MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the lawmaker, a potential Greek exit from the eurozone would be much more painful for the European monetary union than for Athens.
Addressing the assertion that a Grexit would be suicidal for the country, Samoilis said, "I don't agree with this view. I don’t think anything other than the continuation of austerity policies is suicidal for Greece."
If Greece's creditors insist on unsustainable policies bringing more people to the brink of poverty, the government will explore other options and "democratically decide which way to go forward," Samoilis added.
Athens and the three main lenders seek to find the solution to the Greek debt crisis prior to the June 30 expiration of the 2011 bailout program.
Greece and its lenders have so far refused to accept each other's proposals on unlocking additional aid in exchange for economic reforms and austerity measures, in order to avoid default and a possible exit from the eurozone. The latest talks on the issue took place on Thursday and failed to bring results.
