42nd Clergy-Laity Congress in Philly

PHILADEPHIA, PA – Metropolitan Stefanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos and Chancellor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Athenagoras of Belgium will represent His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the 42nd Clergy-Laity Congress & the National Philoptochos Convention which will convene July 6-9 at the Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia. The theme will be: “The Orthodox Christian […]

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Greek Food Truck in Melbourne’s Streets

During the last years a new trend in the food industry has taken over the streets of Melbourne. Australian citizens are thrilled with the food trucks that provide a wide variety of tastes from around the world. George Karanikos, the owner of the Greek van ...

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Greek voters spell out their disapproval of austerity

Greek voters gave a clear sign of their disapproval of the government's austerity policies on Sunday , voting heavily in favour of anti-bailout candidates in local and regional elections that are widely seen as offering a foretaste of next week's European ...

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Origins of Greek Political Slang

Voters in Greece, tend to express their adoration or complete disapproval of parties or candidates with some really peculiar phrases. A  voter wanting to show strong discontent with a politician says, “Black to…” (followed by candidate’s name). But where did that phrase come from? Since 1844 and for about 80 years, Greek voters didn’t use ballot papers, but small bullets made of lead. For each candidate there were two ballot boxes, a white one for the positive votes and a black one for the negative votes. Those who voted for the candidate would throw a bullet in the white box and the voters who were against him would throw a bullet in the black box. The passionate voters who wanted to express their complete support to a candidate used to bite the bullet before throwing it in the white ballot box. This is what was called a “bitten vote.” The first ballot papers were used in the municipal elections of 1912.

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Manager of Clinic Accused of Tax Evasion

The manager of a clinic of a public hospital in northern Greece is accused of tax evasion. An investigation conducted by the Department of Financial Police in the man’s finances revealed that he had not declared about  700,000 euros for the period 2003-2012. The Department of Financial Police, after a lengthy investigation in the manager’s assets, has sent the findings to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Greek authorities have also drawn up an official report that specifies the exact amount of money the man had hidden from the tax authorities. Tax evasion in Greece is a widespread problem that has been pointed out many times during the debt crisis by both the Greek government and Greece’s foreign creditors. Cheating the tax authorities is a kind of national sport for the Greeks. It is estimated that self-employed Greeks tend to under-report their income while investigations have revealed several cases of tax evasion among wealthy citizens who “hide” their money in foreign bank accounts. The measures implemented by the Greek government against tax evasion have proven ineffective and the Troika has urged the government to conduct more expansive and regular checks.

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SYRIZA Surprise In Greek Exit Polls

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ coalition government hopes of holding off a challenge from the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) in the May 18 first round elections for Greek municipalities got an early shock when exit polls showed the Leftists ahead in the Athens area. SYRIZA’s candidates for Athens mayor and regional governor in greater Athens were ahead in the race against the incumbent socialist office-holders, the televised polls showed, also indicating greater support than expected for the Greece ‘s neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, all of whose 18 Members of Parliament have been arrested or jailed pending trial on charges of running a criminal gang. In Athens, SYRIZA’s candidate for Mayor, Gavriil Sakellaridis showed a range of 20-24 percent, ahead of incumbent George Kaminis, an Independent who has the backing of the PASOK Socialists and Democratic Left (DIMAR) at 19-23 percent. They were ahead of the ruling New Democracy candidate Aris Spiliotopoulos at 15-19 percent and Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, who was polling far stronger than surveys showed he would do, with 14-17 percent. In the Attica prefecture, SYRIZA’s Rena Dourou was running a strong 27-31 percent to have a big lead over a PASOK incumbent, Yiannis Sgouros, at 7 percent, showing the level of disaffection with the Socialists for backing austerity measures as a partner in Samaras’ government. If the numbers hold up, it would be a stunning blow to Samaras, who was counting on winning the local elections a week ahead of those for the European Parliament which show SYRIZA holding a lead over New Democracy. PASOK has tied itself to the new center-left political movement Elia, Olive Tree, in a desperate bid to keep from finishing near the bottom, which could bring a challenge to the Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos, who is serving as Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister. He warned if PASOK fares poorly that it could even undermine the government and force snap elections before its term runs out in 2016. If that happens, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras has predicted he will win. If so, he said he would seek to revise the terms of two bailouts of 240 billion euros ($330.7 billion) from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) which demanded and got big pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and worker firings in return. Tsipras said the elections are a referendum on the conditions for the loans, most of which run out this year and are all that’s keeping the government from going broke and likely forcing Greece out of the Eurozone of the 18 countries using the euro.

