Greek referendum no vote signals huge challenge to eurozone leaders
Victory by Syriza party of 60% to 40% in polarising referendum presents nightmare for eurozone elites, particularly German chancellor Angela Merkel
Greece delivered a landslide no vote to the eurozone's terms for the country remaining in the single currency on Sunday night, unleashing a seismic political shift that could derail the European project. The verdict confronts the EU's leadership with one of its most severe crises of confidence and leaves Greece facing potential financial collapse and exit from the euro.
In a polarising referendum called by the radical leftist government of Alexis Tsipras at only eight days' notice, Greeks voted by more than 60% to 40% in support of the prime minister, spurning the extra austerity demanded - mainly by Germany and the International Monetary Fund - in return for an extension of bailout funds.
Related: IMF: austerity measures would still leave Greece with unsustainable debt
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