Greece: SYRIZA hopes before referendum on better offer – SPIEGEL ONLINE

A quick overview

This is happening:

• The Euro Group intends to phase out the aid program for Greece.
• The stop of payments is a response to the announcement of Greece’s Prime Minister Tsipras, the Greeks in a referendum held on. 5 July vote on the austerity package to leave. His party wants to ask voters to “no” to vote with.
• The Parliament in Athens approved the holding of a referendum. Whether it ever comes to that, is uncertain – the payments to Greece are already out on the night of June 30th

Alexis Tsipras has got his way.. After a heated marathon session that lasted more than 14 hours, the Parliament has decided a referendum on the proposed reform package of Greece’s financial backers. The referendum will take place in one week, on July 5. But even if Tsipras’ Syriza MPs made a good face, many of them still hope that Europe puts an improved offer on the table – so that they can take back to their own proposal.

The escalation began with a dramatic cabinet meeting after Tsipras’ return from the EU summit in Brussels. Tsipras was “determined and angry” was reported a member of the government after the meeting. The Premier was pushed and forced during the EU summit in the corner to go beyond all of his pre-drawn “red lines”. He had few allies in Brussels.

Only euphoria, then disillusionment

And at home waiting for him more determined resistance from backbenchers from his own party. There Tsipras appeared to be a good way to put the decision into the hands of the people.

Early Saturday morning, the Greek Prime Minister directed in a televised address to the nation. Tsipras announced his desire for a referendum.

First of all, then euphoria was spreading at Syriza. With a single move Tsipras prevented a confrontation with his own party and remained his promise faithfully to sign no agreement that commits the austerity

But Tsipras playing with a high level of commitment. As the Greeks the scope of the message realized they stormed the ATMs, supermarkets and petrol stations. Hours later had to Giani Varoufakis of his counterparts from the euro zone then also be told that there would be no extension of the current aid program until the referendum.

The ECB could decide already on Sunday that the Greek banks not starting Wednesday get fresh money more when the current, already extended assistance program expires. Although senior Syriza government members say that the ECB would cut off Greece hardly the air – the prospect of capital controls is very concrete and intimidating.

In the meantime has returned disillusionment with Syriza MPs and government members. You are the risks become aware of.

The party is currently undergoing the final stage of a dramatic transformation process. Its supporters have lost faith in being able to radically change and Europe by storm. They no longer believe in a magic solution. Russia will not help them. Moscow has not even lifted a ban on imports of Greek apricots.

It is hard not to find Syriza MPs and ministers sympathetic. Most of them are familiar with the life of the average Greek. They wear simple clothes, you can easily talk to them, and they sound sincere when they say that they would never have expected that Europe is so strict with them.

“Europe wants Syriza not. They do not like us, even though we are a pro-European, essentially social-democratic party,” said a member of the Cabinet. You have most of their lives appended socialist ideals and believed in progress. But most of them had little government experience.

And now they suddenly hold the fate of a nation, if not an entire continent, in their hands. All militant statements can not gloss over their fear. Some hope that Europe still stretched out their arms and making an improved offer.

Other reject a compromise because they believe that Greece is better off without the euro. “That’s a big world. Greece will succeed with or without the euro,” said a supporter of this view. But they also see that the road is difficult to go.

The Greeks are the majority of the euro

And the opposition? The pro-euro parties see in the referendum a chance for resurrection. After they had vastly lost the elections in January, they were caught in inner-party struggles. The Socialist Pasok exchanged their boss. The chairman of the conservative New Democracy, Tsipras’ predecessor Antonis Samaras, was under pressure to abandon his post. Now they can present their parties suddenly as guarantors that Greece keeps the euro and remains anchored in the West.

You have a good chance to win the referendum. The Greeks are still the majority of the euro.

If there will be a referendum at all. Some experts doubt that it organized in a week and a deal with Europe can be closed in injury time. Logistically it’s a nightmare.

Now what comes up to Greece? A senior minister gave a disarming answer: “No one knows.” There a plan B? “I hope so.” And with him the rest of the EU.