EU preparing for ‘state of emergency’ after Greek talks collapse

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives at his office in Maximos Mansion for a governmental council in Athens June 15, 2015. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

 

ATHENS/BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s EU commissioner said on Monday it was time to prepare for a “state of emergency” after talks collapsed at the weekend to rescue Greece from default and ejection from the euro.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ignored a litany of pleas from European leaders to act fast and instead blamed creditors for the collapse in aid-for-austerity talks, the biggest setback yet in long-running talks to secure more aid for Greece.

Athens now has just two weeks to find a way out of the impasse before it faces a 1.6 billion euro bill due to the International Monetary Fund, potentially leaving it out of cash, unable to borrow and cast out of the single currency.