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Tsipras has caused a disaster - German lawmaker

Berlin - Senior German conservative Michael Fuchs told Reuters on Sunday that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had caused a "disaster" after referendum results showed the country has rejected eurozone bailout terms.

"I very much regret the result," Fuchs said by telephone.

"Tsipras has caused a disaster and must see how to pick up the pieces. There is no chance that a solution will be achieved within 48 hours," said Fuchs, who has long had reservations about bailouts for Greece.

A more moderate German conservative, Julia Kloeckner, said in a statement that Tsipras should not think he could put Germany and Europe under pressure with the referendum result but stopped short of calling for a Greek exit from the eurozone.

Meanwhile, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the Tagesspiegel daily that it was hard to imagine talks on a new bailout programme with Greece after the country clearly rejected bailout terms in a referendum.

"With the rejection of the rules of the eurozone ... negotiations about a programme worth billions are barely conceivable," said Gabriel, leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) who share power with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

"Tsipras and his government are leading the Greek people on a path of bitter abandonment and hopelessness," he said, adding Tsipras had "torn down the last bridges on which Greece and Europe could have moved towards a compromise".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a phone call with French President Francois Hollande on Sunday night that a eurozone leaders' summit should be held on Tuesday, a German government spokesperson said.

The chancellor and president also agreed that the referendum result should be respected, said the spokesman. France's Elysee Palace confirmed the leaders want a summit on Tuesday after European Council President Donald Tusk called for a eurozone summit.

"I have called a EuroSummit Tuesday evening at 18:00 (1600 GMT) to discuss situation after referendum in Greece," Tusk said on Twitter.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will hold a conference call with Tusk, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on the Greek situation on Monday morning, the Commission said.







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