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Confusion Remains as Voting Begins in Greek Referendum Confusion Remains as Voting Begins in Greek Referendum
(about 2 hours later)
ATHENS — Greek voters — angry, tired and scared — went to the polls on Sunday to vote on a high stakes referendum, which could redefine the country’s place in Europe and shake the Continent’s financial stability. ATHENS — Greek voters — angry, tired and scared — went to the polls on Sunday to vote on a high-stakes referendum, which could redefine the country’s place in Europe and shake the Continent’s financial stability.
The poll comes after a week in which voters were barraged with ads that warned that if they did not vote yes, they would soon be without medicine and gasoline.The poll comes after a week in which voters were barraged with ads that warned that if they did not vote yes, they would soon be without medicine and gasoline.
With Greek banks closed, the nightly news was filled with images of retirees lining up to get only a fraction of their monthly pensions.With Greek banks closed, the nightly news was filled with images of retirees lining up to get only a fraction of their monthly pensions.
Yet it was hard for many Greeks to know exactly what they were voting on. The ballot actually asks them only to say yes or no to the terms of a deal with Greece’s creditors, which is no longer even on the table.Yet it was hard for many Greeks to know exactly what they were voting on. The ballot actually asks them only to say yes or no to the terms of a deal with Greece’s creditors, which is no longer even on the table.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece has told them that rejecting the deal will give him more power to negotiate and urged them to do so. But European and opposition leaders have tried to frame the vote as a yes or no to staying in the eurozone and avoiding economic collapse.Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece has told them that rejecting the deal will give him more power to negotiate and urged them to do so. But European and opposition leaders have tried to frame the vote as a yes or no to staying in the eurozone and avoiding economic collapse.
Mr. Tsipras voted late Sunday morning in his working class neighborhood in Athens. Afterward, he said the vote was a “celebration of democracy.” Mr. Tsipras voted late Sunday morning in his working-class neighborhood in Athens. Afterward, he said the vote was a “celebration of democracy.”
“Not only will we remain in Europe,” he said. “but we will live with dignity to prosper, to work as equals among equals.” “Not only will we remain in Europe,” he said, “but we will live with dignity to prosper, to work as equals among equals.”
On a sunny day, voters trickled into polling stations across Greece, often passing tourists in shorts and floppy hats.On a sunny day, voters trickled into polling stations across Greece, often passing tourists in shorts and floppy hats.
For some voters, the week of hardship — they could only withdraw 60 euros, or about $67, a day from A.T.M.’s and already some pharmacists were refusing to fill prescriptions — had only strengthened their sense that Greece needed to stand up for itself. They voted in small booths covered with dark blue cloths and marked paper ballots with a cross. Stacks of blank white ballots were available for those who wished to abstain.
After five years in which unemployment skyrocketed and the country’s economy collapsed by 25 percent, many said that a no vote was at least a vote for hope, the possibility of a new deal, rather than following the mandates of creditors who had failed to set Greece on course to recovery. For some voters, the week of hardship — they could only withdraw 60 euros, or about $67, a day from A.T.M.s, and already some pharmacists were refusing to fill prescriptions — had only strengthened their sense that Greece needed to stand up for itself.
After five years in which unemployment soared and the country’s economy contracted by 25 percent, many said that a no vote was at least a vote for hope, the possibility of a new deal, rather than following the mandates of creditors who had failed to set Greece on a course to recovery.
For others, the hardship only proved that Greece, like it or not, was in the hands of its creditors and could do little but take whatever terms were being offered. In many cases, they blamed Mr. Tsipras’s young government for having returned the country to recession when it had shown small signs of recovery just before the January elections.For others, the hardship only proved that Greece, like it or not, was in the hands of its creditors and could do little but take whatever terms were being offered. In many cases, they blamed Mr. Tsipras’s young government for having returned the country to recession when it had shown small signs of recovery just before the January elections.
