Will he put it on the tab? Varoufakis enjoys a drink after quitting as Greece finance minister as Eurozone leaders discuss sending in humanitarian aid to the stricken country
- Greece overwhelmingly rejected the European Union's bailout package in yesterday's historic referendum
- Landslide result leaves the heavily indebted country teetering on the edge of leaving the Eurozone altogether
- European leaders will hold an emergency summit in Brussels later today to discuss financial aid for Greece
- Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis quit his job and hours later was seen drinking a pint in an Athens bar
- His successor Euclid Tsakalotos said he had 'stage fright' when taking on unenviable role of fixing Greece' finances
- European Central Bank said it would not provide more emergency funding with banks rapidly running out of cash
Yanis Varoufakis was seen enjoying a pint today just hours after quitting as Greek finance minister while Eurozone leaders prepare to meet to discuss sending humanitarian aid to the stricken country.
He supped on a beer, checked his phone and laughed and joked with friends and wife Danae Stratou at a bar in Athens after announcing his shock resignation following a resounding 'no' vote on an international bailout package that plunged Greece's future in the eurozone into further jeopardy.
Earlier he had whisked her away on a motorbike before a scrum of reporters in the capital having announced his immediate resignation in a blog post that ended with Varoufakis claiming he will 'wear the creditors' loathing with pride'.
He also revealed that Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had judged that his leaving the job 'might help achieve a deal'.
Varoufakis was later seen handing over the mantle to Greece's new finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos, who said he had 'stage fright' as he took on the role which will see him face the unenviable task of negotiating Greece's future with European creditors.
Moments later, the European Central Bank (ECB) - whose funding Greece rely on - said it would not be providing more emergency credit to Greek banks - leaving them under increasing pressure as they struggle to cope with panicked citizens trying to withdraw savings.
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Down the hatches: Outgoing Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis drinks a beer in a bar with wife Danae Stratou and some friends hours after announcing his resignation
Check this out: Varoufakis checks his phone and shares something on it with a friend. Eurozone leaders will gather for an emergency summit tomorrow to discuss humanitarian aid for debt-mired Greece
Greeting: Varoufakis greets friends before enjoying a drink yesterday afternoon. The Greek government plans to extend the closure of banks for at least a few more days
Varoufakis (left) was later seen handing over the mantle to Greece's new finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos (right), who will face the unenviable task of negotiating Greece's future with European creditors
On his bike: Varoufakis picked up his wife Danae on the back of a motorbike in downtown Athens earlier yesterday morning following his resignation
Tsakalotos (right) - who admitted to having 'stage fright' upon assuming the post - was officially sworn in by Greece's President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (centre) alongside Tsipras (left)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held crisis talks yesterday and said that the door was open to for a return to debt negotiations with Greece
Kissing Greece goodbye? Merkel and Hollande will now turn their attention to the meeting of eurozone leaders in Brussels later today
Tsakalotos was officially sworn in yesterday afternoon by Greece's President Prokopis Pavlopoulos alongside Tsipras.
His first job will be to deal with the revelation that the ECB will not increase funding to Greece as its banks look set to run out of cash in the coming days.
In a statement, the ECB said that the credit 'can only be provided against sufficient collateral'. That collateral has been weakened due to the worsening financial situation of Greece.
Meanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held crisis talks yesterday and said that the door was open to for a return to debt negotiations with Greece, but called on Athens to make detailed proposals.
Mr Hollande said: 'I stress the fact that time is running out and there is urgency, urgency for Greece and urgency for Europe.'
Ahead of a hastily-arranged eurozone meeting, Hollande said that while in Europe 'there is place for solidarity, there is also a balance between responsibility and solidarity which must be our course of action in the coming days'.
Eurozone leaders will gather for an emergency summit today to discuss humanitarian aid for the debt-mired country, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.
'We must now cover their needs very quickly, the people there need help and we should not refuse it just because we're unhappy with the result of the referendum (Sunday on creditors' bailout terms),' Gabriel, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, told reporters.
'I hope this can happen quickly. I assume it will also be discussed tomorrow in Brussels' at the eurozone summit,' he said.
