Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos voted in the upscale Psychiko district in north-central Athens considered the “diplomatic row” in the Greek capital.
Pavlopoulos, an attorney and veteran politician and minister from the conservative New Democracy party, urged unity in the country regardless of the referendum result.
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, who initiated the midsummer’s plebiscite with a snap announcement — followed by a week of closed banks, capital controls, unprecedented certainty and cancellation of tourists’ bookings, amongst others — greeted international and domestic media with a broad smile as he voted in the “uplands” of central Athens’ Kypseli district.
“Today democracy defeats fear. The determination of our people wins out, it appears, over the propaganda of fear. I am certain that as of tomorrow we will have opened a path for all the peoples of Europe; a path of return to the founding values of democracy and solidarity in Europe, sending a message of strong determination — not only to remain, but to live with dignity in Europe. To improve ourselves, to work as equals,” was his statement. He added:
“Therefore, let us proceed with this strong-willed act; this celebratory act of democracy; an act of determination for a better tomorrow for all of us, for Greece and Europe… I am very optimistic,” he said.
Main opposition New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras voted in his native Pylos, in extreme SW Greece, stressing that “today, Greeks are deciding the fate of the country… We vote yes to Greece, yes to Europe”.
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, whose rightist-populist Independent Greeks’ (AN.EL) party is the junior coalition partner to Greece’s radical leftists, opined that “political analyses that threaten Greeks with closed ATMs and a ‘haircut’ of deposits are baseless … Greeks are not afraid.” He spoke after a week of closed banks and capital controls allowing account holders up to 60 euros a day of their own money.
Kammenos, a previous political cadre of the conservative New Democracy party since his teens before founding his own small right-wing formation, voted in the upscale coastal district of Glyfada.
Centrist Potami (River) party leader Stavros Theodorakis, a newcomer to Greece’s political scene, expressed a hope that the “seed of discord that some thoughtlessly sowed will not bear fruit. We must strengthen Greece’s European course. I hope the prime minister keeps his promise.”
Theodorakis, a well-known local TV presenter and investigative reporter, has emerged as very vocal and passionate pro-Europe proponent.
On her part, newly elected PASOK socialist leader Fofi Gennimata said “the Greek people… today vote for hope, democracy, for dignity. We demand a viable agreement; we’re resisting the extremist circles of Europe that over the past years wanted Greece out of the euro. We send a loud YES, to Greece, Europe, the euro, harmony and responsibility.”
Evangelos Venizelos, Gennimata’s predecessor at PASOK’s helm and a veteran Greek political leader and minister, voted in his native Thessaloniki. He emphasized that “tomorrow a new day will emerge, which will found Greece more positive, more united and European. The country can do many things to restore injustices, with security but without games played on its own back.”
Communist Party (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas, in echoing his party’s line, reiterated that his party supports a “abstention” vote in the referendum, given that the “option” in the referendum is either another harsh memorandum, or, euro exit “with a double currency with our people bankrupt.”
