NEWS
Prime Minister Borut Pahor receives a letter from his Greek counterpart regarding the call for a referendum on measures to resolve the Greek debt crisis
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today received a letter from his Greek counterpart, George A. Papandreou, explaining in detail the background and purpose behind the intention to call a referendum on measures to resolve the Greek debt crisis. With regard to the announced referendum, Prime Minister Borut Pahor explained that 'the Greek authorities' decision is their sovereign right, but after the most recent successful Summit of the heads of state and governments of the eurozone held at the end of last week, this again heightens the unpredictability of the efforts made in solving the debt crisis throughout the eurozone. In my role as prime minister, I have always – both among the domestic public and at the summits of the heads of state and governments of the EU – represented the principle of solidarity and mutual aid in resolving the debt crisis and coordinating the policies required to accelerate the revival of the economy. This announcement made by the Greek authorities will certainly not help to strengthen the financial markets' trust in the plans made to overcome the financial and institutional crises plaguing the EU and the eurozone.
However, the future of the euro and everything connected to it, such as the financial strength of the EU, may well crucially depend on judicious decisions being made on the way forward. In the last year, I have, as prime minister, repeatedly warned of the unpredictability of the eurozone's difficulties, of the need to manage domestic fiscal stability and the persistence to stay on the 'Franco–German train'. The Greek authorities' decision has surprised me as an event, although not as a process. With this decision the process becomes more complex, but the eurozone and the EU still possess sufficient power and decisive political leadership to come out of this crisis with strengthened cohesion.'