EU could grant emergency loans to Athens, says Schulz
Europe will not "desert" the people of Greece regardless of the outcome of Sunday's referendum and may provide it emergency loans, the head of the European Parliament said Sunday.
Martin Schulz told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Athens government had manoeuvred the heavily-indebted country "into a dead end".
"Perhaps we will have to give emergency bridging loans to Greece so that public service can be maintained and needy people get the money they need to survive," he said.
"For that, money would be available short term in Brussels," the European Parliament president said in the interview.
But he warned this would not be a lasting solution.
Greeks are voting in a tightly fought referendum on whether to support the terms of the country's potential bailout deal with its international creditors.
Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras has urged a 'No' vote.
[AFP]
