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Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Monday, January 26, 2015

IMF Ready to Continue Support for Greece

The International Monetary Fund has said it is ready to extend its financial support for Greece. "We stand ready to continue supporting Greece, and look forward to discussions with the new government," IMF chief Christine Lagarde said in a statement on Monday, according to The Financial Times. The statement of the IMF Managing Director came against the backdrop of anti-austerity party Syriza winning Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Greece. Syriza, which won 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, chose the right-wing Independent Greeks (Anel) as a coalition partner. Syriza has condemned the austerity measures imposed by the troika (IMF, European Central Bank (ECB), European Union) in Greece.


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Eurogroup awaits decisions from Greek government

President of the Eurogroup insists that Greece must abide by existing agreements, but signals willingness to be pragmatic.


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Greece hands eurozone a fresh serving of uncertainty

Source: www.cbc.ca - Monday, January 26, 2015 Greece awoke this morning to a new era, after voters handed a historic victory to the far-left Syriza party, but it's far from clear what the vote will mean for the eurozone.All Related


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Will Spain, Italy and France Follow the Greek Revolt Against Austerity?

ATHENS -- In the weeks before the sweeping victory of radical left Syriza, pre-election dinner parties organized in posh Athenian neighborhoods had a mocking theme: "Let's eat our last supper, before the commies come and take away our houses, bank accounts, etc." It was a repetition of the 1981 scare-rhetoric, when Pasok came to power and promised to redistribute wealth, creating similar fears among the upper classes. Nothing of that sort happened. The Greek bourgeoisie survived two decades of Pasok reign unscratched. Many see Syriza as Pasok reborn, a new Volkspartei, which promised too much during the campaign, only to be abruptly confronted with the reality after the election. The U-turn is already obvious in the words of Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras: once he ironically called the German chancellor "Madame Merkel" and accused her of leading the Greek people into hell. In more recent comments he attributed Ms. Merkel's obsession with austerity to her Protestant ethic and her rigidness in observing the rules. A German journalist I spoke with recently predicted the German chancellor wouldn't have such of a hard time with Syriza's leader: "She managed to exterminate all enemies of her own party, beginning with Helmut Kohl and ending with Karl-Theodor zu Gutenberg. She will eat Mr. Tsipras for breakfast," he predicted. "The Greeks expect Tsipras to scale back demands." Merkel herself said that Tsipras would scale back the demands that have put him on a collision course with creditors. That's what the majority of Greek people expect from him and that's why many of the voters supported him: in the expectation that he wouldn't do what he pledged to. This Doctor Jekyll/Mr. Hyde attitude of the Greek electorate reflects the persistently high percentage of people who favor remaining in the Eurozone. It also explains the carte blanche now given to Syriza's expensive economic program that puts Greece at risk of a clash with the troika and paves the way for a "Grexit." The two-month-extension of the current program (which the previous government achieved in order to finalize negotiations with the troika) expires at the end of February. Liquidity is running out, given the extensive deposit withdrawals over the last weeks due to political uncertainty (2,5 billion Euros in a month). Many taxpayers refused to pay their debts to the tax authority in the prospect of a Syriza win, as the radical left pledged to scrap an unpopular property tax (ENFIA). Investors are unwilling to put their money in a fragile economy that could end up not being part of the Eurozone in a few months time. Unemployment remains very high (25,8 percent in October 2014), although there were some encouraging signs in the data last published. The success story of a budget surplus, which the previous government tried to tell, is beginning to show cracks. Its timing is very unfortunate: Greece could be a breath away from recovery and find itself facing a Grexit. The big question is how good a diplomat Mr. Tsipras is. How will he find common ground with the EU, the ECB and the IMF without angering his electorate and the left wing of Syriza, which consists of Maoists, Trotskyists and Eurosceptics. Yannis Varoufakis, an economics professor tipped to be the next finance minister, famously told a journalist that if ECB head, Mario Draghi doesn't give in to Syriza's demands, Mr. Tsipras should hang up the phone on him. But now that Syriza has seized power, a standoff with Mr. Draghi looks highly unlikely. On the contrary: His offer of a Greek participation in the QE, providing the country sticks to its bailout program, could provide the essential incentive for a future compromise by the new Greek government. Mr. Tsipras could show some symbolic gestures (by reopening ERT, the public broadcasting corporation, rehiring the 600 cleaning ladies of the economy minister or increasing the tax for higher incomes) and backpedal on other issues (namely the minimum wage and the re-regulation of the labor market), which could prove a casus belli for the creditors. "Spain, France and Italy could follow." During the election campaign, there was a cacophony of contradicting opinions coming from Syriza candidates. Nobody knows for sure who spoke the truth. The aforementioned Mr. Varoufakis, who favors a chicken game with Draghi? The left-wing hardliner, Mr. Panagiotis Lafazanis, who doesn't consider the Drachma a taboo? Ms. Nadia Valavani, who could become the next minister of foreign affairs and has said that, once in power, her party would ask for a program extension? Or Mr. George Stathakis, a possible development minister, who finds a debt re-profiling more realistic than a haircut. The strong mandate he got from the polls, has put a burden on Mr. Tsipras to fulfill the great expectations he produced. He gave hope to people that were reeling from the worst economic crisis in the post-war period, in a country that has lost a quarter of its 2008 GDP and entered its sixth year of depression. He has to live up to the pan-European hype he created, becoming an icon for the radical left in the EU. If he succeeds, the Spanish Podemos, the French Front National and Italy's Bepe Grillo could all follow suit and question Berlin's fiscal orthodoxy. The much feared domino effect set off by Greece at the outset of euro crisis in 2010, could now materialize in another way. This piece also appeared in The European.


