Check Out This Dramatic Greek Street Art As Nation Descends Into Social and Economic Chaos

Christie Chu June 30, 2015 ShareShare This Article

Photo: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters/Corbis

Greece is on the cusp of making the biggest national default in history. Worse than Argentina.

For the past five years, the Mediterranean country has been in economic limbo. Its current state is one of total calamity. Currently, unemployment is at 25% and 40% of children are living below the poverty line.

Today, Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said his country would not make its $1.8 billion debt payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by a midnight deadline. This action could eventually lead the country into defaulting on its already mounting $270 billion loan.

With default imminent, Greece is at the mercy of the troika (the IMF, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission), but most importantly, it is at the mercy of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. As Germany is the eurozone’s largest economy and its position as the single largest creditor in a series of bailouts provided by the troika, it will have enormous sway in deciding whether Greece will leave the eurozone.

This crisis sits heavily on the shoulders of the Greek population—predominantly at the lower end of the wealth spectrum. But loud protests are not the only ones seen in the streets of its cities. Quiet ones exist too.

Artists are using spray paint to express their anger and frustration with the EU and Greek governments by way of bold and angst-filled murals. Courtesy of Mashable, here are snapshots of the country’s street art.

Photo: Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press