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Rise in Cardiovascular Diseases During Crisis

Research presented on May 18 at the Heart Failure Congress 2014, held May 17-20 in Athens, Greece, showed that the financial crisis has caused an increase in cardiovascular diseases. The Congress is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology. “Greece plunged into an economic crisis in 2008 and since then there have been rises in unemployment, wage reductions and a fall in standard of living. Previous studies have shown that cardiovascular disease is more frequent during crises such as wars and natural disasters.” stated Dr Alexios Samentzas The researchers analyzed all admissions to the cardiology department of Elpis General Hospital in Athens during two periods. The first time period, from 2003 to 2007, was defined as the pre-crisis period, while the period from 2008 to 2012 was the crisis period. During the pre-crisis period the hospital received 3,420 admissions and 3,860 during the crisis period. The number of heart attacks rose in both sexes and especially in women. According to Dr Dimitra Papadimitriou, women are “naturally” protected against heart diseases due to the production of estrogens. However, she claimed that “during the financial crisis, women’s natural protection against heart disease may have been cancelled because of stress, which is an important factor in the development of heart attacks.” Heart diseases are related to depression and anxiety. The financial crisis, unemployment and wage cuts have increased stress, disappointment and anger and decreased self-esteem and satisfaction. These negative emotions have certainly contributed to the rise in cardiovascular diseases in Greek citizens. 

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Exit polls in local Greek elections show leftist candidates ahead in Athens and Attica region

ATHENS, Greece - Exit polls immediately following the end of voting in Greece's local elections show leftist candidates ahead in Greece's capital and biggest region.

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SYRIZA Shock Lead In Exit Polls Rocks New Democracy, PASOK

Greece's major opposition SYRIZA party took a surprising lead in local election exit polls on May 18 over the coalition government headed by Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras.

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You Might Want To Start Paying Attention To Greece Again...

Business InsiderYou Might Want To Start Paying Attention To Greece Again...Business InsiderGreek borrowing costs — which had been on a relentless march lower over the last many months — have jumped to a two month high in recent weeks. This is a chart of the Greek 10-year bond. greece10year. Bloomberg. Obviously yields are still ...

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Exit polls show Greece's far-left Syriza leading in local vote

ATHENS (Reuters) - Exit polls showed Greece's radical leftist Syriza party ahead in local elections in Athens and the wider Attica region on Sunday, in a surprisingly strong performance that represents a setback for the country's fragile ruling coalition.

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UK weather hotter than Greece and Italy as temperatures hit 25C

Forecasters said the mercury is expected to rise as high as 25C (77F) in south east England, while in Rome and Athens it will be in the low 20s.

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Leftist Syriza Candidates Gain on Incumbents in Greek Local Elections

Syriza is expected to capture the most seats in European Parliament elections next Sunday, with the latest polls showing it maintaining a narrow lead over the ruling New Democracy. The second round of the municipal and regional elections will coincide with ...

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The Southbank Festival of Love: seven ways to express your passion

A festival at London's Southbank Centre this summer will celebrate seven ancient types of love. Prepare yourself with our guide

Love is, of course, a many splendoured thing. It lifts us up where we belong, you might say. Love is kind, patient, all you need, the sweetest thing and never having to say you're sorry. It is also, London's Southbank Centre announced last week, the subject of a festival to be held this summer, which will celebrate seven of the most powerful types of love, out of the 30 or so defined by those diligent ancient Greeks and Romans. (For the other 23, consult a classical dictionary or more warily Google). The Southbank will host themed weekends throughout the season stuffed full of debates, readings, exhibitions and screenings of Brief Encounter, and the Festival of Love will end with the Big Wedding Weekend, in which up to 20 couples will get married or renew their vows in communal ceremonies.

But for those of you still sitting there mouthing "Seven? There are seven?" like Chandler Bing when he first learned the full number of a lady's erogenous zones, here they are:

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The 51 Mayors of Athens Greece

Greek ReporterThe 51 Mayors of Athens GreeceGreek ReporterSpyridon Mercouris, who came from one of the most notable families of Greece, had been elected four times (in 1843, 1845, 1847, 1857) but he only served from 1843 t0 1850. Georgios Skoufos, Spyridon Patsis and Konstantinos Kotzias had served as ...

