Greek referendum scraped.

Just came on BBC News 24, was literally just that. I have yet to see a written article on the reasons/explanations but im guessing that the president of Greece had a choice between keeping his job or scraping the referendum, as there have been calls for his resignation today.

Will be back with links as they come.


BBC News - Greece ready to drop referendum

Greek PM George Papandreou has said he is ready to drop a proposed referendum on the country's eurozone bailout deal. Mr Papandreou offered to hold talks with the opposition to seek consensus on the deal, adding that the referendum was never an end in itself. Four ministers, including influential Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, opposed the referendum and there were calls for the prime minister to resign. EU leaders say Greece cannot get bailout cash until it agrees the deal. Earlier the BBC reported that the PM was preparing to resign but state TV said he had ruled this out.

You sure?

articles.cnn.com...:EUROPE

It's on msnbc right now. This is complete BS the people should have a direct say in the matter.

Hear that ticking sound . . . that's the collective tempers of the people of Greece . . . and there's gonna be a 'splosion . . .

If the government makes the decision for the people, which will be to take the bailouts the people will be even more pissed and then the riots will really begin. If the government leaves the decision to the people, the people will say no to the bailouts. They realize the consequences and they are ready and willing to take their medicine in order to get things going in the right direction. The people are tired of kicking the can down the road that the Greek government seems to want to keep doing.

Well, that was expected, its not as tho anyone really thought an actual honest referendum would actually be held!

Although as a method for really annoying the Greeks, and once again proving how undemocratic the EU is they score 10/10 in my book.

I envisage an unpleasant journey ahead for us all.

At the moment it seems that the news channels don't really know what's going on, there's different news every 20mins. Apparently, there are two sources close to him that are saying that he is going to scrap the referendum, not like earlier where they stated that it "has" been scrapped, so far this is all speculation. Also, i've just heard, that apparently the Greek parliament have a vote of confidence on him tomorrow, so the chances are that he will be voted out tomorrow and someone else will come in and scrap the referendum.

Its all confusing at the moment, and nothing will be clear until tomorrow i believe.

HOW COME THE EURO IS SO HARD TO LEAVE???
the greek leader at start of the day was "expected to resign"
now he is not resigning and the refferendum has been scrapped?
seems he got elbow in ribs from european leaders telling him hes a bad boy

this # has happened in UK
we got promised refferendum to being in EU
david cameron got elbow in ribs like greek leader
it was then scrapped... even though he promised voters (so did opposition leader)
it makes me wonder who really runs our country? or greece aswell?

If I was in Greece, and the government forced through this bailout after promising a referendum, I'd be rioting too. Absolute garbage.

Greece is going to have a hard road ahead either way, but at least they should have the ability to determine their own path back to financial health.

Stefanos Manos, the former finance minister of Greece has just said on the phone to BBC news 24 that the referendum HAS been scrapped. Live now covering the summit in Cannes.

So it looks like the Greeks will most likely have their president thrown out, along with their referendum.

Also, with all this news coming to light, and talk of the possibility of Greece leaving the EU, and Euro, that the market seems quite upbeat, considering the amount of money lost to creditors if Greece do leave. Are they shaping it all for themselves? Trade more to raise the price of their investments, for withdraw them tomorrow to get maximum profit? Just a thought, but today seems to be all over the place with very little sense in it.

What an utter mess...

Greece's Prime Minister has told Sky News the referendum on the the eurozone bailout plan will no longer go ahead - and it was never his intention for it to happen.
news.sky.com...

Not the type of impression you really want to give your voters... "oh we never really intended you to have a say"..

*shakes head*

Originally posted by Insearchofthetruth1987
HOW COME THE EURO IS SO HARD TO LEAVE???
the greek leader at start of the day was "expected to resign"
now he is not resigning and the refferendum has been scrapped?
seems he got elbow in ribs from european leaders telling him hes a bad boy

this # has happened in UK
we got promised refferendum to being in EU
david cameron got elbow in ribs like greek leader
it was then scrapped... even though he promised voters (so did opposition leader)
it makes me wonder who really runs our country? or greece aswell?

