On Sunday evening, two thirds of the Members of the Greek Parliament voted in favour of the new loan agreement between the Greek Government and the representatives of the country’s creditors, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. They validated the hard work that Greece has to undertake in order to fulfil its obligations towards its partners and to maintain its membership in the euro-zone. They said a clear “yes” to a process of tremendous sacrifices to be made by the Greek people so that the country can still have a European future. It was not easy. It was not easy for anybody.

The result of the vote was the product of a long-term process, which involved major socially painful challenges. For the first time, the two major parties – the conservatives and the social-democrats – both acknowledged the critical condition of the country and acted in a pragmatic way with regard to Greece’s obligations, stemming from its participation in the European Union and in the euro-zone.

The European decision-makers and broadly the European public opinion should not underestimate this development. Read the full entry

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