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Exit polls show strong showing by Greece's Syriza in Athens race

Exit polls show strong showing by Greece's Syriza in Athens raceReuters UKATHENS (Reuters) - Exit polls showed Greece's radical leftist Syriza party ahead in local elections in Athens and the wider Attica region on Sunday, in a surprisingly strong performance that represents a setback for the country's fragile ruling ...and more »

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IAAF Diamond League Shanghai Results

by  Associated Press IAAF Diamond League Shanghai Results by The Associated Press, Associated Press - 18 May 2014 11:40-04:00 Sunday At Shanghai Men

100 — 1, Justin Gatlin, United States, 9.92 seconds. 2, Nesta Carter, Jamaica, 10.12. 3, Michael Rodgers, United States, 10.18.

800 — 1, Robert Biwott, Kenya, 1 minute, 44.69 seconds. 2, Taoufik Makhloufi, Algeria, 1:44.73. 3, Andre Olivier, South Africa, 1:44.85.

5,000 — 1, Yenew Alamirew, Ethiopia, 13:04.83 seconds. 2, Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa, Kenya, 13:05.44. 3, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Ethiopia, 13:06.88.

110 hurdles — 1, Xie Wenjun, China 13.23. 2, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, France, 13.26. 3, David Oliver, United States, 13.28. Also: 6, Dayron Robles, Cuba, 13.48.

400 hurdles — 1, Michael Tinsley, United States, 48.77 seconds. 2, Mamadou Kasse Hanne, Senegal, 48.86. 3, Bershawn Jackson, United States, 48.92.

Pole Vault — 1, Renaud Lavillenie, France, 5.92 meters. 2, Konstantinos Filippidis, Greece, 5.62. 3, Xue Changrui, China, 5.62.

Triple Jump — 1, Lyukman Adams, Russia, 17.10 meters. 2, Lazaro Martinez, Cuba, 16.76. 3, Dong Bin, China, 16.69.

Shot Put — 1, Christian Cantwell, United States, 21.73 meters. 2, Joe Kovacs, United States, 21.52. 3, Ryan Whiting, United States, 21.31. Also: 4, David Storl, Germany, 21.09. 5, Tomasz Majewski, Poland, 20.93.

Javelin — 1, Abd Ihab El Rahman, Egypt, 89.21 meters. 2, Kim Amb, Sweden, 84.14. 3, Vitezslav Vesely, Czech Republic, 83.80.

Women

200 — 1, Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria, 22.36 seconds. 2, Anthonique Strachan, Bahamas, 22.50. 3, Kimberlyn Duncan, United States, 22.96. Also: 5, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica, 23.08. DNS: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica.

400 — 1, Novlene Williams-Mills, Jamaica, 50.31 seconds. 2, Amantle Montsho, Botswana, 50.37. 3, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Jamaica, 50.54. Also: 5, Allyson Felix, United States, 50.81.

1,500 — 1, Abeba Aregawi, Sweden, 3 minutes, 58.72 seconds. 2, Jennifer Simpson, United States, 4:00.42. 3, Sifan Hassan, Netherlands, 4:01.19.

3,000 Steeplechase — 1, Emma Coburn, United States, 9:19.80. 2, Sofia Assefa, Ethiopia, 9:25.76. 3, Hiwot Ayalew, Ethiopia, 9:27.25.

High Jump — 1, Ana Simic, Croatia, 1.97 meters. 2, Inika McPherson, United States, 1.92. 3, Ruth Beitia, Spain, 1.92.

Long Jump — 1, Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria, 6.86 meters. 2, Ivana Spanovic, Serbia, 6.85. 3, Sosthene Moguenara, Germany, 6.79.

Discus — 1, Sandra Perkovic, Croatia, 70.52 meters. 2, Dani Samuels, Australia, 67.89. 3, Melina Robert-Michon, France 62.66.