The Greek government plans to extend the closure of banks for at least a few more days ahead of a meeting between bankers and the finance minister later today, four banking sources told Reuters.
Last week Greece issued a decree imposing capital controls and ordered banks to shut after the European Central Bank froze a vital financial lifeline following the breakdown of bailout talks between Athens and its foreign creditors.
The decree expired yesterday and the government is expected to issue a new one to replace it. 'The bank holiday will be extended, until Friday or next Monday,' one senior banker said.
Tsipras probably has 48 hours to resolve a stand-off with creditors before civil unrest breaks out and ATMs run out of cash, according to a major hedge fund.
There are questions over whether the IMF and Europe’s leaders can seal a deal with Athens following the decisive 'no' vote in the referendum yesterday, which saw 61 per cent of voters reject bailout terms offered by Greece's international creditors.
Colin Lancaster, senior managing director with Chicago-based $9billion Balyasny Asset Management, said: 'I don’t see a good resolution any time soon.
'The big question is whether the EU adopts a strategy of waiting them out. The hope would be that the unrest leads to a unity government or change in government.'
Balyasny ended its direct exposure to Greece three weeks ago, Mr Lancaster told Bloomberg.
Announcing his immediate resignation in a blog post that ended with Varoufakis claiming he will 'wear the creditors' loathing with pride'
Maverick: Outgoing Greek finance minister Varoufakis was mobbed by journalists while picking up his wife Danae yesterday morning
They're off! Varoufakis and his wife Danae ride away from journalists in downtown Athens yesterday morning
Taken for a ride? Germany immediately played down the significance of Varoufakis's resignation after the outgoing finance minister was pictured riding around Athens on his motorcycle both on Sunday night and yesterday morning
Resigned: Journalists follow outgoing Greece finance minister Yanis Varoufakis as he leaves his home in Athens yesterday morning
On his way: Varoufakis was mobbed by journalists asking about his resignation yesterday (left) before making off on his motorcycle (right)
The morning after: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (left) travels to the presidential mansion in Athens yesterday morning. Tsipras has reportedly judged that Varoufakis leaving the job 'might help achieve a deal' for Greece
Pleading: An elderly man remonstrates with a bank worker as he and dozens of other pensioners wait to be allowed in to a bank in Athens to withdraw a maximum of €120
Struggling to make ends meet: A crowd of people queue outside a soup kitchen in Sofokleous Street, Athens, yesterday morning after the referendum resulted in a resounding No
Varoufakis claimed that during victory celebrations in Athens after the 'no' campaign won with a staggering 61 per cent of the vote, he was made aware that European finance ministers no longer wanted him to take part in talks on Greece's future.
Germany immediately played down the significance of Varoufakis's resignation. 'It is not about people but rather positions,' Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
With Greek banks running out of cash and facing the danger of collapse within days without new aid, the government in Athens is racing against the clock to facilitate negotiations on a new bailout program.
Greeks voted overwhelmingly to reject creditors' proposal of more austerity measures in return for rescue loans, in the country's first referendum in 41 years on Sunday.
The referendum 'will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage,' Varoufakis said.
With his brash style and fondness for frequent media appearances at the start of his tenure at the ministry when the new government was formed in January, Varoufakis had visibly annoyed many of the eurozone's finance ministers during Greece's debt negotiations.
Despite his frequent clashes with creditors in negotiations over the past few months, Varoufakis' resignation comes as a huge shock - especially coming so soon after the historic 'no' vote.
But the finance minister - who rose to fame and infamy this year for his informal image among stuffy European finance ministers, his abrasive negotiation style and his acerbic attacks on austerity - appeared to suggest that his immediate departure was in Greece's best interest.
Yesterday morning Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said his government is ready to talk about a third Greek bailout.
De Guindos told a press conference in Madrid after the government's economic team met to discuss Greece's referendum result that everyone wants Greece to 'stay in the euro.'
However, he said 'the rules for the euro remain the same as they were two days ago...I don't contemplate in any way Greece leaving the euro,' he said.