At a polling place near the archaeological museum in Athens turnout was low, poll workers said. And people coming out of the voting booths seemed split.At a polling place near the archaeological museum in Athens turnout was low, poll workers said. And people coming out of the voting booths seemed split.
“I voted with my heart and also my mind,” said Marie Triadafillou, who works in transportation logistics and voted yes. “I believe when you are in a union you cannot leave. We say in our country if the sheep leaves the flock it cannot live.”“I voted with my heart and also my mind,” said Marie Triadafillou, who works in transportation logistics and voted yes. “I believe when you are in a union you cannot leave. We say in our country if the sheep leaves the flock it cannot live.”
But others felt that the referendum was not about staying in the eurozone but simply part of the long negotiations between Greece and its creditors, which broke off more than a week ago when a frustrated Mr. Tsipras left Brussels and called for the referendum. Yet others felt that the referendum was not about staying in the eurozone but simply part of the long negotiations between Greece and its creditors, which broke off more than a week ago when a frustrated Mr. Tsipras left Brussels and called for the referendum.
Since then, European officials have refused to negotiate further and to extend a deadline for the last bailout program, triggering a decision by the European Central Bank to cap its emergency support to Greek banks. This forced the government to close the banks for fear of extended bank runs.Since then, European officials have refused to negotiate further and to extend a deadline for the last bailout program, triggering a decision by the European Central Bank to cap its emergency support to Greek banks. This forced the government to close the banks for fear of extended bank runs.
In Greece, the campaigning for the referendum had to stop on Friday by law. But European leaders seemed to continue their efforts over the weekend. In Greece, the campaigning for the referendum was supposed to stop on Friday, by law. But European leaders seemed to continue their efforts over the weekend.
Martin Schulz, the head of the European Parliament, who had offered at one point to come to Greece to campaign for a yes vote, said on Sunday that Greece would need to prepare to operate without the euro and with a parallel currency if there was a no vote on Sunday. While Greece would remain in the euro, “they will have to introduce another currency after the referendum because the euro is not available as a means of payment,” he said in an interview broadcast Sunday on Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio. He added that he hoped the risk of such a change would induce Greeks to vote yes.Martin Schulz, the head of the European Parliament, who had offered at one point to come to Greece to campaign for a yes vote, said on Sunday that Greece would need to prepare to operate without the euro and with a parallel currency if there was a no vote on Sunday. While Greece would remain in the euro, “they will have to introduce another currency after the referendum because the euro is not available as a means of payment,” he said in an interview broadcast Sunday on Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio. He added that he hoped the risk of such a change would induce Greeks to vote yes.
But some European officials seemed eager to calm the waters. The French economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday called on Greece’s creditors to resume political discussions with Athens immediately following the referendum, no matter what the outcome, and warned against punishing Greece in the event of a no vote. But some European officials seemed eager to calm the waters. The French economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday called on Greece’s creditors to resume discussions with Athens immediately after the referendum, no matter the outcome, and warned against punishing Greece in the event of a no vote.
“Even if the no vote prevails, it’s our responsibility not to re-enact a Treaty of Versailles in the eurozone,” he said at an economics conference in Aix-en-Provence, France, referring to the peace treaty at the end of World War I that pushed harsh reparation terms on Germany. “Even if the no vote prevails, it’s our responsibility not to re-enact a Treaty of Versailles in the eurozone,” he said at an economics conference in Aix-en-Provence, France, referring to the peace treaty at the end of World War I that forced harsh reparation terms on a defeated Germany.
He called on the Greek people to take responsibility and realize that “this is not just a vote about Greece, but about the whole eurozone. We need to maintain solidarity.”He called on the Greek people to take responsibility and realize that “this is not just a vote about Greece, but about the whole eurozone. We need to maintain solidarity.”
At a polling station in a middle-class Athens neighborhood, Baizar Tazerian, 76, said she was angered by what she believed had been European interference in the ballot and had just voted to reject the deal in the referendum.At a polling station in a middle-class Athens neighborhood, Baizar Tazerian, 76, said she was angered by what she believed had been European interference in the ballot and had just voted to reject the deal in the referendum.