News Topics: Track and field, Men's track and field, Women's track and field, Men's sports, Sports, Women's sports

People, Places and Companies: Justin Gatlin, Nesta Carter, Michael Rodgers, Dayron Robles, Michael Tinsley, Renaud Lavillenie, Christian Cantwell, Ryan Whiting, David Storl, Tomasz Majewski, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Novlene Williams-Mills, Novlene Williams, Amantle Montsho, Allyson Felix, Jennifer Simpson, Emma Coburn, Sandra Perkovic, Shanghai, Ethiopia, Jamaica, France, Caribbean, China, Greater China, East Asia, Asia, East Africa, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, Western Europe, Europe

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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There's Something Wrong With Europe — But No One Can Agree What

Is the euro crisis over? To judge from how often the words appear in global media (down by three-quarters between early 2012 and early 2014), the answer is yes.

Markets have calmed since July 2012, when the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, promised to do "whatever it takes" to save the euro.

Ireland and now Portugal are climbing out of their bail-out programmes. Even Greece, where the crisis began, has just sold debt.

Yet, as these books all argue, the crisis was always about more than whether financial markets would buy government debt.

It raised broad worries over how countries with widely differing levels of prosperity, competitiveness, public spending and taxes, and regulation of labour and product markets, could share a currency without economic shocks blowing them apart. And it was about whether euro-zone voters would accept low growth, high unemployment and a permanent loss of sovereignty to the centre. None of these concerns has been fully dealt with.

Jean Pisani-Ferry, who now works in the French prime minister's office, was director of Bruegel, an influential Brussels think-tank during the crisis. His careful and persuasive book is an extensive updating of an essay published in French in 2011. And, although he is a supporter of the euro and of European integration, he describes thoroughly the hugely expensive mistakes made by Europe's leaders.

The biggest error was to misunderstand the underlying causes of the crisis. Because the first victim was Greece, it became accepted wisdom in Brussels (and Berlin) that the problem was profligate spending and borrowing.

The Germans liked this explanation because it confirmed the suspicions they had before the creation of the euro that they might be lumbered with other countries' debts. It also looked susceptible to a gratifyingly simple cure: ever more fiscal austerity. And it avoided any suggestion that Germany might have contributed to the crisis by running a large current-account surplus that its banks recycled in cheap loans to Mediterranean property developers.

Mr Pisani-Ferry offers a challenging alternative hypothesis. Suppose that the crisis had begun, as it might easily have done, in Ireland? It would then have been obvious that fiscal irresponsibility was not the culprit: Ireland had a budget surplus and very low debt. More to blame were economic imbalances, inflated property prices and dodgy bank loans. The priority should not have been tax rises and spending cuts, but reforms to improve competitiveness and a swift resolution of troubled banks, including German and French ones, that lent so irresponsibly.

Philippe Legrain, who once worked for The Economist, was another close observer of the euro crisis, as an economic adviser to the European Commission president, José Manuel Barroso. His conclusions are similar to Mr Pisani-Ferry's, if more stridently expressed. He is particularly good on (and particularly scathing about) the shortcomings of his own institution and the ECB. He is not popular in Brussels or Frankfurt.

Mr Legrain argues that Europe should have tackled its banks' problems much sooner than mid-2012, when it decided to create a (still incomplete) banking union. A big reason why America has recently grown faster than Europe is that it did more to sort out its banks in 2008-09. Mr Legrain is also right to criticise the ECB for its half-hearted bond purchases before July 2012, when it finally emerged as a proper lender of last resort. Only in the second part of his book, when he moves into broader topics such as education, innovation, climate change and democracy, culminating in his call for a "European spring", are his arguments sometimes less persuasive.

Both authors agree that the aftermath of the crisis is an unsatisfactory one that may not endure. Even if markets do not turn sour again, most of Europe seems stuck with low growth, high unemployment (especially for young people) and a horrible debt burden. The risk of a "lost decade" similar to Japan's in the 1990s is worryingly high. Worst of all is the broad disillusion of voters with the entire European project, which will be expressed in this month's European elections through big gains for populist and extremist parties.

Roger Bootle has similarly gloomy concerns about the state of the European project, but his conclusions strike a far more Euro-sceptical tone. He wants to reduce the role of Brussels and enhance that of governments, with a call to "renationalise Europe". He also believes that Britain, where David Cameron is threatening to hold an in/out referendum by 2017, is well-placed to push an agenda of reforms that turns the European project into little more than a somewhat expanded free-trade area — and that, if he does not succeed, Britain should leave the club (see box below).