Stop wondering . . . the leaders of the world are on a 'short-leash' policy by those who really pull the strings. Just take a look at all this debt that's choking the life out of most of us . . . who stands to gain the most . . . I can pretty much guarantee it isn't the governments of the world, nor is it the folks such as us.

What does that leave you with . . . yeah . . . the old top of the heap.

Who will benefit from Greece being bailed out? Certainly not the little guy on the street or the poor sap who's spent most of his/her life building a small business only to have it yoinked out from underneath by a bunch of government officials who were more interested in getting re-elected than making the difficult decisions that could have avoided this whole mess in the first place.

No, it's the banksters who backstopped the Greek debt, predominantly on lax rules and backroom deals that they knew from the outset would protect them either way the coin fell while throwing the rest of the country to the wolves.

If I made really bad investments, I'd be on the hook for it. The banks that made these really bad investments are . . . well . . . going to get richer because of it. They get their cut . . . the insurance interests already got theirs and the people of Greece . . .

So, you have to know the answer to your own question . . . there's no such thing as democracy anymore, it's just selecting the group you think will do you the least harm as you struggle to make it through life with a bit of comfort and ease.

Yeah i have to agree with most posters here, this sucks big time.

So the Greek people are just a mob to threaten the opposition with...that will go down well with the Greeks won't it.

This offer of a referendum was just a sham to coerce the conservative opponents and not an offer of democracy at all, i hope the Greek PM has got his retirement plans worked out because he sure as hell won't be re-elected.

Come to that, i don't see many of the current incumbents returning come election time, absolute traitors.

So it should be quite apparent to all who runs Europe and who is the boss of Greece.

The Greeks may as well tear down their parliament, it's an empty shell, a facade, a farce.

Cosmic...

Anything less than a general cancellation of debts to Greece will fail be met with hailstorms of protest, of every kind.

The EU and the Greek political/economic dictate all they wish to the Greek Sovereign People, even declare war on the masses they way the Syrian leader did to his people, but at the end of the day, it is the Sovereign People that will have a say and an act. And it's not difficult to see how it will go down.

Today's greek masses are not without courage or valor. These men and women are descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great - the only peoples on Earth that can lay claim to conquering almost the world, against formidable foes such as the mighty Persians, Afghans and even into Indian civilisation.

This will be what EU or at least the greek political and economic leaders will face:-



Alexander stopped his conquest at Taxila, only because his armies had enough, longed for home and peace after years of travelling and conquests. Today's greeks are no different. They only long for peace and security from the corrupted ways and mess of the political/economic class in their drive for personal greed, to live and love just like any other human on Earth.

It is..all...so...unnecessary...for what is to come... When will mankind ever learn?

Any one else get the impression they are REALLY trying hard to create the conditions for a revolution in Greece?

This is going to go down like a lead balloon with the Greek populace.

Papas is talking to the G20 as we speak he finally told the G20 that the referendum was not his first choice, but he had no choice, so they are to wait until tomorrow vote of confidence to take a decision as how the countries economy will go.

So regardless of the news that is not referendum he has not told the G20 that it would not be one just that it will wait for the vote of confidence tomorrow.

Papas is a very smart man and is playing the whole EU well.

Regardless the people in the nation will have their way one way or the other, as politically the nations government is finish.

Officially not referendum said Papas in from of G 20 but, but, but, that is what he said still waiting for vote of confidence, still the people in Greece have another agenda.

So the saga is not over.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou expressed optimism late Wednesday that the Greek people, in a vote to be held as soon as December 4

December 4 is way too far away. That ties everyone up until then, and apparently they need money (or not) before that.

"AS SOON AS" is still a month away.

Canada can elect a brand new government in 5 weeks, total, so why does it take Greece 4 weeks for just a referendum, which is just a question on a ballot. It isn't like they have much to explain to anyone, it should have only taken a week to set up a question.

reply to post by Trolloks


He went from let the people decide to "I will do anything to get this bill passed"

I hope the people tear him apart. What's worse than giving false hope to your people, then saying never mind and passing an extremely unpopular bailout...

Translation:

Democracy is only good if it is good for the bankers.