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| Greeks resigned to bailout plan despite voting against austerity | Greeks resigned to bailout plan despite voting against austerity |
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| Greeks who turned out in their millions to reject austerity last week seemed more resigned than angry on Friday about the government’s punishing last-minute offer to its creditors of €13bn of cuts and savings. | |
| Many of those who backed him in Sunday’s referendum said the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, had had little choice if he wanted to avoid presiding over his country’s painful exit from the euro. The strong no vote, they said, may at least have paved the way for some debt relief. | Many of those who backed him in Sunday’s referendum said the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, had had little choice if he wanted to avoid presiding over his country’s painful exit from the euro. The strong no vote, they said, may at least have paved the way for some debt relief. |
| “I still trust Tsipras,” said Socrates Lutas on Friday, a former telecoms worker who has been unemployed for three years. “He made an effort, and if he didn’t come up with this agreement we would have to leave the euro. In the future maybe there will be a restructuring of the debt.” | |
| After nearly two weeks with banks closed, a ban on spending money overseas and tight daily caps on ATM withdrawals, the economy has been grinding to a halt and many districts of Athens have had the subdued air of a city emptied in preparation for storms or other forecast disasters. | After nearly two weeks with banks closed, a ban on spending money overseas and tight daily caps on ATM withdrawals, the economy has been grinding to a halt and many districts of Athens have had the subdued air of a city emptied in preparation for storms or other forecast disasters. |
| Supplies of everything from medicine to cigarettes have been disrupted, and some newspapers have warned they might have to stop publishing because they are running out of paper to print on. | Supplies of everything from medicine to cigarettes have been disrupted, and some newspapers have warned they might have to stop publishing because they are running out of paper to print on. |
| So although no one would go as far as saying they were happy about the proposals, there was widespread relief that the government had made a credible offer to stave off the much-feared “Grexit” from the common European currency. | So although no one would go as far as saying they were happy about the proposals, there was widespread relief that the government had made a credible offer to stave off the much-feared “Grexit” from the common European currency. |
| “This was a necessary evil,” said Alexandra Galani, a 25-year-old just coming off her morning shift at a bakery in north Athens. “It would be a disaster to return to the drachma, not even our grandchildren would have enough to eat.” | “This was a necessary evil,” said Alexandra Galani, a 25-year-old just coming off her morning shift at a bakery in north Athens. “It would be a disaster to return to the drachma, not even our grandchildren would have enough to eat.” |
| Some Greeks were even quietly optimistic that, because Tsipras has a clear mandate from his country, a long-term deal could mark the lowest point of a slow, painful decline. | Some Greeks were even quietly optimistic that, because Tsipras has a clear mandate from his country, a long-term deal could mark the lowest point of a slow, painful decline. |
| “This area used to be very lively, people were outside having a stroll, going for a drink, buying flowers, but in the last few years things have just been getting worse and worse,” said Nikos Aggelakis, a 70-year-old who has run a corner shop in the same place for more than four decades. | “This area used to be very lively, people were outside having a stroll, going for a drink, buying flowers, but in the last few years things have just been getting worse and worse,” said Nikos Aggelakis, a 70-year-old who has run a corner shop in the same place for more than four decades. |
| The recent years have been the worst since the oppressive military dictatorship of the 1960s, he added. “Tsipras didn’t have any choice, it reached the point where Greeks were suffering in such numbers that either he had to agree, or the Greek economy would be destroyed.” | The recent years have been the worst since the oppressive military dictatorship of the 1960s, he added. “Tsipras didn’t have any choice, it reached the point where Greeks were suffering in such numbers that either he had to agree, or the Greek economy would be destroyed.” |
| In Greece’s northern second city, Thessaloniki, where younger Greeks mainly voted no in Sunday’s referendum on a bailout deal, many people in their 20s have come to see themselves as a kind of lost generation whose adult lives have been dominated by austerity. | In Greece’s northern second city, Thessaloniki, where younger Greeks mainly voted no in Sunday’s referendum on a bailout deal, many people in their 20s have come to see themselves as a kind of lost generation whose adult lives have been dominated by austerity. |
| With nearly two-thirds of young people unemployed and with few job prospects, many face an indefinite future living off parents and other relatives. They turned out in force for the referendum, and many voters said they still felt there was much to play for in Brussels before a deal was fixed. | With nearly two-thirds of young people unemployed and with few job prospects, many face an indefinite future living off parents and other relatives. They turned out in force for the referendum, and many voters said they still felt there was much to play for in Brussels before a deal was fixed. |
| “The no vote was a way for Greeks to express their feelings to Europe, there’s a certain happiness that the no vote has been heard,” said Christos, 27, who has a masters degree in transport engineering but feels lucky to have a job in a coffee-shop, when many classmates are unemployed. | “The no vote was a way for Greeks to express their feelings to Europe, there’s a certain happiness that the no vote has been heard,” said Christos, 27, who has a masters degree in transport engineering but feels lucky to have a job in a coffee-shop, when many classmates are unemployed. |
| “It seems there has been an understanding that more should be put on the table for Greece, in the form of debt relief. There has been progress.” | “It seems there has been an understanding that more should be put on the table for Greece, in the form of debt relief. There has been progress.” |
| Valentine, 26, who runs a retro vintage clothing shop that sells clothes by the kilo, said she was convinced the government was still negotiating behind the scenes, and it would take some days to show whether a deal could be made. | Valentine, 26, who runs a retro vintage clothing shop that sells clothes by the kilo, said she was convinced the government was still negotiating behind the scenes, and it would take some days to show whether a deal could be made. |
| “I trust Tspiras, even if some people don’t,” she said. “We always knew, whatever the referendum result, that it would be difficult whatever happens. We had never forgotten that.” | “I trust Tspiras, even if some people don’t,” she said. “We always knew, whatever the referendum result, that it would be difficult whatever happens. We had never forgotten that.” |
| Among those who voted yes, there was some frustration that Tsipras had not accepted earlier reform packages, much more modest than €13bn offer now presented by the government. | Among those who voted yes, there was some frustration that Tsipras had not accepted earlier reform packages, much more modest than €13bn offer now presented by the government. |
| “If you compare it with previous proposals it’s not good,” said retired admiral Droussoulakis Spiros. “But if you say no, there is only chaos ... you have to examine (this) in comparison with the alternative.” | “If you compare it with previous proposals it’s not good,” said retired admiral Droussoulakis Spiros. “But if you say no, there is only chaos ... you have to examine (this) in comparison with the alternative.” |