Greek media unease over referendum

Greek newspaper Eleftheros Typos (L) says, "People's voice: Yes to Europe" while I Efimerida declares, "'NO' is ahead but..."

There is no doubt in the Greek press that Sunday's referendum will be held in an organised fashion along the lines of the 25 January election, despite the fact that there will be less than a week to pull it together. But there is a deeper sense of unease about the rifts it could highlight in society.

Getting the vote out

Greeks are getting their information about the referendum via the Interior Ministry, which set up a specific website giving all the details of the proposal from the European partners and a photo of the ballot.

It also says where military personnel will go to vote, and what is being organised for special groups of voters such as prison inmates and the disabled.

It will be the first referendum held since 1974, when people voted for what kind of political system they wanted as Greece changed from a monarchy to a republic.

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The polarisation seen in Greek city squares in the past few days is not yet blatant in the press. Most papers are sticking to neutral reporting without speculating on who will win the vote or what it means.

On TV channels, however, pundits are debating whether a "No" vote would mean an immediate unilateral declaration of suspension of payments and an exit from the eurozone, and whether a "Yes" vote would protect Greek citizens' European identity and heritage.

Some outlets are saying the referendum may not happen at all, and are reporting politicians questioning its constitutionality.

The starting gun for campaigning has been fired, however, and the "Yes" campaign was scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday. Meanwhile, groups including the Athens Bar Association, the mayors of Athens and Thessaloniki, and the Archbishop of Athens have all come out for the "Yes" side.

'Cancel the referendum'

An op-ed in the popular centre-left daily To Vima wants the government to "cancel the referendum now". Written by the former Finance Minister, Nikos Christodoulakis, it says that "holding it can only blow up the political and economic future of the country... If the referendum goes ahead no matter what, only a resounding 'Yes' can keep the country in the eurozone and minimize the cost of this adventure."

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More than one commentator fears that the referendum might set off deep divisions in the country, regardless of the result.

To Vima's editorial says: "If Mr Tsipras and the government want to preserve the last shred of dignity and seriousness they have left, they must cancel the referendum Sunday now," adding that they have trapped the Greek people into an "obsolete and divisive dilemma".

And a writer in the conservative daily Kathimerini seems to come to the same conclusion. "The country is heading to a new tragedy and to the continuity of the impasse we're experiencing for the past five years. The crisis, political uncertainty and instability will continue with the same tension, if not more, whether there's a yes or a no majority," writes Antonis Manitakis.

With an estimated 108,000 new voters who have come of age since the January elections, the outcome is far from certain.

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