The Greeks said No – but to what exactly? | Mary Dejevsky
You can ignore what a government says, but you can't ignore the voice of the nation. So said Alexis Tsipras when he went to cast his referendum vote today. It was a comment worthy of the prime minister of the country that gave the world democracy. What exactly the voters have said, however, might not be quite as clear as he would have liked.
Through the evening, as the evidence mounted for a No vote - which, in the confusing world of current Greek politics, was essentially a Yes for the stance taken by Tsipras in the talks with EU and international institutions so far - it was possible to sense the trepidation that has gripped the rest of Europe for the past week mounting too. Within an hour of the polls closing, the French president and German chancellor announced they would be meeting in Paris on Monday , the choice of venue being the more diplomatic option, given Greek sensitivities. George Osborne had earlier sown concern where there had seemed to be none, by telling the BBC that no country was immune to the Greek debt crisis, including the UK.
Continue reading...