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Greek opposition scrambles to mobilise pro-Europe vote in snap referendum Greek opposition scrambles to mobilise pro-Europe vote in snap referendum
(35 minutes later)
OK, they say, so it’s not the best possible deal. Fine, the other side are taking a hard line. But Greece must stay in because outside, calamity awaits.OK, they say, so it’s not the best possible deal. Fine, the other side are taking a hard line. But Greece must stay in because outside, calamity awaits.
Five days from a referendum that many Greeks interpret as asking them to decide whether or not they will accept more austerity as the price of remaining in Europe, the yes camp is starting to ramp up the rhetoric.Five days from a referendum that many Greeks interpret as asking them to decide whether or not they will accept more austerity as the price of remaining in Europe, the yes camp is starting to ramp up the rhetoric.
“Yes, the fiscal measures demanded by the lenders are hard, but we know them, we can deal with them,” Konstantinos Michalos, the respected head of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Tuesday. “The alternative is catastrophe, a situation difficult for man to comprehend.”“Yes, the fiscal measures demanded by the lenders are hard, but we know them, we can deal with them,” Konstantinos Michalos, the respected head of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Tuesday. “The alternative is catastrophe, a situation difficult for man to comprehend.”
With little time to organise a formal campaign, Greece’s main opposition parties have scrambled to mobilise for Sunday’s vote with the backing of a number of Greece’s professional organisations including the chambers of commerce, the bar association and the mayors’ association.With little time to organise a formal campaign, Greece’s main opposition parties have scrambled to mobilise for Sunday’s vote with the backing of a number of Greece’s professional organisations including the chambers of commerce, the bar association and the mayors’ association.
“The message is that we must vote yes to Europe, yes to the euro and yes to continued negotiations with our creditors for an acceptable agreement,” said Kostis Hadzidikis, a former MEP and minister from the centre-right New Democracy party. He said he was speaking out “as and when I can” to make clear to Greek voters that “the real question here is between the euro and the drachma”.“The message is that we must vote yes to Europe, yes to the euro and yes to continued negotiations with our creditors for an acceptable agreement,” said Kostis Hadzidikis, a former MEP and minister from the centre-right New Democracy party. He said he was speaking out “as and when I can” to make clear to Greek voters that “the real question here is between the euro and the drachma”.
“People are worried. The situation is volatile,” he said. “I can only hope that we are not going to commit national suicide. We have to remain part of the European Union; we cannot become a second-class European state.”“People are worried. The situation is volatile,” he said. “I can only hope that we are not going to commit national suicide. We have to remain part of the European Union; we cannot become a second-class European state.”
The yes camp, which has the support of Greece’s wealthiest business and media owners, but also of many older conservative and centre-left voters and an army of young, often internationally educated professionals, will hold a rally on Tuesday evening under the slogan “We’re Staying in Europe”. The yes camp, which has the support of Greece’s wealthiest business and media owners, but also of many older conservative and centre-left voters and an army of young, often internationally educated professionals, will hold a rally on Tuesday evening under the slogan: “We’re Staying in Europe”.
Earlier, the mayors of Athens and Thessaloniki, Giorgos Kaminis and Yiannis Boutaris, who head the recently formed national committee opposed to a Grexit, met the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, and president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, to warn of what they said would be the “catastrophic consequences” of reverting to a national currency.Earlier, the mayors of Athens and Thessaloniki, Giorgos Kaminis and Yiannis Boutaris, who head the recently formed national committee opposed to a Grexit, met the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, and president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, to warn of what they said would be the “catastrophic consequences” of reverting to a national currency.
Their supporters are equally firm. “I believe the future of Greece is aligned with Europe,” said Alex Nikolopoulos, chief operating officer of an online travel agency, which, he said, had seen bookings by Greek customers plummet by 80% since last Friday, after Tsipras called the referendum.Their supporters are equally firm. “I believe the future of Greece is aligned with Europe,” said Alex Nikolopoulos, chief operating officer of an online travel agency, which, he said, had seen bookings by Greek customers plummet by 80% since last Friday, after Tsipras called the referendum.
“We got ourselves into this situation. We have a history of corruption and graft and, unfortunately, one government after the other over the past 40 years has driven us to where we are now,” Nikolopoulos said.“We got ourselves into this situation. We have a history of corruption and graft and, unfortunately, one government after the other over the past 40 years has driven us to where we are now,” Nikolopoulos said.
“But our European partners supported us when we needed it. The terms weren’t perfect; I’d have liked more focus on investment, less on austerity. But we are still way better off staying in the euro on an imperfect deal than leaving.”“But our European partners supported us when we needed it. The terms weren’t perfect; I’d have liked more focus on investment, less on austerity. But we are still way better off staying in the euro on an imperfect deal than leaving.”
Nikolopoulos stressed that although he was not a supporter of Tsipras’s leftist Syriza party, he respected the government’s attempts “to change the terms of the deal. But they’ve now put the country in a very dangerous position.”Nikolopoulos stressed that although he was not a supporter of Tsipras’s leftist Syriza party, he respected the government’s attempts “to change the terms of the deal. But they’ve now put the country in a very dangerous position.”