The minister conceded the situation now was probably the most complex since the euro launched in 1999 but that the currency's irreversibility would be reaffirmed at the meeting of eurozone finance ministers tomorrow
Anger: Elderly people argue with a bank worker as they wait to be allowed into a bank to withdraw a maximum of €120 for the week
Pushing: Elderly men and women are seen scrambling for priority tickets outside a bank in Thessaloniki yesterday morning. The tickets allow a limited number of pensioners to withdraw up to €120 from their pension accounts. ATM machines are currently limiting withdrawals to €60
Desperate: An elderly woman collapses in the middle of the scramble for priority banking tickets in Thessaloniki yesterday morning
A pensioner argues with an official as he tries to enter a National Bank branch to receive part of his pension in Athens yesterday morning
Taking to the streets: Despite the late result, the night was still young for the throngs of people who stayed out to celebrate in Athens
Celebrations: Greece has overwhelmingly rejected Europe's latest bailout package in a landmark referendum
Yanis Varoufakis also went out on a late night motorcycle ride from Greece's Government Palace after the 'no' campaign win
Relaxed: Yanis Varoufakis goes out late in the night for a motorcycle ride from the Government Palace in Athens on Sunday evening
Shock: Yanis Varoufakis (pictured during Sunday night's 'no' campaign victory celebrations) announced his immediate resignation
'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 the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement,' he said.
'For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today,' Varoufakis wrote on his blog after first announcing the news on his Twitter page.
The outgoing finance minister immediately updated his Twitter biography to read: 'Economics professor, quietly writing obscure academic texts for years, until thrust onto the public scene by Europe's inane handling of an inevitable crisis.'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande called for an EU crisis summit to find a 'solution' for Greece, with leaders set to meet in Brussels today.
Thousands of anti-austerity voters took to the streets in celebration as the leader of the pro-EU 'Yes' campaign resigned, but there were some minor skirmishes between protesters and riot police as tensions bubbled over.
But German politicians warned of 'disaster' as they accused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of 'tearing down bridges' between Greece and Europe, with stock markets talking a sharp hit when they opened yesterday morning.
Huge turnout: Thousands gathered in front of the Greek parliament in Athens as Greece rejected a European bailout package
As the results poured in, thousands of anti-austerity voters took to the streets outside parliament in celebration
Gathering: As night fell over the Greek parliament, thousands gathered outside to celebrate the result
Demands: A government spokesman said it had 'a clear mandate' for less stringent bailout conditions
Tsipras was elected on promises to repeal the austerity demanded in return for a bailout from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund, and negotiations broke down late last month after dragging on unsuccessfully for five months.
With his hight-stakes gamble to call a referendum on creditor proposals with just a week's notice, Tsipras aimed to show creditors that Greeks, whose economy has been shattered and who face spiralling unemployment and poverty, have had enough and that the austerity prescribed isn't working.
But everything will hinge on the reaction by his European partners. A eurozone summit was hastily called for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the situation.
Greeks awoke on Monday to the stark reality of the country's accelerating crisis - shuttered banks and ATMs with little cash.
The referendum results - 61 per cent voted 'no' and 39 percent 'yes' - left the bankrupt country's future in the European Union and its euro currency uncertain.
The margin of victory for 'no' was far wider than expected. But as celebrations died down early Monday, Greece entered a second week of severe restrictions on financial transactions and faced even limited amounts of cash drying out, with no prospect of an immediate infusion.
Greece imposed the restrictions to stem a bank run after the vote was called and its bailout program expired.
The shock resignation of the Greek finance minister in the wake of the country's historic referendum 'no' vote sent European stock markets into turbulence today.
The FTSE 100 index of leading shares in London fell 32 points or 0.5 per cent to 6,553.8 in early trading, while the German and French leading indices were both down 1 per cent.
The euro also fell as Greece edges closed to a 'Grexit' - or departure from the single currency bloc - after its electorate last night firmly rejected the terms of a European bailout, including more austerity.
Stock market commentator David Buik of broker Panmure Gordon said: 'For calm to be restored and to avoid market turmoil, the ECB holds the key to the kingdom – liquidity. If banks open on Tuesday, without ECB providing sufficient liquidity, they will be drained of cash by midday!'
