Greece and the rest of the euro zone finally reached an agreement on terms for a bailout package early July 13, following tense talks that stretched through the night. Those talks centered on a package presented to Greece on July 12 that had many Twitter users up in arms and embracing the hashtag #ThisIsACoup.
The hashtag is also currently the subject most searched by Greek users of Google.
The terms of the agreement have not yet been made public but the original proposals included controversial elements introduced by Germany — such as a possible euro “timeout” for Greece and €50 billion (about $55 billion) in public assets set aside for loan payment and collateral — and drew ire from netizens not just in Greece but across the globe.
The hashtag appears to have started with a tweet by physics teacher Sandro Maccarrone in Barcelona, who wrote, “The Eurogroup proposal is a covert coup d’etat against the Greek people. #ThisIsACoup #Grexit” late on July 12.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman drew attention to the phrase in a column published not long after that, saying, “This Eurogroup list of demands is madness. The trending hashtag ThisIsACoup is exactly right. This goes beyond harsh into pure vindictiveness, complete destruction of national sovereignty, and no hope of relief.”
Within hours, the hashtag had exploded, trending across Europe and even gaining popularity as far away as Egypt and Australia.
Last time I borrow $5 off #Merkel When I couldn't pay it back she sold my house, car and children.#ThisIsACoup
— Isabel's Book Promotions (@isabelsbooks) July 13, 2015
Many of the tweets make emotionally charged references to 20th century history, including references to the Nazi occupation of Greece and the 1953 London Conference, during which 50% of Germany’s postwar debt was forgiven.
Under the terms set on the evening of July 12, Greece had roughly 24 hours to endorse the new package.
The Tiny Greek Island of Kos at the Center of the Refugee Crisis
A dinghy overcrowded with Afghan migrants arrives on the Greek island of Kos, after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece, on May 27, 2015.Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesAfghan migrants arrive on the Greek island of Kos, after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece, on May 27, 2015. Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesAn Afghan migrant girl holds the hand of a woman as they arrive on the Greek island of Kos, after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece, on May 27, 2015. Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesA Syrian refugee prays on the beach after arriving on the Greek island of Kos, via a dinghy boat over part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece, on May 26, 2015. Yannis Behrakis—ReutersHundreds of newly arrived migrants walk toward a temporary shelter after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece, on May 26, 2015. Yannis Behrakis—ReutersAn Afghan migrant family poses next to a deserted hotel, where hundreds of migrants have found temporary shelter, on the Greek island of Kos on May 27, 2015. Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesAfghan migrants wash next to a deserted hotel, where hundreds of migrants have found temporary shelter, on the Greek island of Kos on May 27, 2015. Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesA migrant man from Bangladesh brushes his hair in a broken mirror in an abandoned hotel, acting as a temporary shelter, on the Greek island of Kos on May 29, 2015.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesA mother sits with her two young sons as they get ready to sleep in the corridor of an abandoned hotel that many migrants are using as a temporary shelter on the Greek island of Kos on May 30, 2015.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesMigrants gather outside the police station on the Greek island of Kos to collect documentation to facilitate their onward journey into Europe on June 1, 2015.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesAn Afghan woman sits with her child at a dock at the port of the Greek island of Kos on May 27, 2015. Angelos Tzortzinis—AFP/Getty ImagesLife vests and a deflated dinghy are seen on a beach on the Greek island of Kos, following the arrival of Afghan immigrants, on May 30, 2015.Yannis Behrakis—Reuters
