Greece’s Varoufakis says euro zone “dangerously close” to “accident”


Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on Thursday the euro zone was “dangerously close” to a state of mind “that accepts an accident,” slamming other ministers, whom he said did not want to discuss his proposal to set up an automatic break on the country’s public deficit.

Varoufakis said the “radical proposal” for an independent fiscal council monitoring budget execution, with an automated hard deficit break, was Greece’s “gesture of goodwill to our partners,” to show it is keen to reform.

Asked about the possibility that Greece could leave the euro, he said he did not want to even begin to contemplate it.

Varoufakis said all political leaders had a responsibility to work on finding a solution, adding that Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem was focusing “unfortunately” only on Greece’s responsibilities.

Varoufakis said there was not much time left but that was enough to reach “a mutually beneficial solution.”

Asked what the worst-case scenario would be for Greece, he said: “When Europe’s future is at a critical juncture, we have a duty to work towards a resolution. In this context I don’t want to contemplate catastrophes.”

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