CNN reported yesterday on unemployment, increasing suicide rates, migration and rising criminality in Greece by featuring six young Greeks and their personal interpretations and answers to the deepening debt crisis.
Maria Papapanagiotaki and Aristotle Skalizos have been dating each other for two years now and are part of the segment of Greek youth that is still working. The immense cuts imposed on both their salaries are forcing them to carefully consider whether it is best for them to stay or leave their home country. Their conflicting views prove just how much the young Greek people are divided over the personal and the common good. Maria is thinking of migrating to the US or the UK, where some of her relatives reside. Aristotle wants to stay in Greece and fight to help the country back on its feet. “I love my country. I don’t want to abandon it,” claims Aristotle and underscores the problems emerging for many couples who are forced to live apart because one of them must work abroad.
The CNN report also underlines that both young people did not vote in the last general elections because they could not afford to travel to their constituencies for this purpose.
The second example concerns the 19-year-old brother of Aristotle, Nikos Skalizos, who dreams of studying fine arts in the Netherlands. “It is a beautiful country,” explains Nikos adding that he will be also capable of financially supporting his family in Greece after making some money.
Marios-Aristotle Koulouris is another Greek featured by the CNN report. As far as he is concerned, Greece needs to “rise up and develop its own power, to protect our people’s benefits. Economically and politically, we need to rise up.”
Finally, 27-year-old Christina Psarra and 33-year-old George Stathopoulos chose to return to Greece after studying in the UK. To them Greece is “a country where one always cooks extra food in preparation for a guest, where a feisty debate over sport will end with a friendly drink, and where parents maintain close contact with children after they leave home.” However, fear of what the future may hold is inevitably blurring the young people’s decisions on what their lives would be like.
The crisis has taken a toll on everyone’s life, including finances and social relationships. The report closes with Aristotle noting that he would have to leave Greece if his girlfriend decided to do so.
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