3220 days ago
On Friday before the Greek referendum Syntagma square was awash with blue and white Greek flags and white Oxi flags. This was not about party politics, Alex Tsipras and Syriza wanted you to vote Oxi as it was your patriotic call. I happen to agree with that. Pro tem all Greeks could put party aside and vote Oxi to vote for Greece. Last night something odd happened after the polls closed: Oxi turned from blue to red.
3221 days ago
The betting markets have a better record of calling elections than opinion polls in recent times and so take note - there have been heavy betting on Betfair in the past three hours - and that betting is on Oxi! winning here in the Greek Referendum. Hooray - that calls for an ouzo.
3221 days ago
The result is going to be close. So when the Greek referendum results come out you will see a lot of talking heads from Greece. Here is your handy and honest guide to the Greek political parties:
3221 days ago
And so we are off with the great Greek Referendum and it looks like it will go to the wire. I have been to my local polling station and arriving just as the Church next door finished its service there was a mini surge. But it is not at the schools across Greece where the real lines are forming.
3222 days ago
Like all Hellenophiles my love of Greece is partly a love of the country today and partly a romanticised view of life in Ancient Greece. And so as the Greek referendum looms tomorrow one thinks naturally about how this place is the birthplace of democracy, of rule by the people.
And so tonight having shot some poverty porn and had a great meal in a restaurant next to where the Archbishop lives I headed up to the top of Athens, to the Acropolis. Of course it is closed for the night but as you look up you cannot but be impressed at the place and to think of its history.
3222 days ago
Think Stoke Newington in London. Edgy, lefty but with a stack of affluent middle class Guardian readers among the poor. That’s the sort of neighbourhood of Athens in which I am staying. Everywhere there are Oxi posters – this area is voting No heavily in the referendum on Sunday. Even the businesses display posters – they are not afraid of losing customers because this area is heavily Oxi. One poster (see below) says nothing but says it all.
