German finance minister says Greeks to decide whether to keep euro

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a newspaper interview Greeks would decide on Sunday whether to keep the euro or do without it, at least for a while, but that the country remained part of the common currency.

"Greece is a member of the euro zone. There's no doubt about that. Whether with the euro or temporarily without it: only the Greeks can answer this question. And it is clear that we will not leave the people in the lurch," Schaeuble told top-selling Bild in an interview.

He also reiterated that the risks of contagion were limited.

"Even if it came to a collapse of some individual banks, the risk of contagion is relatively small," Schaeuble told Bild.

"The markets have reacted with restraint in the last few days. That shows that the problem is manageable."

He said any talks with Greece on an aid-for-reforms deal would be "very difficult" after Sunday's vote but that in a year's time, Europe would be stronger than it was before the Greek crisis..

The euro zone had to wait to see what the Greek government would do after the result of Sunday's referendum, Schaeuble said, but the euro group would consider any new request from Athens to start talks.

Bild, which has long reflected Germans' scepticism about bailouts for Greece, also reported that 89 percent of people taking part in its own online poll said they opposed giving Greece further aid while 11 percent backed more financial help.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Catherine Evans)