Greece’s PM faces calls from his party to resign over bailout referendum
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou addresses a press conference at the end of a summit of the EU heads of State on June 24, 2011 in Brussels.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is facing calls from prominent members of his ruling party to resign, according to a report by state-run Athens News Agency.
Bloomberg says six senior members of Papandreou's center-left Pasok party have called for him to step down, citing the ANA report.
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The six members of the Pasok national council reportedly sent a joint letter to Papandreou saying that Greece needs a government with political legitimacy.
"The country urgently needs a politically legitimate government, a plan for a national revival," ANA quoted the letter as saying, according to Reuters.
The call to resign comes a day after Papandreou said there would be a referendum on the proposed second EU bailout deal, the BBC notes.
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Papandreou's call for a referendum is considered risky because failure by Greeks to approve the bailout may push the country into default. It is also likely to rattle investors and European governments.
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