Dubai: A resounding 61 per cent referendum vote by Greece rejecting on Sunday a bailout package from European Union (EU) creditors echoes strong sentiments for some Greek expatriates living in Dubai.
Following years of severe financial constraints via strict austerity measures, struggling citizens in Greece are desperate for solutions and voted with their conscience, expats here said.
Greece Prime Minister Alexi Tsipras said the solid majority vote now gives him more clout to bargain for better debt concessions but financial analysts have warned that financial default by Greece may lead to a so-called “Grexit” with the country leaving the European Union.
Greek expats here said the referendum no-vote is not a vote to leave the EU.
Evangelia Pistipirigkou, 28, an assistant restaurant manager living in Dubai for five years, said people in her country are tired of struggling and want a solution, not to leave the EU.
“To be honest, there are people in Greece who are suffering including my family. They wanted to stand up,” said Pistipirigkou, a native of Athens. “They are frustrated, they want a solution.”
She said expats in the UAE could not vote in the referendum but she followed it closely in recent days leading up to the historic vote.
“The thing is, what will happen next, will the EU give us a solution to help the country?”
Rania Katsigianni, 30, works in public relations in Dubai and has never given up hope for her country in the four years she has lived abroad.
“The result gives me hope for the future because the Greek people have given a message to the EU that it’s not just about economics. It doesn’t mean we don’t want to be part of the EU, it means we can’t take anymore. The unemployment level among young people is up to 60 per cent. Greece used to have one of the lowest suicide rates in Europe, now we have two a day,” said the Athens native.
Semina Markopoulou, 28, is an operations manager at an Airbus service centre in Dubai and believes the vote reflected accurately the people’s voice despite what she called erroneous media reporting that led many to believe the vote was about leaving the EU, not about rejecting debt concessions.
“All of us want to be in the EU, but we want the solidarity of the union,” said Markopoulou. “Each country in the union should be equal but I feel Greece hasn’t been respected in the recent years.”
