scorecard
  1. Home
  2. finance
  3. Some of Greece's top politicians are telling people to say 'Yes' to the bailout

Some of Greece's top politicians are telling people to say 'Yes' to the bailout

Oscar Williams-Grut   

Some of Greece's top politicians are telling people to say 'Yes' to the bailout
Finance2 min read

The word 'Yes' in Greek is seen on a sticker as pro-Euro demonstrators attend a rally in front of the parliament building, in Athens, Greece, June 30, 2015. Greece's conservative opposition warned on Tuesday that Sunday's vote over international bailout terms would be a referendum over the country's future in Europe, and that wages and pensions would be threatened if people were to reject the package.

REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

The word 'Yes' in Greek is seen on a sticker as pro-Euro demonstrators attend a rally in front of the parliament building, in Athens, Greece, June 30, 2015.

Several prominent Greek politicians, including two former Greek prime ministers and the mayor of Athens, have come out in support of a "Yes" vote in Sunday's Greek bailout referendumwhich means they agree to the terms of a bailout deal and is in opposition to Greece's finance minister and prime minister.

Antonis Samaras, who was PM from 2012 until January, told Bloomberg TV today that Greeks should back the bailout because saying a "No" vote would lead to Greece's exit from the eurozone.

He said: "A return to the drachma would kill the Greek economy and the hopes of the Greek people."

Kostas Karamanlis, who was Greek PM from 2004 to 2009, has also given a TV address calling for Greek's to vote "Yes," saying a "No" vote would lead to an exit from "Europe's core."

Karamanlis' public address follows current Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' address on state TV on Wednesday, urging people to vote "No."

Several other prominent Greeks came out in support of the "Yes" campaign at a press conference in Athens on Thursday including: George Kaminis, the Mayor of Athens; Yiannis Boutaris, the Mayor of Thessaloniki; economist Aristos Doxiadis; and Greek author Petros Markaris, whose detective novels are popular throughout much of Europe.

If the "Yes" campaign is successful then we'll be waving goodbye to Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. He told Bloomberg TV today that he will quit if Syriza loses the referendum. The far-left party is campaigning for a "No" vote.

Supporters of both "Yes" and "No" camps have held huge protests in Athens this week. Polls are too close to call.

NOW WATCH: Hugh Hefner's son reveals what it was like growing up in the Playboy Mansion

READ MORE ARTICLES ON


Advertisement

Advertisement