EU and other officials have offered mixed reactions after a major victory for the NO vote in the Greek referendum, which is at more than 61% , with 70% of the votes counted. The first reactions from the German government show discontent with the outcome. Social Democrat (SPD) leader, Economy Minister, and Vice Chancellor of Germany Sigmar Gabriel, expressed his frustration with Tsipras’s administration to Tagesspiegel Daily saying “he could not conceive of further negotiations after the Greek people rejected the rules of the Eurozone.” He further accused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of tearing down “the last bridges on which Greece and Europe could have moved towards a compromise” “Tsipras and his government are leading the Greek people on a path of bitter abandonment and hopelessness,” Gabriel added. According to the Associated Press, Johan Van Overtveld, Belgium’s Finance Minister said that the result “complicates” matters but added that negotiations on Greece’s future will still take place. Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan released a series of tweets on Sunday, which even though they did not directly reference Greece, addressed Europe’s future and favor future talks. “Italy has always worked for a more united and integrated Europe. It was true yesterday and it is true tomorrow” he wrote. “Reforms and investments are the key to return to sustainable growth in all countries” he added. On the other hand, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Likhachev was much more straightforward with his thoughts, saying that Sunday’s result is “a step toward an exit from the Eurozone” according to TASS news agency. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the referendum outcome without taking a direct position on the effects it could have on negotiations, but stressing the importance of the vote. “Unequivocal Greek vote cannot be taken lightly. Carries consequences for Greece, people in creditor countries and for the European project,” he wrote and added that the “Greek government protected its people’s interest in a way it deemed best. People in creditor countries expect their representatives to protect theirs and Euro’s interest too.” Comments on Sunday’s Greek vote even came from Cuba with Fidel Castro, the country’s leader from 1959 to 2008, tweeting the results.
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