Greece...

mayonnaise

Graham_Devon wrote: »

And now it looks like Tsipras may well call off the referendum.

Yes, I told you so, almost 2 hours ago.

mayonnaise wrote: »

No referendum then.

Please keep up eh.

Graham_Devon

mayonnaise wrote: »

Yes, I told you so, almost 2 hours ago.

Please keep up eh.

Maybe not in the way we assumed though.

The Council of Europe now states that the referendum falls short of International Standards.

I would assume, therefore, that, if the will is there, they can refuse to allow it to go ahead.

To be fair, this statement could benefit the Greek government as much as the EU. Easy way out of the referendum for all.

[Deleted User]

Both the Greeks and the Germans are losing face. Bring it on!

Thrugelmir

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Maybe not in the way we assumed though.

The Council of Europe now states that the referendum falls short of International Standards.

I would assume, therefore, that, if the will is there, they can refuse to allow it to go ahead.

To be fair, this statement could benefit the Greek government as much as the EU. Easy way out of the referendum for all.

Unlikely to go ahead on Sunday. As the Greek Government can't comply with it's own laws under which referendums are held.

What powers do the Council of Europe hold over Greek internal matters?

Graham_Devon

Thrugelmir wrote: »

What powers do the Council of Europe hold over Greek internal matters?

When I said "they" I should have said "someone". Whether that be the EU or Greece.

A bit of explanation has come out now from the Council of Europe.

The referendums first failing is that referendums should be granted with TWO weeks notice.

The second is that there is confussion surrounding whether the referendum means opting out of the EU or not.

With the first, I guess that's an error on Greece's part. Obviously though the pressure for a quick turnaround was immense.

The second issue I'm not sure relates to the actual question, more what's come from France & Germany with their insistence on suggesting it's a question of whether to stay in Europe or not. So looks like their statements won out there.

antrobus

Thrugelmir wrote: »

...What powers do the Council of Europe hold over Greek internal matters?

None at all, I believe.

Except that the ECHR is one of their institutions, and I imagine it's possible that some Greek might bring a case before it on the basis that their human rights had been violated by the referendum in some way.

Not sure what difference it would make if the ECHR was obliged to make a ruling on the issue, though.

wotsthat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

When I said "they" I should have said "someone". Whether that be the EU or Greece.

A bit of explanation has come out now from the Council of Europe.

The referendums first failing is that referendums should be granted with TWO weeks notice.

The second is that there is confussion surrounding whether the referendum means opting out of the EU or not.

With the first, I guess that's an error on Greece's part. Obviously though the pressure for a quick turnaround was immense.

The second issue I'm not sure relates to the actual question, more what's come from France & Germany with their insistence on suggesting it's a question of whether to stay in Europe or not. So looks like their statements won out there.

It was blindingly obvious that the question caused some confusion - it was meant to.

It's moot anyway. The referendum won't take place because Tsipras has made the mother of about faces and decided he's now willing to accept the terms instead of putting them to a referendum and recommending they be rejected.

purch

Thrugelmir wrote: »

What powers do the Council of Europe hold over Greek internal matters?

The shape of the bananas they can sell.................................errrr not much else.

Graham_Devon

wotsthat wrote: »

It was blindingly obvious that the question caused some confusion - it was meant to.

It's moot anyway. The referendum won't take place because Tsipras has made the mother of about faces and decided he's now willing to accept the terms instead of putting them to a referendum and recommending they be rejected.

There are no terms to accept. So it definately is moot!

The EU (or at least the German part of it!) has made it clear that there is no deal to be had or negotiated on at the moment. The deadline of the last deal and the terms therein have passed.

Any negotiations would need a new deal drawing up. Merkels or Wolfgang's earlier on (or both, can't remember exactly).

That deal could have new terms within it. Presumably I guess it depends on how difficult they want to be.

Was also talked about a couple of days ago when Junker suggested if they don't take the deal by the deadline, the deal will no longer be offered, therefore no point having a referendum on it.

All the fuss is now over the referendum, but in reality, there is no deal now. A new deal could have anything within it and were back to square one.

Graham_Devon

Finally some sense aimed at Germany and Greece.

[Hollande] said it was the duty of other euro zone countries as well as Greece to keep the country in the single currency area, adding that now was not the time for vetoes or “intransigent statements” but for dialogue.

“It is our duty to keep Greece in the euro zone. That depends on Greece ... But it also depends on us. As a European I don’t want the dislocation of the euro zone, I am not into intransigent comments, into brutal rifts,” Hollande said.