The Greek referendum is a political oddity that was observed worldwide. With 61 percent of the vote, the government-supported "no" won unexpectedly. A different analysis came from each of the four corners of the world. Seen from Athens, the situation is very positive: The Greeks have given Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras a new mandate with which to negotiate. But seen from Berlin, it's something else entirely. In short, everyone tends to interpret the Greeks' "no" according to their own interests. Here are some of the divergent analyses of this historic vote: The "no" that means "there will be a new agreement" Since the announcement of the referendum, Tsipras has consistently repeated his intention of an even stronger return to the negotiation table. Greece's then-finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, seemed equally confident on Sunday night, even though the definitive results were not yet known. When a journalist asked him how long it would take to obtain a new agreement if the "no" were to pass, he responded, without hesitating, "24 hours." Later in the evening, once the victory was in, Varoufakis presented the win as "a tool that will be used to extend a cooperative hand to our partners," ensuring that the government would begin to work on Monday to "find a common ground agreement" with the European Union and International Monetary Fund. "We will negotiate in a positive way with the European Central Bank and European Commission," he said. Tsipras reaffirmed his desire to secure a deal: The mandate you've given me does not call for a break with Europe, but rather gives me greater negotiating strength. #Greece #Greferendum-- Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) 5 Juillet 2015 Tsipras' vision is shared by many in Italy and France, where several groups have called for the negotiations to resume as soon as possible. "Now it is just to resume negotiations. But we will not escape the Greek labyrinth with a weak and stagnating Europe," Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni wrote in a tweet. "For all lovers of Europe," said Claude Bartolone, president of the National Assembly in France, "the Greece's exit from the eurozone cannot be considered as an option." "More than ever, there is a European emergency," Bartolone said. "I call for holding a conference of the eurozone dedicated to debt restructuring, of which the management and rescheduling can be the subject of a common policy." The "no" that means "nein, nein, nein" The German government, on the other hand, insists on a firm message. Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said further European negotiations with Athens appeared "difficult to imagine." Tsipras burned "the last bridges" between his country and Europe, Gabriel said in an interview with Tagesspiegel that came out Monday. "After the refusal of the rules of the eurozone, as expressed by voting 'no,' negotiations on assistance programs, counting in billions, seem difficult to imagine," he said. Germany's CSU party quickly proved a sore loser as well -- vengeful, even. "Good night Greece. You have chosen a difficult road," the party wrote in a tweet. Kali nichta, Hellas - Gute Nacht, #Griechenland! Ihr geht jetzt einen ganz schweren Weg. #Greferendum-- CSU (@CSU) 5 Juillet 2015 However, the German comments on Sunday were by no means surprising. Last week, the country's minister of finance, Wolfgang Schauble, said a resumption of negotiations would be difficult even in the case of a "yes" victory. The "no" that is a victory for democracy A surprisingly divergent group of commentators called on Sunday for the need to respect the democratic sovereignty of the Greek people. In France, politicians Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Arnaud Montebourg all welcomed the referendum results on that ground. Belle et grande leçon de démocratie que ce NON grec. Les peuples sont de retour ! #Greferendum MLP-- Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) July 5, 2015 The Greek "no" is a great lesson in democracy. The people are back! #Greferendum MLP Nobel laureate and economist Paul Krugman likened the "no" camp's victory to one for all of Europe. "We have just witnessed Greece stand up to a truly vile campaign of bullying and intimidation, an attempt to scare the Greek public, not just into accepting creditor demands, but into getting rid of their government," he wrote in The New York Times. Europe Wins http://t.co/VgmKhUZnM1-- Paul Krugman (@NYTimeskrugman) July 5, 2015 Some figures on France's political right affirmed their respect for Greece's sovereignty, while reminding their audience that Greece also must pay the price. "It is the choice of a sovereign people who must bear all the consequences. The EU's response must first be that of unity. It is up to France and Germany to take the necessary initiatives to ensure the unity and coherence of the eurozone," former Prime Minister Francois Fillon said. For Spain's Podemos party, which campaigns with Greece's Syriza against austerity, the "no" victory in the referendum is a source of satisfaction. It may give them ideas. Podemos' leader, Pablo Iglesias, tweeted: "Today, democracy has won in Greece." Hoy en Grecia ha ganado la democracia pic.twitter.com/MpBMRIyfTZ-- Pablo Iglesias (@Pablo_Iglesias_) July 5, 2015 The "no" that condemns Greece to leave Europe "As I suggested several months ago, we must proceed towards Greece's organized exit from the eurozone," UDI Party Jean-Christophe Lagarde said. Le non grec a pour conséquence sortie de l'euro. @fhollande ne doit pas se coucher devant @atsipras et alliés FR @MLP_officiel @JLMelenchon-- Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) July 5, 2015 The Greek 'no' results in a Greek euro exit. @fhollande should not lie down in front of @atsipras and allies FR @MLP_officiel @JLMelenchon The "no" that condemns Greece to leave Europe (but it's no big deal) The eurozone "is able to cope with a crisis of confidence and possible speculative attacks," said Pier Carlo Padoan, the Italian minister of economy and finance, on Sunday night, following the "no" victory to the referendum in Greece. "The uncertainty with regard to the future of Greece is bound to generate volatility in financial markets," he said in a statement. He also stressed that Italy has benefited from a "recovery" and from "a less than 3 percent deficit." The "no" that announces an upheaval in the single currency "This is the beginning of the end of the eurozone. It was demonstrated that the European Union is not irreversible, and this is the first time in history that this infernal machine finds the people standing up, supported by government, for the greatest happiness of the people," And Jean-Luc Laurent, chairman of the Citizen and Republican Movement, said it was necessary to "take into account the impossibility for the European states to handle the solidarity, constraints and interdependencies involved in a single currency." "Let us take a year to reset the euro by transforming the current single currency to a common currency," he added. _________________ This article originally appeared on HuffPost France and was translated into English. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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