicated major concessions could be made ahead of a Wednesday expiry date for Greece's current aid program.

Our Europe correspondent Sandra Gathmann has more:

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TIME: 2'30"

AUDIO: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0630greece-sg-pkg-generic.mp3

PKG SCRIPT:

VO:
In an interview with Greek television Prime Ministers Tsipras urged his country to say Oxi to the terms of an international rescue deal being put to a referendum next week...despite Eurozone leaders warning on Monday that a No vote would mean an exit from the euro.

SOT: GREEK Prime Minister - Alexis Tsipras
"The cost is immense. Their plan is not to kick us out their plan was to end hope that in Europe there can be an alternative policy."

VO:
Ahead of a Wednesday expiry date for Greece's current bailout, both sides have not ruled out a return to talks but Athens has asked for better terms.

Meanwhile capital controls remain in place to stop a hemorrhage of deposits from Greek banks.

Withdrawals are now limited to 60 euros a day - as Greek lenders hold on to emergency liquidity from the European Central Bank which decided not to increase its lending ceiling from 89 billion euro.

As Athens residents quued up to get their cash there was some panic but some hope too.

SOT: PENSIONER, SAYING: [ REUTERS 29/06 EUROZONE-GREECE/BANKS REAX Edit No1168]
"We know that we will get it our money back, there is no way we are going to lose it but the issue is when? How will we live until we take it? Did they ask us? No, they never ask."

VO:
Greeks WILL have a say next week in a referendum called by the leftist government on whether to stay on an international bailout program in exchange for aid.

But EU officials have argued the Greek people are not well-informed about the weight of their decision.

SOT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKE:
"I simply want to say that - outside Greece - we have to know that the message a 'No' would send would be disastrous for the future. Therefore, I would ask the Greek people to vote 'yes' independently from what the question asked will be"

VO:
Aside from a slide in the Exchange rate on Monday, analysts say the euro as a monetary union has been undermined.

SOT: Zsolt Darvas - Economist, Bruegel:
"Indeed capital controls within the Euro area means that a euro in Cyprus or Greece has a different value than a euro in France or Germany and everybody knows that the euro area has major deficiencies, its architecture has major flaws..."

STANDUP: SANDRA GATHMANN, BRUSSELS
Until the referendum on the Greek bailout - everything hangs in the balance. Whatever sweeteners the eurozone was was or is prepared to offer Greece in a revised proposal may depend on how far the Greek government continues to urge its voters to vote NO next Sunday. Sign off.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Greece wrap: latest