World Officials React to Greek Call for Referendum

Wall Street Journal
November 1, 2011

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's call for a referendum on a bailout package for his country caught world officials by surprise. Coming ahead of the gathering of the Group of 20 in Cannes at the end of the week, the announcement will likely put Greece and the fallout for the euro zone at the top of the agenda.

Here are some of the reactions to the announcement from officials around the world:

--The Greek government's move is a "roll of the dice" that could destabilize financial markets, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said. "If it fails, it's going to be a mess."

--White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Greece's call for a referendum "just reinforces the notion" that the euro zone needs to implement the bailout package rapidly.

--"[Mr.]Papandreou, who had never mentioned the hypothesis of a referendum throughout the negotiations, has made a decision that looks irresponsible in the current situation, because it could take Europe down the cliff it has managed to escape until now." said Sébastien Huyghe, a senior official in Mr. Sarkozy's ruling Union for a Popular Movement party.

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