Early results in the referendum were broadcast on big screens in Athens - including on this museum
Supporters of the 'No' campaign shouted with joy as it became clear that they were on course for victory
Varoufakis said he is quitting as finance minister despite the victory as his absence from talks on Greece's future will help negotiations
Victor: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the vote did not give him a 'mandate against Europe'
Crunch time: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured in Berlin yesterday morning) and French President Francois Hollande called for an EU crisis summit to find a 'solution' for Greece, with leaders set to meet in Brussels today
Time to talk: Greek political leaders (from left Communist party leader, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, Independent Greeks leader, Panos Kamenos , Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, interim New Democracy leader, Vangelis Meimarakis, the River leader, Stavros Theodorakis and Pasok leader Fofi Gennimata) meet with the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (centre) at the presidential palace in Athens yesterday morning
Asian markets mostly fell yesterday morning, as economists said the markets were not expecting such a decisive 'no' vote.
Besieged by a prolonged recession, high unemployment and banks dangerously low on capital, Greece defaulted on an IMF loan repayment last week, becoming the first developed nation to do so. Now some analysts wonder if Greece is so starved of cash that it could be forced to start issuing its own currency and become the first country to leave the 19-member eurozone, established in 1999.
The European Central Bank's governing council was not expected to provide more liquidity assistance to Greek banks yesterday. The assistance, now at about 90 billion euros, has been maintained but not increased in past days, leaving the country's financial system in a stranglehold. Without an increase, Greeks might not be able to withdraw even the meager €60 euros allocated per day.
That will make it difficult for Tsipras to keep his pledge, expressed on TV and on his Twitter account, that Greece's 'immediate priority is to restore our banking system's functioning & economic stability' or for banks to re-open Tuesday, as scheduled.
Negotiations on a financial rescue package broke off with Greece's creditors after Tsipras called for the referendum. It is unclear when they could restart, but the government has said it believes a deal with creditors could be reached within 48 hours of the vote.
Leaders of six of the seven parties represented in Parliament were meeting on Monday morning in the presidential palace. Tsipras requested the meeting to share his negotiating strategy and call for support.
The main opposition party, New Democracy, was sending an interim chief, after its leader - former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras - resigned on Sunday as 'no' votes poured in.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande spoke to each other Sunday night and agreed 'that the vote of the Greek people must be respected,' Merkel's office said.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Eurogroup head, said Sunday's referendum result was 'very regrettable for the future of Greece.'
The Dutch finance minister had been a steadfast opponent of Greece as it sought better conditions during five months of bailout negotiations. 'For recovery of the Greek economy, difficult measures and reforms are inevitable,' he said. 'We will now wait for the initiatives of the Greek authorities.'
Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's vice chancellor and economic minister, told a German newspaper the Greek government was leading its people 'onto a path of bitter austerity and hopelessness.'
Tensions between rival voters bubbled over in the early hours of Monday morning, with riot police called in as police threw petrol bombs in Athens
Trouble in Greece: A gang of masked youths stand their ground as one yob throws a lit petrol bomb
Thugs: Clad in balaclavas, a menacing gang stand firm in an Athens street after throwing fire bombs
Party time: Greeks - young and old - met to celebrate the outcome of the referendum, which could see the country leave the Eurozone
Dancing in the street: Jubilant Greeks held hands as they celebrated the result early on Sunday evening
A fountain in the centre of Athens was lit up red - the colour of governing party Syriza - following the vote
Greece voted against Europe's latest bailout package, plunging their future in the Eurozone into further doubt
Victory: A group of anti-austerity voters hold flags aloft in front of the Zappeion in Athens
Anti-austerity voters took to the streets in celebration, singing as they waved Greek flags as the result became clear
Celebrations: Anti-austerity voters cheered as it appeared that the 'No' campaign was taking a lead
Counting: Six opinion polls released moments after voting ended showed a lead for the 'No' campaign
Belgian finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt was somewhat softer in his approach, saying a 'no' result 'complicates matters,' but that the door remained open to resume talks immediately.
'What we certainly don't want to do is to take decisions that will threaten the monetary union,' he told Belgium's VRT.
'Within that framework we can start talks again with the Greek government, literally, within hours.'
