German media: 'End of the road' for Greece

After the overwhelming rejection of the cash-for-reforms proposal in Greece, Prime Minister Tsipras described the Sunday referendum as a "victory of democracy" and "a bright day in the history of Europe." The Greek premier also said he was willing to continue negotiations immediately.

However, the reactions of international creditors and German politicians were far less optimistic. German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said that Tsipras had "torn down the last bridges which Europe and Greece could have crossed to find a compromise."

A fresh round of talks is now "difficult to imagine," Gabriel added, speaking to the daily "Tagesspiegel" newspaper.

Many German newspapers echoed the sentiment in their commentaries on Monday.

"No, a spark of hope for Greece is nowhere to be seen, even as supporters of Syriza celebrate after the referendum. At best, it's the light of delusion which shines so dazzlingly. In a few days, people in Athens will notice how gloomy things are in the country," says the "Süddeutsche Zeitung."

"What is the majority celebrating? They have reached a frenzy of nationalism and strength, that can only be intensified in one way: hatred, anger, maybe even violence. (…)

"With this government, Greece has reached the end of the road when it comes to the euro. After an unbearable campaign at the expense of 18 European countries, after a barrage of insults about terrorists and blackmailers, after slander and glaring distortions, there is no more basis for cooperation with Greece in the eurozone."

The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," however, claims that neither Greece nor the rest of Europe know what the consequences of the referendum will be: "And now? Greece remains a European country. Greeks work all over Europe, their youth study at European universities, people working abroad help their family members.

"Europe will also continue to help Greece. The project of unity will not fail over Greece. But the issue would provoke the Europeans to think about what they want: How much power should Brussels have? How uniform should a monetary union be?"

'Reality check'

"The Greek Prime Minister has made his incapability to reach a compromise with 27 European partners into a sob story. Greece was 'blackmailed,''humiliated,'even 'terrorized.'From its creditors, no less. That how the campaign in Athens sounded like this week," writes the conservative "Die Welt."

"There is not much time. If nothing happens, in a few days Greece will have no money. The economic consequences would be devastating, unemployment would skyrocket, a 'Grexit' would be almost unavoidable. If somebody still seriously wants to prevent it, both sides need to act.

"Most of all, Alexis Tsipras needs an urgent reality check. Otherwise, the expression Pyrrhic victory would take on another dimension."

Anger outweighs fear in Greece

Mass-circulation newspaper "Bild" comments that the outcome of the referendum is the first major defeat for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel:

"Greece is broke, will stay broke, and since yesterday officially wants to be broke!

"Now Tsipras has the chancellor in his grasp.

"The Greek Prime Minister wants to negotiate about money again, no later than today. And he will threaten Europe with pictures of suffering from Athens, if there is no payment. Now SHE would need to stay hard. She would need to defend European rules and fair solidarity against leftist extremist gamblers from Athens.

Really."

"Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung:" "The answer is no. Greeks showed Europe that pressure to reform, austerity measures, foreign rule and their own powerlessness have grown unbearable. Their anger outweighs the fear of the unknown. What will happen now? The population and mid-sized companies will be hit the hardest."

"Things are about to get much worse for Greece," says the "Dithmarscher Landeszeitung," stressing the treat of hyperinflation, shortages and even greater unemployment. "The leftist radicals have knocked away the outstretched hand of Europe. They have broke agreements, passed on appointments, called their negotiating partners terrorists and vampires, and stirred up the people against reforms."

At the same time, the "Flensburger Tageblatt" claims that the brashness of Tsipras' government made the rest of the EU more united. However, the paper calls the attention to one more card Tsipras "and his band of adventurers" have left to play: "Strategic concerns of NATO are a whole different story. Greece could (…) orient itself even more toward Moscow. That would be a legitimately threatening situation in the middle of NATO. Should this issue trump the debt crisis, then Tsipras would have already won."

dj/jr (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)