I’m delighted the Greeks have taken a brave decision to elect a new government which appears to them to offer hope and change. As a frequent visitor to Greece, my wife and I have seen at first hand the impact the austerity measures have had on the vast majority of people in towns and cities. Public sector workers – teachers, nurses et al – have seen swingeing cuts in salaries, making everyday life desperately difficult. The Greeks are a proud, welcoming and hospitable people, and that welcome and openness – philoxenia (a love of strangers) – has remained to visitors despite their huge problems. I hope and expect that a sensible compromise, which will regenerate Greece within the EU family, can and will now be worked out. I wonder if the UK democratic system could facilitate the voice of the people in a similar way?
Steve Burns
Warrington, Cheshire
