Irish vote yes but Euro project remains in dire trouble

Billions leaving Spain, Greece and Italy as investors flee

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People protest on the streets of Athens daily as conditions worsen

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30, IT Consultant, PhD candidate

"Personally, I am proud to live in Greece of 2012. Another Greek legend is just at its very beginning -- and it seems that it is the turn of my generation to be sacrificed. Much pain is expected to come, and a lot more which we cannot even imagine. My friends are losing their jobs, while all people younger than 25 will never have the chance to be productive and exploit their studies. My parents' pension is either lost or reduced to half, hospitals and universities are merging or even closing, and my neighbor has not had electricity in the cold winter because he did not have the money to pay a new property tax. I studied for 10 years to obtain a PhD degree without expecting that this choice would urge me to go abroad in order to seek career opportunities. However, I am convinced I did not do anything wrong to be obliged to move in my 30s. We will refund all Europe for fake debts with our own lives. However two things will never change in Greece: The sun will always shine and our spirit will always be free."
 
Konstantinos Papaioannou

Greek language teacher and columnist

"My wife and I have been affected -- our income is down by a quarter. But all lives are affected: There is such insecurity. There's a feeling of no end in sight. No one can be assured there won't be more cuts. Many people are marginalized. Vulnerable groups are living below minimum standards: drug addicts, unemployed people and immigrants. Low-level crime is now tolerated -- this creates a climate of anger, and a loss of trust in political institutions. So the financial crisis has social and political consequences. Young people are facing 40% unemployment while pensions can be as low as €200 ($264) a month. You can't live on that."
 
Manos Kallimikrakis

26, call center worker from Athens

"My salary of €750 ($988) a month is being cut to €600 ($790). I don't know how I'll live on that, but I'm one of the lucky ones: I have a job and own my house without any loans, but I can't afford gas for the car and I haven't bought new clothes for two years. The future is not good -- a lot of my friends are trying to leave Greece."
 
Angela Konidari

38, teacher from Lemnos

"My salary's been cut 30% from €1,300 ($1,712) to €900 ($1,186) per month. I don't eat enough, I use the heating less and I don't go out much. My students are not studying foreign languages any more or playing sports. Many faint due to malnutrition, and because the government has merged schools, class sizes are larger and it's even harder to teach the kids. Students don't have hope any more: They don't think any profession will pay their rent. Many of them think about moving abroad as they have no trust in the government. 'Aren't they educated?' a girl asked me yesterday, 'how can they not do what's right for the people?'"
 
Yannis Bardanis

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