Greece: "Why I would have voted"
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: What do you think about the No of the Greeks?
Katerina Tsimplostefanaki: I think it's okay - I would have chosen as well, if I had the right to vote.
Why?
Because the austerity measures of the financiers have hit only the poor and the middle class. First, the salaries in the public service were cut, then everything came to a halt. If you do not earn anything, you can not repay anything. And if someone limps for 50 years, you can not make him a sprinter from one day to the next. That was wrong.
Katerina Tsimplostefanaki escaped the crisis
So are the donor countries to blame for the Greek misery?
The culprits are the old governments. They have operated nepotism, have been corrupt, have enriched themselves and bought their seats in Parliament - their 'little place in the sun', as I always say.
What has to happen now?
The Greeks have to rethink, each for themselves. They should not seek the mistakes from others, they should ask: what did I contribute? You talk pretty good. A little self-criticism would be good.
What comes next to the Greeks?
Whether with or without Euro: I see 50 years of darkness.
Why did you come back to Germany two and a half years ago?
It was unbearable in Greece. The people were under pressure, were partially depressed and went off to each other, the living together became more difficult. My friends and family say that since you left, things have become even harder.
Do you want to go back someday?
I do not want to go back. Five years ago, in Greece, as a full-time secondary school teacher, I earned 1300 euros net. Before I came back to Germany two and a half years ago, it was only 800 euros.
How are your friends and relatives in Greece?
The Greeks have a bad life, for four years it is downhill and it does not get better. Due to the tax increases many savings are gone, the cash is scarce. Older people often feed the younger ones, and the people in the countryside take care of their families in the city. Anyone who has an allotment or similar, is lucky. People are starving in the cities!
