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France has been at the forefront of efforts in recent days to try to keep a deal with Greece on track. This was apparently on full display with media reports that French officials were on hand in Athens to help finalise proposals to Greece’s creditors.
BFMTV in France claimed a source had told it that: “A handful of Frenchmen… are manoeuvring by the sides of Greece’s new Finance Minister, Euclid Tsakalotos”.
However, the Élysée Palace told The Independent : “There is absolutely not a French task force there… no one has been sent from Paris.”
Meanwhile, Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President, U-turned on his previous criticism of President François Hollande for being too soft on the Greeks.
He told the TV channel TF1 that he “shared the point of view of Hollande”, adding “everything must be done to find a solution”.
Show all 28 1 /28In pictures: Greek referendum In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum People celebrate in Athens after the first exit-polls of the Greek referendum
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum A "No" supporter flashes a victory sign before a Greek flag atop the parliament in Athens, Greece July 5, 2015.Greeks voted overwhelmingly "No" on Sunday in a historic bailout referendum, partial results showed, defying warnings from across Europe that rejecting new austerity terms for fresh financial aid would set their country on a path out of the euro.
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Supporters of the No vote react after the first results of the referendum at Syntagma square in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Supporters of the No vote wave Greek flags after the referendum's exit polls at Syntagma square in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis casts his vote in the country's referendum
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum A ballot box is emptied by a voting official at the closing of polling stations in Athens, Greece July 5, 2015. Greece voted on Sunday on whether to accept more austerity in exchange for international aid, in a high-stakes referendum likely to determine whether it leaves the euro-currency area after seven years of economic pain.
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum A photographer photographs a man waiting to vote in the referendum at a school in the suburbs of Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greek voters are being asked to choose between backing their creditor's austerity measures or rejecting them
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Tourists walk past posters with slogans that read “OXI“ (NO) and “NAI“ (YES) ahead of the referendum in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Opposition parties to Syriza, including the centre-right New Democracy, are campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Protesters on both sides of the argument ('No' pictured here) have rallied in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has been branded reckless and a feckless liar by EU leaders
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum According to polls which surveyed some 1000 people across the country, 41.5 percent of Greeks would support the new bailout measures to avoid an exit from the Eurozone
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Despite Tsipras's assurances, many Greek people are not certain whether Sunday’s referendum is a vote on whether Greece will remain in the euro or not
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum The Greek and EU flags flutter in front of the ancient Acropolis hill in Athens. The Greek people have been called upon to show “calm and national unity”
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addresses a crowd of 25,000 'No' supporters in Athens' Syntagma Square
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gave a televised address to the nation ahead of the vote. He has called on voters to reject creditors’ proposals for more austerity in return for rescue loans
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Protesters march holding a torn European Union flag during a demonstration for the 'NO' campaign in Thessaloniki
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greek Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has pledged to resign if his country votes “yes” to the bailout plan
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Pensioner wait to get their pensions outside a National Bank of Greece branch in central Athens. Banks only opened for pensioners to allow them to get their pensions, with a limit of 120 euros.
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Protesters attend an anti-austerity pro-government rally in front of the parliament building
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum The possibility of Greece leaving the Eurozone is increasing by the day. Merchandise already exists to accompany the event
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum An elderly man waits to receive his pension outside the closed National Bank of Greece headquarters in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum People stand in a queue to use an ATM outside a closed bank in Athens
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum A banner supporting the NO vote in the upcoming referendum hangs from the offices of the Greek Finance Ministry
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Greeks will be asked whether they accept the austerity terms demanded by the country's creditors
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Eurozone finance ministers expressed disappointment at the Greek decision to hold a referendum on the bailout terms
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In pictures: Greek referendum Greece EU Referendum Alexis Tsipras, the Greek Prime Minister, said bailout conditions had ‘asphyxiated’ his country
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