Anti-austerity voters, who demonstrated outside parliament on Monday night, say that while exiting the euro would certainly be painful, it may be a price worth paying to end the “economic asphyxiation” and “social catastrophe” of cuts and to recover national dignity.Anti-austerity voters, who demonstrated outside parliament on Monday night, say that while exiting the euro would certainly be painful, it may be a price worth paying to end the “economic asphyxiation” and “social catastrophe” of cuts and to recover national dignity.
The yes camp argues that a Grexit – and subsequent return to the drachma – would trigger rampant inflation, mass defaults and bankruptcies, further deprivation and political unrest, and that such a high price is not worth paying.The yes camp argues that a Grexit – and subsequent return to the drachma – would trigger rampant inflation, mass defaults and bankruptcies, further deprivation and political unrest, and that such a high price is not worth paying.
“Many people don’t realise, for example,” said Zoe Kourounakou, in European and international relations for a leading Athens business school, “that voting no doesn’t mean wiping out Greece’s debts. Those debts will still exist, they’ll just be in a heavily devalued national currency and be many, many times more expensive to repay.” “Many people don’t realise, for example,” said Zoe Kourounakou, director of European and international relations for a leading Athens business school, “that voting no doesn’t mean wiping out Greece’s debts. Those debts will still exist, they’ll just be in a heavily devalued national currency and be many, many times more expensive to repay.”
Kourounakou said she would prefer “hard but reasonable and effective measures. The package should ideally be more about growth and development, and about greater efficiencies – much better tax collection, for example.”Kourounakou said she would prefer “hard but reasonable and effective measures. The package should ideally be more about growth and development, and about greater efficiencies – much better tax collection, for example.”
But whatever the deal on offer, she said, Tsipras should never have left the talks. “If you want to negotiate, you have to be in the room,” she said. “Otherwise you negotiate as enemies, not friends. And it’s naive to believe that just because of a referendum, the other leaders will welcome you back.”But whatever the deal on offer, she said, Tsipras should never have left the talks. “If you want to negotiate, you have to be in the room,” she said. “Otherwise you negotiate as enemies, not friends. And it’s naive to believe that just because of a referendum, the other leaders will welcome you back.”
Analysts believe Greek opinion is roughly evenly divided between yes and no, and the debate is becoming increasingly heated. Like many in the yes camp, Spyros Petropoulos, a commercial lawyer, said he resented being branded a “traitor, even a German-lover” by some anti-austerity voters.Analysts believe Greek opinion is roughly evenly divided between yes and no, and the debate is becoming increasingly heated. Like many in the yes camp, Spyros Petropoulos, a commercial lawyer, said he resented being branded a “traitor, even a German-lover” by some anti-austerity voters.
“I’ve worked hard, I’ve worked well, I’ve contributed to what’s left of the economy and I’ve made sure people can be paid their salaries and their pensions,” he said. “I’m proud of that, actually. But I see why people feel so strongly. Greece is suffering and Greece needs change, and there are a lot of people who think radical change is the only answer. You have to respect where they’re coming from.”“I’ve worked hard, I’ve worked well, I’ve contributed to what’s left of the economy and I’ve made sure people can be paid their salaries and their pensions,” he said. “I’m proud of that, actually. But I see why people feel so strongly. Greece is suffering and Greece needs change, and there are a lot of people who think radical change is the only answer. You have to respect where they’re coming from.”
Petropoulos said he believed “firmly that we have to stay in Europe and in the eurozone. This is just so dangerous. This country needs stability, and that’s the reverse of what it’s getting. And going back to the drachma will be far, far harder than anyone thinks. We’ll be like a developing country.”Petropoulos said he believed “firmly that we have to stay in Europe and in the eurozone. This is just so dangerous. This country needs stability, and that’s the reverse of what it’s getting. And going back to the drachma will be far, far harder than anyone thinks. We’ll be like a developing country.”
Most recent polls show a clear – though apparently shrinking – majority of Greeks are eager to stay in the euro but at the same time are reluctant to accept the additional austerity demanded by creditors as the price for continued membership in the bloc.Most recent polls show a clear – though apparently shrinking – majority of Greeks are eager to stay in the euro but at the same time are reluctant to accept the additional austerity demanded by creditors as the price for continued membership in the bloc.
Vasilis Papakonstantinou, a management lecturer, said leaving the euro would be “disastrous, just disastrous. The knock-on effects would be simply terrible. I can understand an unemployed graduate might not see things that way, but I believe Greece would be entering a new era of hardship like we haven’t seen here for nearly a century.”Vasilis Papakonstantinou, a management lecturer, said leaving the euro would be “disastrous, just disastrous. The knock-on effects would be simply terrible. I can understand an unemployed graduate might not see things that way, but I believe Greece would be entering a new era of hardship like we haven’t seen here for nearly a century.”