Greece’s biggest newspapers called on readers to vote “Yes” in Sunday’s referendum that could determine whether the country stays in the euro. “Nai,” the Greek word for yes, was the headline of the three best-selling papers.
“Greeks choose Europe” reads the front page of the Sunday edition of Ethnos, printed on the background of a photo of Greek and European Union flags. Because of the referendum, Sunday press circulated on Saturday and advance copies were available as of Friday evening in downtown Athens.
About 10 million Greeks head to the polls on July 5 in a plebiscite over terms proposed by the country’s creditors for unlocking emergency loans. The government is campaigning on a “No” vote, with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras making almost daily live televised addresses to the nation in which he asks voters to deny demands for more austerity. Tsipras says that the vote is about austerity, and has nothing to do with Greece’s place in the euro area, which is secure.
“Yes, we stay alive and fight,” reads the front page of Proto Thema, Greece’s biggest selling weekly. “No means immediate deposit haircut, banks and ATMs closed, rationing of food, medicine and gas, and, in the end, drachma and national tragedy,” the tabloid writes.
Tsipras has said Greek bank deposits are secure regardless of the referendum result, even as the European Central Bank has capped Emergency Liquidity Assistance, and the country’s lenders are running low on banknotes. His government vows to negotiate an agreement with creditors within days of the plebiscite, after five months of negotiations failed to yield any results.
