Germany reacts to Greek referendum with anger, puzzlement and solidarity

Angela Merkel 'respects' the result in Greece but heads to meet Franiois Hollande as Europe's leaders and their advisers plan next moves

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is to head to Paris on Monday for urgent talks with French president Franiois Hollande over how to avert a growing eurozone debt crisis after Greek voters sent EU leaders their clearest message yet that they are in favour of a radical change of policy.

An email statement from the Berlin chancellery, sent out shortly after polls closed in Greece and which mirrored one sent out by the ilysi(C)e Palace, said the aim of the meeting, arranged after a telephone call between the two leaders, was to "jointly assess the situation after the Greek referendum and to address the continuation of Franco-German close cooperation in this matter."