Greece's EU Commissioner urges 'yes' vote in upcoming referendum

Gazzetta team 1 Ιουλίου 2015 - 20:12

Greece's European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, in a message concerning the upcoming referendum on Sunday, underlined that Greece was facing critical choices and decisions about its future and to "ratify our historic decision, more than half a century ago, to join the alliance of European peoples."

He urged voters to cast a 'yes' vote, reaffirming that they were an "integral part of the European structure," and to restore the country's credibility and respect in Europe.

"We are called on to choose based on the country's prospects in an environment of security that will protect our national interests and open paths of prosperity and progress for the people and the nation. This can only happen within Europe," he said.

Defending the European project as a "unique achievement" of peoples that had chosen to overcome a history of past conflict, stressing that Greece's participation was a steady, longlasting guarantee of progress.

He also appealed for unity, despite the extraordinary pressures that the Greek people now had to endure, saying that it was time for the country's "political leaders to lower the party flags and address Greek citizens with calmness and sincerity."

"Whatever the democratic choice of the Greek people might be, the need is clear for a new national negotiation that will be accompanied by a new strategy for reconstructing the country. In a spirit of dynamic consensus and productive cooperation," he said.