EP leaders call for credible response from Athens after referendum

Leaders of the different political groups in the European Parliament (EP) called Monday for new efforts to find a solution to the Greek debt crisis after the country's voters' rejected the latest offer from creditors.

On the eve of Tuesday's emergency eurozone summit in Brussels, and at the latest EP plenary session in Strasbourg, some EP group leaders showed sympathy with Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras, but most said it was now up to the Greek government to offer a credible way out of the impasse.

Manfred Weber, president of the EP's largest group, the European People's Party (EPP), said the result of the referendum would cause severe problems for Greece, and if necessary Europe should help with humanitarian measures.

"But it is now Prime Minister Tsipras's duty to propose solutions to the dramatic situation he himself brought his country into," Weber added, "With the result of this referendum, many eurozone countries have lost their willingness to help the Greek government. This makes it even more difficult to reach a compromise."

He reminded the Greek government that the European Union (EU) "is composed of 28 democracies and the interests of all need to be taken into account. Europe is a community based on solidarity, not a club of egoists."

Gianni Pittella, chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the EP, the second largest group, said: "For the whole of the European Union, for national governments, for the Athens authorities and for the international creditors, the Greek crisis is a lesson from which we must draw conclusions, so that the current situation or similar events in the future do not undermine the existence of the EU."

Pittella called for the re-opening of negotiations but said he wished to see "a new attitude of solidarity and cooperation, taking into account the difficult social dimension in Greece." It would also be time for some member states and ministers to stop "unacceptable rigidity, national selfishness and domestic political games," he stated.

Syed Kamall, chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), said the Greek people had "torn the euro's sticking plaster from the wound," and leaving the euro could be the "least worst option" for Greece.

"For years, Europe has been placing sticking plaster over the euro's open wound. The Greek people have just torn it off," he commented.

"We will see in the coming days how Greece's creditors react but it would require the mother of all political fudges to give substantially more than they have already. Other eurozone countries have voters and taxpayers to consider too," he added.

"If the Greek people can take advantage of devaluation to become a more attractive destination for investment and tourism then the least worst option may now to be for Greece to leave the euro," the ECR chairman stated. "However, if they simply wait for a better offer, this would not solve their long term problems."

Liberals and Democrats group leader Guy Verhofstadt said Tsipras might have won the referendum at home, but had "lost his credibility" in the rest of Europe.

"He (Tsipras) has to understand that money for nothing only exists in songs," said Verhofstadt. "This rejection will create a lot of uncertainty and could even lead to an unwanted Grexit. It's now up to Tsipras to show that he is serious about wanting to stay in the eurozone. He has to propose a credible reform and reimbursement package. If he does, European leaders should give him another chance."

The Greek crisis will be debated by the EP in Strasbourg on Tuesday afternoon.