What is striking is how much the authors agree about the failings of the EU and the euro, which is stuck in a half-completed house. Where they differ is in the solutions they propose. Europhiles want deeper integration and more centralised powers. That was proposed this spring by the German-led Glienicker group and by the French-led Eiffel Europe group. It is also backed by Loukas Tsoukalis, a Greek academic, in an essay, "The Unhappy State of the Union", published by London-based Policy Network.

Yet few voters feel warmly about ever closer union; many would agree with Mr Bootle that this aspiration of the original Treaty of Rome should be formally ditched. Nor do many welcome ever greater intrusion by Brussels and Frankfurt into domestic politics. A more plausible idea, backed by Mr Legrain, is to restore greater freedom to national governments but reinstate the principle that they will not be rescued by the centre if they get into trouble.

The biggest worry may stem from the perception that the crisis is over. This is likely to slow or even stop further reforms. If that happens, the EU and the euro will get into trouble again — and the outcome next time could be even worse.

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New market study, "Greece Commercial Construction: Market Update", has been published

18.05.2014 16:34:15 - Recently published research from Timetric, "Greece Commercial Construction: Market Update", is now available at Fast Market Research (live-PR.com) - This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the ...

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Car Crash Claims Olympic Medalist

Greek gymnast Anna Pollatou, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, was killed in a car crash on May 17, local media reported.

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Greece Offers Social Tourism Vouchers

The Greek government now is again offering free vacations to 100,000 employees, unemployed and pensioners who can't afford one.

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The eurozone's problems have not gone away, and elections won't change much

Mainstream parties will still be in charge, and Europe will condemn itself to an even longer period of economic stagnation

Europe goes to the polls this week and the mood is sour. It is sour among voters and it is sour in the markets, where the sell-off at the end of last week was prompted by fears that the election results would open a new chapter in the eurozone crisis.

This looks all too likely. Despite all the bullish talk in recent months, the problems of the eurozone have not gone away. The single currency's weaker members, such as Greece, Spain and Italy, found it easier for a while to sell their bonds at lower interest rates. But that was largely due to the generosity of the Federal Reserve, which flooded the global economy with dollars through its quantitative easing programme.

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Greece confident about exit from debt crisis

Athens, May 18 (IANS) Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras Sunday voiced confidence about the country's exit from a painful four-year debt crisis, as the first round of local elections got underway. "In a democratic manner and with unity we are exiting the ...

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Mixed-doubles gold for Magees in Greece

Chloe Magee lost out in the singles final of the Greece Open but bounced back to take mixed doubles gold with brother Sam. Magee was first on court today against number one seed Linda Zetchiri of Bulgaria. The final had followed the seeding as Magee, who ...

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Greek Election Day: Samaras’ Coalition Faces Tough Mid-Term Challenge

