Greece becomes first bankrupt EU euro nation  

Fear of Disaster

BY FRANK NORDHA– USEN

ATHENS, July 7 – In Athens, the money is running out. Many ATMs are empty, employees are partly paid in cash, essential medicines are lacking. Many Greeks expect that the situation will get worse.

At the pharmacy the Achparaki family in Athens SME Pangrati district it is named after the historic “No” of the Greeks against the austerity program significantly fuller than in the last days.

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Older people in particular are flocking to the small business space, and they ask for resources to treat high blood pressure, heart problems and headaches. Especially headache medications are sought after, says the young pharmacist Eleni Achparaki. “The uncertain situation after the vote makes the people headaches. That does not surprise us. “

Cephalagic are currently enough in the camp of the pharmacist with other drugs make already noticeable bottlenecks because the medicine wholesalers deliver since the beginning of capital controls a week before any goods from abroad more.”You can no longer pay the foreign companies,” says Eleni Achparaki.

Your have already run out of insulin and thyroid supplements that antihypertensives are soon also sold. Many customers try to build up stocks, because they fear that the current crisis is exacerbated by the “no” vote.

“For individual drugs, the situation is now dramatic, but when the money barrier continues, we are heading into a catastrophe.”

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It is one of the difficult to understand peculiarities of the Greeks, that although they continue to expect after the referendum for the worst, but still feel better. Eleni Achparaki also believes that their compatriots are closer to the no-vote of the resolution of the crisis.

“Now Europe must perceive us, now you can no longer treat us as derogatory, now it will be better deals,” she says.

On the 20-minute walk from Syntagma Square of waste from the nightly victory celebration of the No-advocates is put away already since Monday. Here prevails especially among young people, the overall majority of voted ‘no’, a relaxed atmosphere.

“We are proud and happy about the result,” says the 19-year-old Manos Geranis, a bearded student of orthodox theology, “because now it can only get better.” Manos Geranis and two fellow students strongly believe that the euro Greece will keep and stay in the EU. “What else! We are Europeans! “

A similar consensus among younger Greeks about the fact that the Greek governments of the past decades are responsible for the misery of the country.Hold down the criticism of it to be justified,.

But they do not want to pay for the mistakes of their parents’ generation with the loss of their own dreams and opportunities. They know that the Greeks make an effort and even have to do something for their future. And they believe their Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that he wants to break with the disastrous past and dare to reboot.

“I do not know if Tsipras is really the right thing. Nobody knows that. But he deserves a chance, “says the young Lehererin Chrysa Vourgana that their feelings as” describes neither sad nor happy. ” She sees it as a good sign that the controversial finance minister Varoufakis has resigned. “It shows that the government is serious about a solution.”

The young woman has just been waiting for an hour in the cash machine to get their daily 50-euro note. Actually 60 Euro are allowed, but they are hard to come by because the twenties in many places, the machines are equipped with all, not tens.

Many ATMs are completely empty, and to those who are still spit Euros, form long lines throughout the city. Also in the central square of the Little People Kipseli district, not far from the center, in the lives of the Prime Minister. Some companies have started, some pay their employees in cash.

The money people use to hedge, says a saleswoman in a supermarket “AB City” at Kipseli Square. She points to the shelves with pasta, flour and rice, which are just as empty as the departments bought for beans and tinned tomatoes. 

The money people use to hedge, says a saleswoman in a supermarket “AB City” at Kipseli Square. She points to the shelves with pasta, flour and rice, which are just as empty as the departments bought for beans and tinned tomatoes.

While the supermarket is not complaining about lost revenue, feel many small traders in Kipseli the printing of bank closure, the least still should continue today, Wednesday, and its consequences for the monetary transactions.

“When people have little, you buy only the bare minimum,” says the young greengrocers Kostas. His offer is part of luck, even if he sells for a week about ten percent less.

He points to the banana and Avacados who lost in the offer of the Greek melon, peaches and potatoes. “They warned us in the wholesale market last week that it will soon no foreign goods more when the euro lock is not released.For me, this is fortunately not a big problem. “

The adjacent 67-year-old fishmonger Anastasia has already terminated a supplier.”Our Pakistani dealer sends us from now no more shrimp and squid. He wanted to provide a bank guarantee, which we could not give him.

“The old woman raises her hands. “The situation is dramatic since last week. We have 50 percent loss of sales because people save the fish. “By the afternoon on Monday, no customer has come. She has nonetheless voted in favor of the ‘no’, “because we do not want to remain in this terrible situation.” A mixture of defiance, despair and pride, it is probably that this brought most small merchants in Kipseli, to vote against the austerity policies of the Euro Group.

“People are buying only the essentials”: fishmonger in Athens. Photo: REUTERS

Also, the electrical appliances dealer Theodoros Politzogopoulos must cope since last week a dramatic drop in sales of 80 percent. “Everyone is afraid,” says the 66-year-old, the reason for the “Yes” agreed.

“My camp is still filled, but the foreign producers to sell me a single device more, because we can not transfer more money by bank.” Survive the dealer because they almost exclusively run family businesses, their warehouses are full, they can be restricted if necessary ,

However, many people in Kipseli are forced valuables and family jewelry to sell.You take the Fanchise chain “buy and sell gold,” which stores shot since the crisis began five years ago in Athens from the ground, the valuables from and sold them on.

The unadorned office at Kipseli Square is run by two dressed in jeans and T-shirts thirty-something women. “The crisis is good for us, because people need cash, they can not get otherwise,” says Cetinia Kelaidi, “a war would be good for us.”

The two women have after the referendum even 20 percent more sales made than in Last week, they estimate.

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PHOTO: AFP