In Greece’s port town of Chalkida, the fishing trawlers leave each day before dawn, making it back in time for the early morning market.
But business is tough, and the fishermen have a clear idea who is to blame.
“We should gather all the politicians together and throw them into the sea,” says 79-year-old Yiannis, who has been casting his net here for decades.
“They all stole money and now we’re starving – we don’t have enough to eat.”
Greece is sinking deeper into troubled waters.
The fifth consecutive year of recession is taking its toll and Chalkida – like so many towns – is buckling under the weight of the crisis.
Industry has all but died – a single remaining cement factory is winding down – and unemployment is soaring.
Anger against mismanagement of the economy has turned Chalkida’s voters against the two big parties that have dominated Greek politics for the past four decades.
In last month’s inconclusive election, the town switched support to the leftist party, Syriza. They want to tear up Greece’s international bailout agreement and halt the cost-cutting demands of Brussels.
But they also want to keep Greece in the euro. EU leaders say the country cannot have both: If it deviates from the path of austerity, Greece risks forfeiting the loan money on which it depends.
Without the cash, Athens would be forced to default on its debt and may well have to leave the eurozone. That could spread contagion to other indebted nations, putting their own euro membership under question.
The whole ideological framework of the European project could start to unravel.
“By supporting parties like ours, Greeks voted last month to cancel the bailout,” says Vangelis Apostolou, the Syriza candidate in Chalkida.
“The agreement doesn’t lead us anywhere and places demands on our shoulders that we can’t meet. We gave people here hope – we want Greece to keep the euro. It’s following the same bailout policy that will lead us back to the drachma.
BBC © 2012