Athens: All banks and stock markets will stay closed on Monday as Greece weighed drastic banking restrictions to stave off a financial collapse. On Sunday, anxious Greeks emptied cash machines.
Long queues of up to a hundred people formed outside some ATMs in Athens as fears mounted that Greece will be forced to implement capital controls that would restrict withdrawals from its stricken banking system.
“There’s a fear that on Monday, banks will not open, so I take money for the rent (and) the daily expenses,” said a woman, waiting in a line in Athens. Alarm spread after the dramatic breakdown of bailout talks between Athens and its creditors over the weekend and a decision on Sunday by the European Central Bank not to increase its financial support to the Greek banks.
Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and the Greek central bank chief met for an emergency session of the “systemic stability council” as the crisis-weary country prepared for the worst.
