The Minister of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction Nikos Voutsis stated “we have been preparing for the big ‘No’ for some time now” in a radio interview on Alpha 989. Mr. Voutsis was quick to clarify that “the government is not examining the possibility of a Grexit and nobody can legally enforce it”. He also explained that although it was difficult to come to an agreement with the creditors, he did not rule out such a possibility.
“Our mandate is to end the austerity and the drachma is neither in our program nor in our sights” he further added. Later in his interview he commented that “if we need to walk a difficult path for a while until we reach an honorable agreement, then we will do so”, reflecting similar statements by the Alternate Minister of Social Security Dimitris Stratoulis.
Regarding the Prime Minister’s trip to Russia, Mr. Voutsis commented that it was related to the government’s growth plan and efforts to encourage investments. He argued that aside from provisions on debt relief, an agreement with the creditors must also include a growth plan.
