This was Greece’s first referendum in nearly five decades giving a surprisingly unanimous result as every area of Greece voted to reject the creditors’ proposals.
Even though more than 40 per cent of Greeks eligible to vote abstained from the procedure, the overwhelming ‘OXI’ reply came amid turmoil over severe restrictions on financial transactions.
Thousands of citizens celebrated in Syntagma the Greek people’s refusal to accept strict fiscal-austerity measures in exchange for desperately needed bailout money.
Meanwhile, early trading in Asian and Australian markets shows stock indexes are free-falling.
“It’s frightening. I can’t be optimistic about anything anymore,” Asheigh Sarantis, a 34-year-old travel agent living in Greece told Neos Kosmos.
“I voted ‘yes’, while the rest of my family voted ‘no’. They are old and tired but I worry for my feature.”
Sarantis relocated back to Athens after living most of her life in Darwin. She and her Greek national husband, Pavlos Sarantis opened a travel agency six years ago.
“Greece is a paradise, it’s a shame. We struggled to make our business work and we have been through a lot to be able to run our agency,” she said.
“We wanted to have children but this uncertainty, the fears that we might exit the euro and regress as a country are affecting us. I am seriously considering to return to Australia.”
Mandy Foundoulaki, 20, an aspiring Greek Australian photographer, is also alarmed.
“My brother and cousins are in Australia and I’ve been contemplating whether I too should move there over the last year” she said.
“I am sceptical and extremely worried of what will happen in the next days. I can relate to the people’s frustration and anger but if there is no agreement we are doomed.”
Fotis Kontoyannis, 38, McArthurGlen Designer Outlets’ store manager in Athens, also returned to Greece 10 months ago after working in Australia for nearly 4 years.
“What I had missed, living in Australia, due to the visa restrictions, was freedom to travel and work around the country,” Kontoyannis said.
“I returned back home, even though I was offered a chance to stay in Australia, to enjoy that given privilege, of being a European citizen.”
When thinking that he might be deprived of that freedom caught up in a political game at the forefront of a financial war he starts questioning his decision, however, he is “trying to make the best out of this adrenaline high.”
Fotini Chora, 28, moved to Berlin due to the crisis, in order to study and work as a photographer. Fotini is both proud and relieved upon hearing the result of her country’s vote.
“At this point it is impossible to pay back this debt, Greeks are staunch and needed to make a brave decision,” she mussed.
“I am glad I was wrong when I left Greece three years ago convinced there was no hope.”
“The clock is ticking in reverse for me; I’m optimistic and want to return to my country. Germans are panicking because they can’t afford a Grexit.”
Ange Sklavounos on the other hand, a 40-year-old marketing manager, currently living and working in Belgium is not sharing Fotini’s feelings. He believes Greece is suffering a brain drain, as most highly educated and creative citizens are leaving the country.
“Tsipras stated that ‘Greeks proved democracy won’t be blackmailed,’ but that is a joke. Most people I know are looking for job opportunities in other countries” Sklavounos said.
“The Greek economy, will need years of reforms and austerity measures in order to recover, which I doubt will happen. Europe is laughing at us.”