Greek banks down to €500m in cash reserves as economy crashes

The vote was originally intended to secure a stronger negotiating mandate for a showdown with Europe, but it is rapidly turning into an 'in-or-out' decision on euro membership

Picture: AFP

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, in Athens
7:20PM BST 02 Jul 2015

The daily allowance of cash from many ATM machines has already dropped from €60 to €50, purportedly because €20 notes are running out

Greece is sliding into a full-blown national crisis as the final cash reserves of the banking system evaporate by the hour and swathes of industry start to shut down, precipitating the near disintegration of the ruling coalition. 

Business leaders have been locked in talks with the Bank of Greece, pleading for the immediate release of emergency liquidity funds (ELA) to cover food imports and pharmaceutical goods before the tourist sector hits a brick wall. 

Officials say the central bank will release the funds as soon as Friday, but this is a stop-gap measure at best. "We are on a war footing in this country," said Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister. 

• Greece needs another €50bn and massive debt relief, admits IMF