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ fragile coalition of his New Democracy Conservatives and partner the PASOK Socialists faced a stern test as Greeks went to the polls on May 18 in municipal elections. The day didn’t start well: PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, who was named Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister after backing austerity measures that saw his party plummet in the polls, was booed when he went to vote, while major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras was applauded. Surveys show New Democracy with a slight edge entering the first day of two rounds of voting – the second to coincide on May 25 with balloting for the European Parliament that give SYRIZA the edge. The elections come at the crucial mid-way point for Samaras’ coalition, two years after he was elected without enough of the vote to control Parliament without the help of PASOK, and of another then-partner, the Democratic Left (DIMAR), which left last year after refusing to back worker firings at the state broadcaster ERT which was shut down and replaced. The government has continued to back big pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and worker firings that have created record unemployment and deep poverty and Tsipras is trying to make the elections a referendum on the austerity measures. Greece is surviving on what’s left of two bailouts of 240 billion euros ($330.7 billion) from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) and Samaras is pinning his hopes on a message of stability and recovery, four years after the rescue began. But PASOK has had to align itself to a new center-left political movement called Elia, or Olive Tree, that is showing at 7 percent or less in surveys while Venizelos has warned the coalition would fall without him. “In these four years, austerity policies have caused the greatest humanitarian crisis the country ever suffered,” Tsipras said this week. “The government named this dramatic situation a success story.” In municipal and regional elections,  center-left-backed incumbents are seen as favorites to win the major cities of Athens and Thessaloniki. Samaras has played down fears that an expected poor showing by his Socialist partners on May 25 could undermine the coalition’s legitimacy — it has only a majority of two in the 300-seat parliament. “There was government stability during hard times,” Samaras said in an interview with private Antenna TV. “Under no circumstances is that stability under threat after the elections.” An Alco poll for Proto Thema newspaper gave SYRIZA 23.4 percent of the vote, compared to the conservatives’ 22 percent. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party polled at 7.3 percent and the Socialists at 5.1 percent. Another factor could be the new populist, anti-politician To Potami (The River) party of former TV presenter Stavros Theodorakis as Golden Dawn strugges with all its 18 Members of Parliamen either arrested or jailed while awaiting trial on charges of running a criminal gang. Before the financial crisis forced them to share power, the conservatives and the Socialists combined accounted for nearly 80 percent of the vote — while SYRIZA had only about 5 percent before rising on the backs of an anti-austerity message that weary Greeks have embraced. “Mr. Tsipras was brought to the foreground by the crisis,” Samaras said. “When the crisis ends, he, too, will disappear.” Political analyst Thomas Gerakis of Marc Institute told Agence France Presse:.”Even though the vote has local characteristics, in essence this is a test of forces between those who tolerate the government’s policies and those seeking to send a message of protest.” REFERENDUM OF REPUDIATION? The biggest test though could be the May 25 European Union ballot which Tsipiras said would show voters disdain for austerity and repudiate Greece’s ruling parties so much that it would bring down the coalition and force early national elections before the government’s term runs out in 2016. He said if he comes to power he would seek to revise the terms of the bailouts or default, a prospect terrifying EU leaders and those in the Eurozone, such as Germany, which has put up much of the bailouts but demanded austerity in return. Samaras said Tsipras would stop Greece’s burgeoning recovery in its tracks and bring chaos while Tsipras said the EU would be forced to give Greece better terms and relieve a burden on the populace. Tsipras said last week that, “Our goal is (on May 25) to record a major victory… so that on (May 26) the government will leave.” “It’s certain that the local government vote will affect European elections,” Kostas Panagopoulos, head of Alco polling company told the Bloomberg news agency. “It’s the first time we have local government elections a week before European elections.” A total of about 9.9 million Greeks will choose their local representatives in the country’s 13 prefectures and 56 municipalities with vote beginning at 7 a.m. and finishing at 7 p.m. Athens time. If the leading candidate fails to secure more than 50 percent in any one vote, a runoff election between those in the first two positions will be held May 25. Local government and European elections will cost the Greek state 75 million euros ($102.9 million), according to Interior Ministry figures. A majority of 54 percent in a GPO poll said the national political situation would be the main factor in their voting, while 42 percent said they’d be more swayed by local problems. GPO surveyed 1,000 people for Mega TV between April 30 and May 5. What’s at stake in these elections is for Greece to “get rid of bailouts,” Nikos Voutsis, General Secretary of SYRIZA’s parliamentary group, told Bloomberg. “Election results will bring political developments as soon as June.” Injecting national issues into local politics makes it harder for local officials to do their jobs, said Dora Bakoyiannis, a former mayor of Athens from Samaras’ New Democracy party. “Local government is a place for cooperation not exclusion,” Bakoyiannis told the news agency. “I deeply believe we should avoid trying to exploit the results of the local government elections. And this applies to all parties.” She returned to the party after she was unexpectedly toppled for its leadership – and the Prime Minister candidacy – by Samaras, leading her to form a new party with only a handful of followers. Since coming back she has been largely invisible after once being a dominant player in Greek politics.      

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Greeks Cast Ballots in Local Elections

Greeks headed to the voting booths for the first of three indirect electoral tests this week and next, with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras facing what is seen as a referendum of sorts on his two-party government.

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Greek Coalition Faces Election Test

Greece's rickety coalition government faces its first electoral test in local and regional voting May 18 — followed in a week by the nationwide European parliamentary elections.

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Turkey Lauds Biden Cyprus Visit

Turkey says U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to ethnically split Cyprus next week sends an important message of support for renewed talks aimed at unifying the island.

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Panathinaikos Loses Game, Wins Title

Panathinaikos won the Greek league playoffs for the second Champions League berth despite a 1-0 away loss to PAOK on May 17. Zvonimir Vukic scored for PAOK.

