Photo: HuffPost Greece
Unfuck Greece: Η πλατεία Συντάγματος και οι πορείες της Αθήνας στις συναυλίες των U2
10 million Greeks had the ability to vote. Over 61% voted NO, under 40% yes.
Ivar Jørdre
Thousands of No supporters have hit the streets of Athens tonight to celebrate:
Photograph: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters
Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, after telling reporters that “today’s No is a big yes to democratic Europe”. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images
Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has praised Greeks for the ‘brave decision’ to reject the bailout package proposed by lenders, calling it a “big yes for democratic Europe’.
And labour minister Panos Skourletis has said Greece now has a very strong card to use to negotiate a better deal.
But the news has already been badly received in Germany. Vice-chancellor and social democratic leader, Sigmar Gabriel has warned it is hard to see how Greece can now negotiate a third bailout.
These comments tells us that the optimism by the Syriza-led government are real, in big contrast to the trembling and disappointed political elites of EU.
Greece has delivered a dramatic, unexpected and sensational rejection of the terms demanded by its creditors in return for aid, putting itself closer to leaving the Euro?
With more than three quarters of votes counted, around 62% of Greeks have voted No, or Oxi – stunning the eurozone, and opening up another chapter in this long crisis. The referendum ended with 61.31%!
“This is not a protest. It is a celebration to overcome fear and blackmail,” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told a crowd of 25,000, Saturday 4th of July. Photo from mercopress
Alexis Tsipras greeted the result telling the nation in a televised address Sunday night that that the Greek people had made a very “bold choice”.
“Greek people today gave an answer to [the question of] what Europe we want? And what we want is a Europe of solidarity,” he said adding that he would relaunch negotiations with creditors immediately.
“I want to thank each and every one of you …. I want also to thank the thousands of European citizens who have shown practicably what solidarity means.”
That’s a reference to the thousands who have demonstrated in support of Greece abroad.
Tsipras added:
“We all know that easy solutions don’t exist but just solutions exist”
“Today we are celebrating the victory of democracy, tomorrow the hard work begins,” he said, revealing that he would ask the president of the republic to convene a meeting of the country’s entire political leadership so that he could hear their views about how best to negotiate the country’s way of the crisis.
A motorcylist with his passenger holding a Greek flag passes in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens. Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images
Source: theguardian