“No, means that we don’t have to say yes to whatever they are saying,” Ms. Tazerian said.“No, means that we don’t have to say yes to whatever they are saying,” Ms. Tazerian said.
At a polling station in a southern neighborhood of Athens, Pantiotis Andrikopoulos, 33, a student, said he planned to vote no “because I don’t like being blackmailed by the E.U.” He did not buy European arguments that a no vote meant Greeks wanted to leave the eurozone. “I’m for Europe but against the memorandum,” he said as he stood in a long line of people waiting to vote.At a polling station in a southern neighborhood of Athens, Pantiotis Andrikopoulos, 33, a student, said he planned to vote no “because I don’t like being blackmailed by the E.U.” He did not buy European arguments that a no vote meant Greeks wanted to leave the eurozone. “I’m for Europe but against the memorandum,” he said as he stood in a long line of people waiting to vote.
He also wasn’t worried that Greek banks would remain closed in the event of a no vote. “I don’t believe that,” he said. “They’re trying to terrorize people with such talk.”He also wasn’t worried that Greek banks would remain closed in the event of a no vote. “I don’t believe that,” he said. “They’re trying to terrorize people with such talk.”
In Ilisia, a middle-class neighborhood, the poet Titos Patrikios, 87, voted at a school that was surrounded by pink and white oleander.
Mr. Patrikios seemed to embody much of his country’s modern history. As a teenager during World War II, he took part in the resistance against the German occupation. After the civil war, he was imprisoned for his leftist sympathies. And after the military seized power in 1967, he was forced into exile.
Mr. Patrikios said he was voting yes, but urged everyone to vote their own consciences. “I vote yes because the real dilemma is inside or outside of Europe,” Mr. Patrikios said. “In Europe, things are difficult sometimes, they are critical. But outside Europe is the catastrophe. So we have to choose between catastrophe and difficult.”
He added that the most important thing was to avoid pitting Greeks against Greeks, but that he was not too worried: “I suffer from one illness and that is incurable optimism.”
Near the archaeological museum, in the Victoria district, Vasiliki Tsoga, 35, a postdoctoral researcher at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, came to vote with an aunt, Efrosini Tsoga, 86.
The elder Ms. Tsoga said that she was not optimistic regardless of which way the referendum went, because Greece had already reached a desperate point. “Whether yes or no, there’s no exit. We’re at a dead end,” she said. “Without money, how can a community live?”
She said she had been living on loans from her daughter-in-law, and, “I was overcome by anxiety.”
Ippolitos Papantoniou, 55, a businessman, said Greece was being made an example in case other Southern European nations tried to challenge the dictates of the eurozone.
“We are a tiny part of the European Union’s G.D.P.,” Mr. Papantoniou said. “They don’t want to allow a government of the left.
Athanasis Chryssochoidis, 76, a pensioner and a friend of Mr. Papantoniou’s, agreed. “Tsipras and all of them want to negotiate,” Mr. Chryssochoidis said. “But as soon as they said yes to something, the Europeans put up more demands. The issue is that Syriza is a left party and they don’t want such mischief.”
“We’ve reached our limit,” Mr. Chryssochoidis said. “This is not a society of beggars.”
Many said they wished there had been no referendum and some said they would not bother to vote. Over and over, voters on both sides of the issue said they were trying to make what they thought was the best decision for their children.Many said they wished there had been no referendum and some said they would not bother to vote. Over and over, voters on both sides of the issue said they were trying to make what they thought was the best decision for their children.
“It is possible that things will be worse for me,” said one man, who had voted no and was picking up bread at a bakery with his young son. “But in the long run it might be better for him.”“It is possible that things will be worse for me,” said one man, who had voted no and was picking up bread at a bakery with his young son. “But in the long run it might be better for him.”