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Greek Water Sell-Off Vote Unlawful

Greece's second largest city, and 10 municipalities comprising the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area, will vote May 25 on whether to sell the water authority.

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Greece: Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos votes for local elections

Please note: the text contained in "Greece: Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos votes for local elections" has not been corrected, edited or verified by Demotix and is the raw text submitted by the photojournalist. All views and opinions expressed are ...

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Local ballots test Greek government, ahead of EU vote

Greece's embattled government faces a first test in municipal and regional elections on Sunday, a week ahead of EU polls, as the country struggles to return to growth following years of economic crisis.

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Samaras Says Coalition Will Win Elections, Broaden

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said his New Democracy Conservatives and coalition partner PASOK Socialists will hold together to win elections for Greek municipalities and the European Parliament, but hinted he might need to bring another party into the administration. The municipal elections on May 18 will decide races for mayors, regional governors and other offices and polls show New Democracy has a slight lead over the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) that is opposed to the austerity measures Samaras imposed on the orders of international lenders. Surveys for the May 25 ballot for the European Parliament, however, show SYRIZA with a bigger lead than New Democracy has in the local races and all the polls show PASOK fading to the bottom despite tying itself to a new center-left political movement of intellectual and academics called Elia, or Olive Tree. The local elections will have a second round on May 25 as well. With speculation growing about whether the New Democracy-PASOK government would be able to survive damaging results in the European polls, Samaras and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, who is his Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister, said the coalition would hold but need might help. “An increasing number of people realize that the current government has to complete its task and to see out its four-year term,” Samaras said in an interview with Proto Thema newspaper. “Even MPs who did not vote with us recently can see this.” It was not clear if Samaras was referring to Democratic Left (DIMAR) and its 14 MPs, which left the government in 2013, or some of the independent lawmakers, who now number 20. He also said he believes that the ultra-far right Golden Dawn will gradually lose support. The extremists have been running in a tight race for third with the new populist, anti-political movement called To Potami (The River) that was formed by former TV presenter Stavros Theodorakis. Venizelos, under siege in his own party for taking it to 3-5 percent support, had warned the government could not stand without him, leading critics to say he was trying to blackmail voters with fear-mongering that a SYRIZA win could undermine the government and lead to early national elections before 2016. A poll carried out by e-Voice for the paraskhnio.gr news website put New Democracy at 23.1 percent and SYRIZA at 22.2 percent followed by the Olive Tree alliance at 7.3 percent. Alco put SYRIZA at 23.4 percent, ahead of ND with 22 percent. Olive Tree came fifth with 5.1 percent. A poll by Palmos Analysis for TVXS.gr puts SYRIZA way ahead of New Democracy with 25.4 percent to the Conservatives’ 20.3 percent. PASOK’s alliance was in fifth with 4.9 percent. Venizelos also ruled out the possibility of snap elections but warned voters that they would have to send a clear message at the ballot box. “Citizens should know that their votes will be interpreted in various ways,” he said on Alpha 98.9 FM. “It is up to them to vote in a way that is not open to interpretation.” Samaras and Venizelos also launched attacks on SYRIZA and its leader Alexis Tsipras, who on May 15 took part in a five-way debate in Brussels with his rival candidates for the European Commission Presidency. One of the candidates, former Eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker who helped oversee 240 billion euros ($330.7 billion) in two bailouts from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB), also warned Greeks not to vote for SYRIZA, which opposes the pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and worker firings that Juncker backed. He told Euro2day.gr that Tsipras was not suitable to be prime minister and that he would have a fraught relationship with the European Union, which would “be a big danger for Greece.” SYRIZA responded by claiming European officials were “used to dealing with Greek prime ministers that were subservient,” and said: “They have to understand that those days are gone and will not be coming back.” Voters will pick candidates running in country’s 13 regions and 325 municipalities. New Democracy is backing ex-MEP Giorgos Koumotsakos and former basketball coach Yiannis Ioannidis for the country’s two main governorships, Attica and Central Macedonia, Greece. PASOK is supporting incumbent Yiannis Sgouros in Attica, while SYRIZA is hoping the ex-MP Rena Dourou will be able to spring a surprise in the Greater Athens area. In Athens, independent Mayor Giorgos Kaminis, who has the backing of PASOK and DIMAR, will be battling against New Democracy’s Aris Spiliotopoulos and SYRIZA’s Gavriil Sakelaridis, as well as Golden Dawn’s spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, who, along with his party’s other 18 lawmakers, has been arrested and charged with running a criminal gang. In Thessaloniki another independent, Yiannis Boutaris, will be hoping to hold on to his post, against the challenge of New Democracy-backed Stavros Kalafatis.

