Greek Leaders Bristle at Brexit Despite Enthusiasm Among Ordinary Citizens

Greece's political elite expressed alarm about Britain's decision to withdraw from the EU, while ordinary Greeks welcomed the move, Greek political analyst Nikolaos Stelya told Sputnik.

In an interview with Sputnik's Turkish edition, Greek political analyst Nikolaos Stelya said that the UK's move to leave the EU provoked uneasiness among Greece's political elite, whereas the country's ordinary people hailed the event.

The interview came after a nationwide referendum was held in Britain last Thursday, in which at least 51.9 percent of the voters said that they were in favor of withdrawing from the EU.

In this regard, Stelya quoted Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as saying that "the sense of a common vision and a common future of European peoples give way to a return to the alleged safety of national isolationism" and that "this road is a dead end."

"By saying so, the Prime Minister expressed his SYRIZA party's position on the referendum results. This stance is also shared by many members of the country's opposition," he said.

Stelya added that in contrast, supporting Brexit were representatives of the Greek ultranationalist party Golden Dawn and the Communist Party of Greece.

The Golden Dawn touted Brexit as a "very courageous step," while the communists said that "this budding move showed that the EU in its current state could not continue to run."

Stelya went on to say that the Greek people's reaction to Brexit was significantly different from the position of Greek authorities.

"The people of Greece are exhausted by the unstable situation in their country, which adheres to the policy of austerity. From the Greek people's point of view, Britain's desire to leave the EU was justified, logical and even delayed," he said.

Stelya also pointed to Cyprus's concern and disappointment over Brexit, referring to the special relationship between Cyprus and the UK. He recalled that the island once was a British colony, and that a number of British military bases remain in Cyprus. Thousands of Cypriots now live in Britain with EU passports, and many Britons currently reside in Cyprus, he said.

The United Kingdom still needs to formally notify the EU of its intention to leave the bloc. After that, it has two years to negotiate the terms of its divorce.

On Tuesday, a EU summit kicked off in Brussels, in a two-day event that is expected to be all about Britain's move to leave the European Union.

The issue will be discussed at a special press conference, which is due to be attended by European Council head Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.