Government spokesman Yiorgos Petalotis on Wednesday ruled out scenarios that Greece might quit the eurozone and return to the drachma, saying that such an outcome would be a "major blow" to the country.

Stressing that the country's future "lies in the euro", Petalotis said that the government was "making decisions and waging a battle" so that such scenarios would not prevail and lead to a lower standard of living for Greeks.

"The aim is to ensure the country's future in the eurozone," he underlined, adding that the only safe course for the country was to push through the decisions for the major changes that were needed and that it was not danger-mongering to say that the 5th installment of the loans to Greece was now at risk.

The spokesman insisted that there were margins for consensus between the political forces and that the demand for national understanding was even greater at this time. He stressed that Greece's political forces must in this way show, both at home and to their European partners, that they are aware of the critical situation of the country and responding to it.

According to Petalotis, the talks held between the political party leader and Prime Minister George Papandreou on Tuesday seemed to indicate that these conditions existed, regardless of the statements made by each party leader afterward.