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Eurozone Leaders Wanted to Overthrow Tsipras – Greek Defense Minister

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1020203931Sputniknews Report, During Sunday’s Eurozone summit, Greek Prime Minister faced attempts by a number of EU leaders to overthrow him, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said Monday, following a meeting with Alexis Tsipras.

ATHENS (Sputnik) — Kammenos said that Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltic countries tried to exert pressure on Tsipras.

“Tsipras was threatened with bank collapse and complete ‘haircuts’ of bank deposits in the predawn hours already,” Kammenos, who is also president of The Independent Greeks (ANEL) political party, said. Kammenos said that ANEL would not support the agreement with Greece’s creditors but would stay in the Syriza-led ruling coalition.Greece, which was among the countries hit worst by the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, is struggling to repay $270 billion owed to its main creditors — the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and some Eurozone countries.

“We do not agree with the creditors’ proposals. We cannot agree with them,” Kammenos said. In a July 5 referendum, Greek voters rejected the lenders-proposed bailout plan. On July 9, the Greek government presented a bailout program of its own.

On Monday morning, following marathon talks, the leaders of the Eurozone reached an agreement on a new bailout package for Greece.

Earlier on Monday, a member of the European Parliament from the Spanish European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) party, Marina Albiol said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and some other heads of state and finance ministers of Eurozone countries tried to make Tsipras resign as revenge for holding the bailout referendum.