Papandreou announces a referendum for this September

Speaking in parliament during the discussion (which started at 1pm) on the vote of confidence toward his government, PM Giorgos Papandreou announced a referendum for this September so that the people can approve all the major changes in the constitution, taxation and the developmental model of our country.

Once again, Papandreou asked for a vote of confidence under a notion of national understanding based on five points. He identified those as gradual independence from the Troika, an organized effort to address the debt, making the necessary structural changes in society and the economy, the need and negotiating conditions for a new loan and the creation of a new developmental and tax model along with the revision of the Constitution.

The PM reiterated that the great sacrifices of the Greeks are well placed and stressed that the miscalculation about a market exit in 2012 did not come not from our side, but belonged to the partners that had underestimated the debt problem throughout Europe.

He announced his meetings on Monday and Tuesday, with European Union president Van Rompuy and European Commission president Barroso respectively, in order to negotiate issues such as the fifth installment and the new loan as to which, as he stressed, Greece cannot accept damaging terms on mortgaging assets with national symbolism.