Commentary: The Greek solution to come from compromise

Sensible compromises are needed by all sides in the ongoing negotiations to seek a way out of the deteriorating Greek debt crisis.

The past few days have been busy in the eurozone after Greek voters in Sunday's referendum rejected a bailout deal proposed by international lenders, which increased the debt-ridden country's risk of exit from the eurozone.

If Greece were to leave the eurozone, it could be the worst nightmare for European integration, and the ripple effect that such an outcome would trigger is hard to measure.

Markets and the media have recently questioned Europe's ability to deal with the severe financial shock, and even the viability of the euro is at stake.

Referring to the Greek debt issue, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission said, "In Europe, there are no simple answers," he said. "Europe is all about compromise."

His words echoed history. The European integration process has been full of disagreements, negotiations, and compromises.

The European Union (EU) was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbors after the Second World War.

In 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace.

What followed was a move toward increasingly closer ties between European countries due to effective negotiations and sensible compromises.

Six decades later, at critical moments, sensible compromises have helped Europeans effectively respond to the challenges and dangers with more integration and more solidarity.

There is no shortage of examples.

The Treaty of Maastricht, which paved the way for further European integration, was refused by the referendum of Denmark in 1992; citizens in both France and The Netherlands voted 'No' to the constitution in referendums in 2005; the Lisbon Treaty was rejected in a referendum in Ireland in 2008.

The setbacks and frustrations then seemingly fatal to the process of integration have not blocked the union of European countries from getting even closer.

The EU's integration process has yielded substantial benefits for Europe so far, and it will continue to point the way forward.

Greece is an inalienable part of Europe, both geographically and politically. Allowing, or even worse, forcing Greece to leave the eurozone would be a terrible and irreversible decision affecting all 28 European members.

"If someone has any illusion that it will not be so, they are naive," European Council President Donald Tusk warned, urging the leaders of EU countries to try to find a consensus on Greece.

The past few months have been rocky, and there will surely be further bumps ahead.

With sensible compromises serving as its mandate, vicious bickering or serious crises are unlikely to trigger catastrophic results like Grexit.

There was an ancient Chinese proverb saying "a peaceful family will prosper." Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said to EU leaders that China would like to see Greece stay on in the eurozone and would be willing to play a constructive role in efforts toward that end.

Facing a turning point in EU history, leaders from the EU and Greece have an historic responsibility and the political capability to find a solution. Endit