Greece's finance minister vows to resign if Greeks vote for a bailout Sunday

yanis varoufakis
(Image credit: Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

As the battle for Greek votes heats up ahead of the country's crucial weekend referendum, Greece's Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has vowed to resign from his position if the Greek people vote 'yes' on Sunday to accept strict austerity measures that would come with a bailout deal. Both Varoufakis and Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras are pulling for Greeks to vote 'no,' in hopes that they can avoid giving into European creditors' demands and gain more leverage in negotiating a third bailout program.

In Varouakis' opinion, which he expressed in a Thursday interview with Bloomberg TV, a 'yes' vote on Sunday would mean signing a new "extend and pretend" agreement that does not actually correct past mistakes or tackle issues such as debt sustainability.

Others, such as former Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, are urging the Greek people to vote 'yes' for fear that a 'no' vote could lead to a Greek exit from the eurozone, which could throw European economies into disarray. Eurogroup finance ministers decided Wednesday that they will hold off on entering negotiations with Greece until the results of the referendum come out on Sunday.

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