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Greek burger toppings recipes

Greek Burger Toppings Cool Cucumber & Feta: 1 tablespoon chopped red onion 1 tablespoon chopped cucumber 2 tablespoons feta 2...

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Party like a Greek

Party like a GreekCasper Star-Tribune OnlineOpa! It's time to party like a Greek. Get your tickets now for the annual Greek dinner-dance. Our celebration takes place at the Parkway Plaza Hotel, (123 West “E” Street in Casper), Saturday, June 7. The festivities begin at 6 p.m., with a welcome ...

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Ancient Greek Theater in Syracuse

Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, southern Italy, famous for its Greek culture and history. It was founded by the ancient Corinthians and Teneans and was one of the most powerful city-state of Magna Graecia (Great Greece). One of the city’s most ...

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Photos: Greek fest at St. Sophia

Photos: Greek fest at St. SophiaAlbany Times UnionThe St. Sophia Greek Festival was held Saturday at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany. The event continues from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. There is free parking and a shuttle from Center for Disability Services on South Manning Boulevard. Printable ...and more »

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Photo Flash: First Look at IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME, Extended thru May 23 at Old Mill Theatre

Following a successful three-week season, an extra performance of It's All Greek To Me has been scheduled for 8pm, Friday, May 23. Typically used to highlight not understanding, the phrase "it's all Greek to me" now lends itself to the title of a play ...

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11 municipalities in northern Greece to hold unofficial referendum on water privatization

by  Associated Press Referendum on water sell-off is not sanctioned Associated Press - 17 May 2014 17:09-04:00

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greece's second largest city, and 10 of the other 13 municipalities comprising the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area, will hold a "referendum" on whether to privatize the Thessaloniki Water Authority (EYATH) on Sunday, despite a government warning that it considers the poll to be illegal.

The first round of elections for municipal and provincial councils takes place Sunday.

Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis, in a circular, has warned that the mayors could not set up polling booths inside the regular polling stations to hold their referendum. A Thessaloniki prosecutor has also warned that using the official election roll calls in the "referendum" is a crime punishable with prison.

The mayors say they will set up polling booths on the sidewalks outside polling stations and use resident registers supplied by the municipalities.

News Topics: General news, Municipal governments, Local governments, Government and politics

People, Places and Companies: Greece, Thessaloniki, Western Europe, Europe

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Panathinaikos wins playoffs despite loss to PAOK

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Panathinaikos won the Greek league playoffs for the second Champions League berth despite a 1-0 away loss to PAOK on Saturday.

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Referendum on water sell-off is not sanctioned

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greece's second largest city, and 10 of the other 13 municipalities comprising the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area, will hold a "referendum" on whether to privatize the Thessaloniki Water Authority (EYATH) on Sunday, despite a government warning that it considers the poll to be illegal.

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Greek gods and Disney villains:

Spider-Man, Godzilla and Captain America were all very wise to get a head start on the competition. With the summer months comes the traditional barrage of comic-book hero battle royales, science-fiction spectaculars, broad comedies, kid-friendly ...

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Pontian Genocide Commemorated in New York Metropolitan Area

TNH Staff Writer NEW YORK – The genocide against the Greeks of Pontos was commemorated at the Greek Press and Communication Office on May 16, 95 years after its most harrowing events, with a program of cultural and scholarly presentations presented by the Consulate General of Greece in NY in coordination with The Pan-Pontian Federation of USA & Canada and the Press Office. […]

The post Pontian Genocide Commemorated in New York Metropolitan Area appeared first on The National Herald.

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FUND FOCUS: Greece gets fund's vote as Europe emerges from currency crisis

Millions of voters will head for the polls later this week to select Euro MPs – including the Greeks, whose financial woes have been among the deepest in the eurozone. But Barry Norris, manager of the Argonaut Absolute Return Fund, believes that despite ...

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