Last night, wearing a T-shirt as he spoke to reporters, Varoufakis said a 'No' vote was a vote in favour of democracy and allowed Athens to call on its partners to find a fair deal.
'As of tomorrow, with this brave 'No' the Greek people handed us... we will extend a helping hand towards our lenders. We will call on each one of them to find common ground,' he said.
'As of tomorrow, Europe, whose heart is beating in Greece tonight, is starting to heal its wounds, our wounds. Today's No is a big Yes to democratic Europe.'
He earlier accused a Sky News reporter of spoiling 'celebrations of democracy' by asking 'impertinent' questions about the country's banks running out of money.
Before Varoufakis spoke, the head of the Yes campaign former prime minister Antonis Samaras resigned as leader of the opposition.
Meanwhile Nikos Pappos, Tsipras' main aide, said a deal with creditors would be reached by July 20 - the day Greece is due to repay 3.5billion euros to the European Central Bank (ECB).
Tensions between rival voters bubbled over in the early hours, with riot police called in as masked youths threw petrol bombs in Athens.
German politicians have branded the referendum result a 'disaster', with the country's economy minister Sigmar Gabriel Sigmar accusing Tsipras of 'tearing down the last bridges on which Greece and Europe could have moved towards a compromise'.
He added: 'Tsipras and his government are leading the Greek people on a path of bitter abandonment and hopelessness.'
Meanwhile, senior German conservative Michael Fuchs said he 'regretted' the result, adding: 'Tsipras has caused a disaster and must see how to pick up the pieces.
'There is no chance that a solution will be achieved within 48 hours.'
The central Bank of Greece is feared to be on the brink of collapse as voters flocked to the polls to decide on their country's future
A little girl pulls a face as she carries her father's ballot paper to one of the boxes in a polling station in Athens
Her father holds her carefully as she slips the envelope into the ballot box in the hope the vote will make a difference
David Cameron was expected to hold crisis talks with the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney today to discuss the result's impact on the British economy. He was also likely to attend further emergency meetings with the EU on Tuesday.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Ukip, said: 'If these poll figures are correct, I commend the Greek people for calling the EU's bluff.
'The EU project is now dying. It's fantastic to see the courage of the Greek people in the face of political and economic bullying from Brussels.'
The polls closed amid increasing fears the central Bank of Greece is on the brink of collapse.
Plans for a last-minute meeting between the country's finance minister, ECB and the Bank of Greece were announced yesterday afternoon, just two hours before voting ended.
Nearly 10 million people turned out to vote on whether Greece should accept Europe's latest bailout package and introduce tougher austerity measures. Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said more than half of the Greek electorate voted.
From as early as 7am, residents could be seen queuing outside polling stations ready to mark their 74-word ballot paper with a cross in the 'Yes' or 'No' box.
Greek army forces and riot police ramped up security on Sunday morning as it emerged a secret plan had been drawn up to ensure troops can cope if there is widespread public disorder.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras votes at a polling station in Athens as security forces prepare for widespread disorder following yesterday's referendum
The snap referendum was called as the country became the first Western democracy to fail to pay its debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Tsipras, pictured talking to the media after voting, has been engaged in a high-stakes standoff with lenders, which resulted in Greece defaulting on its debts
Casting his vote in Athens, Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis (pictured) said the referendum 'gives hope to Europe that a common currency and democracy can coexist'
A woman hugs Varoufakis (centre) as he arrived at the polling station with his father Giorgos, 90, on Sunday
On Saturday, polls had showed the campaigns neck-and-neck with the 'No' vote just 0.5 percentage points ahead in one. Many people remained undecided. Six opinion polls released moments after voting ended predicted a victory for the 'No' campaign.
The snap referendum was called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on June 26, days before the country became the first Western democracy to fail to pay its debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It was due to pay £1.1billion by 11pm last Tuesday after negotiations between the government and creditors, who were asking for reforms in exchange for extending the country's bailout deal, collapsed.
In a short statement, the European Commission said it 'respected' the result.
After casting his own vote on Sunday morning Tsipras said his debt-laden country was determined to decide its own 'destiny' in the eurozone.
