PRESIDENT of Spain Mariano Rajoy has called another urgent meeting for this morning (Monday) in light of Greece's 'no' vote to ascertain whether it will have any negative consequences for other European member States.
The Commission for Economic Affairs, comprising the ministries of the treasury, employment, economy, public works and infrastructure, industry, agriculture and the secretaries of State for the treasury and the economy will discuss any possible impact on Spain and what steps to take ahead of any problems.
Rajoy had been staunchly defending the 'yes', or nai vote, as had his direct rival, socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, although head of independent party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, championed the 'no' or oxi vote and congratulated the people of Greece, over six in 10 of whom rejected the EU's debt proposals, on Twitter.
Iglesias had previously said the Troika's insistence on cutting salaries and pensions, increasing taxes including IVA, and making redundancies cheaper or even free was a form of 'financial terrorism'.
The Greeks themselves point out that seven years ago, people begging in the street was something they only saw abroad and which horrified them, but that now, it is a common sight in their own towns.
They say their lax attitude to filing tax returns and paying tax was because it was so high that they could not afford to and it was stifling them.
But Greece has come under fire for fat pensions for very early-retired workers as well as its failure to clamp down on non-payment of taxes.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com