There was a lot of attention for Greece on the Dutch radio last week. The country needed to agree to the proposals otherwise there is the risk of a Grexit.
Reporter Hugo Rijksma spoke to florist Yannis in Athens and asked him if the Greeks are still buying flowers. Yannis: "That is now the last thing that Greeks are thinking about. If you have still got money, you are going for basic supplies. People who are still buying flowers are doing this for psychological reasons. For 5 years, things have been tight, but since the bank closures a few days ago, sales are almost nothing."
The whole chain in collapsing
The Greeks buy few flowers in any event. Only for special days and funerals, says Yannis. "The only thing that growers can now do is to stop completely or to switch to another product: vegetables. In fact, the whole chain is falling: also suppliers and transporters are ruined."
Disillusionment
Lots of growers have been in the business for decennia and are close to packing it in. "Disillusionment, that is the word. We owe it to our children to come up with a solution," says Yannis, "but more austerity is not possible."