He said: 'No one can ignore the will of the people to live, to live with determination, to take its destiny into its own hands.
'I am certain that from tomorrow we will have broken a path for all the peoples in Europe. A path of return to the founding values of democracy and solidarity in Europe, sending a strong message of determination, not only to stay but also to live with dignity in Europe.
'Let us therefore make this act of strong will, this celebratory act of democracy, an act of determination for a better future for all of us, both in Greece and Europe. I am very optimistic.'
A woman walks next to a mural as she makes her way to a polling station, which has the names of voters stuck outside on pieces of paper
Greek bride Irene poses for photographs outside parliament and declared: 'The only time I will say 'Yes' today is to my new husband'
Voters look up their names on a list outside a polling station ahead of an anxious wait for Sunday's result
Smoke rises over barricades prior to the referendum, which will decide on whether Greece should introduce tougher austerity measures, in a street in Athens
Casting his vote in Athens on Sunday, Varoufakis added that the referendum 'gives hope to Europe that a common currency and democracy can coexist'.
He also said he believed a deal could be reached in 24 hours in the event of a 'No' vote.
'I don't need to be confident, this is a beautiful democracy,' he added.
Sunday's voting followed a week of frenzied campaigning by supporters of both camps, with many ramping up the rhetoric in the two days beforehand.
Varoufakis, who previously announced he would also have resigned if the country voted 'Yes', on Sunday said the level of fear being spread by opponents to the 'No' vote was akin to 'terrorism'.
'What they're doing with Greece has a name: terrorism,' he said in the interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
'Why have they forced us to close the banks? To frighten people. And when it's about spreading terror, that is known as terrorism.'
Meanwhile, residents spent the week desperately queuing outside banks in an attempt to withdraw cash as the country slid further towards financial ruin.
Capital controls were brought in with a withdrawal limit of 60 euros (£42) per day, with sources claiming only 40 per cent of ATMs still had cash in.
Pensioners were also pictured queuing outside branches, with many banks telling them they would not be opening their doors.
The measures have turned many people towards the 'No' vote.
An elderly woman waits at bus stop next to banners reading 'Yes to Greece, yes to Euro'
A man walks past graffiti reading 'No' as he leaves a polling station after voting. 10 million citizens voted
Residents wait their turn to cast their vote as EU leaders warned other countries are not immune from the turmoil that could follow from Sunday's result
Meanwhile, residents desperately queued outside banks in an attempt to withdraw cash as the country slid further towards financial ruin
Before the referendum, Greece was warned it is risking the collapse of its health system and power network - as well as a blockade on imports - if it votes 'No'.
Martin Schulz, the president of the European parliament, made the stark warning just hours before Greece's residents were due to go to the polls.
Schulz - who earlier called for the ruling Syriza party to be replaced - said the EU might have to have emergency loans in place, should the country side with its government, The Telegraph reported.
'Without new money, salaries won't be paid, the health system will stop functioning, the power network and public transport will break down, and they won't be able to import vital goods because no one can pay,' he said.
Speaking to German radio on Sunday morning, he added that Greece, which has been using the euro since 2001 when it replaced the drachma, would have to introduce another currency if the 'No' vote wins.
'Is Greece still in the euro after this referendum?,' he asked. 'That is certainly the case, but if they say 'No' they will have to introduce another currency... because the euro is not available as a means of payment.'
'The moment someone introduces a new currency, they exit the eurozone. Those are the elements that give me some hope that the people will not vote 'No' today.'
His comments came as a poll revealed an overwhelming majority of Greeks - around 75 per cent - wanted Greece to remain among the 19 European nations using the shared currency.
Meanwhile, the German finance minister suggested Greece could leave the eurozone 'temporarily'.
Wolfgang Schaeuble, one of the country's biggest creditors and toughest critics, said: 'Greece is a member of the eurozone. There's no doubt about that.
'Whether with the euro or temporarily without it: only the Greeks can answer this question. And it is clear that we will not leave the people in the lurch.'
He added that while some individual banks might collapse the risk of it spreading to other parts of the eurozone was small.
'The markets have reacted with restraint in the last few days. That shows that the problem is manageable,' he said.
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