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Tsipras Promises A New Greece

The final election result has just been announced, late at night, and Alexis Tsipras is on his way to Propylaea for his scheduled victory speech. With slightly trembling hands, he opens the blue folder he has in front of him and takes out the speech he has prepared for the occasion. His speech is encouraging and carefully worded as he knows that every word will be placed under the microscope. He concludes and steps away. The crowds below rejoice and dance. Tsipras suddenly turns on his heel and shouts: "the people have a right to celebrate and dance, they deprived us of this for five years." Regardless of whom one supports or votes for, over the past five years Greeks have lived their lives feeling at best worried and numb in the midst of uncertainty, and at worst penniless and without any sense of security or prospects. As a friend pointed out, it is as if we have been condemned to living within the confines of a hospital room, holding the bedridden patient's hand. We saw the first memorandum being signed hastily, just before we went bankrupt, we saw our lives become dependent on the Troika's will to let us have the next dose of drugs that would keep the patient alive. We are a proud and hard-working people who saw our lives change abruptly, with the introduction of strict austerity measures. The new Prime Minister is promising to change all that. Or to try to change it, both domestically and abroad. Domestically, he is presented with a unique opportunity, because people seem to be on his side. The Huffington Post's exit polls showed that 10 percent of the world believes a government with Syriza as its core will be better placed to negotiate on a political and economic level. He has a political opportunity before him, as it will be some time before New Democracy, the main opposition party, will regroup and reorganize itself. Economic restrictions are still stifling. The new government's finance team will probably have to ask for an extension of the bailout deal, in order to give itself time for renewed negotiations, as the new government claims it is going to do. But we do not yet know what the reaction from foreign lenders will be. EuroGroup ministers speak of a relentless struggle between market powers. They believe the economic crisis is so big it could "gobble up" the next Prime Minister. We do not yet know whether Europe itself or the whole of Europe wants to change. It has become quite clear over the past few years that Europe's economic foundations are fragile. What we do not know is whether the "slice of Europe that is changing will meet with the other peoples of Europe," as the new Prime Minister said in the speech he gave at Propylaea square. Greek history has shown that new political powers and ideas surface when the country comes out of a crisis. We do not know yet what point we are at, but what is certain is that we are going through a transition phase. So perhaps the phrase from Alexis Tsipras speech that was little commented upon but which should stick in our minds for the time being, is this: "Greece is asking for space and time." This post originally appeared on HuffPost Greece and was translated into English.


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Germans Weigh Response to Likely Demands of New Greek PM

The newly elected government in Greece will test the patience of its German creditors with its demands for more financial help


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Oliver Stone tweets: Syriza victory 'strong energy for change'

The famous American director Oliver Stone wrote for the Greek elections on his twitter account: "Great news - vistory of the Syriza Party in Greece", while referring to the leader of Syriza he wrote that he is "a ...


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Greece warned as new PM sworn in

GREECE’S new anti-austerity prime minister has been sworn in, amid warnings the nation could be booted from the eurozone if it doesn’t pay its debts.


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Greek debt reduction 'not on radar': European Commission chief

Berlin (AFP) - EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned Monday that Greece cannot expect any reduction of its huge debt commitments after the far-left, anti-austerity Syriza party won a stunning election victory."There is no urgent need for action" on Greece's debt, Juncker told German television station ARD, adding that a reduction of the debt "is not on the radar"."I don't think there's a majority in the Eurogroup... for a reduction of the debt," he said, referring to the eurozone's finance ministers.The head of the Eurogroup, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, warned Greece earlier that the problems facing the Greek economy had "not disappeared" with Syriza's victory.Juncker, who spoke Monday with Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras to congratulate him on becoming prime minister, said the Mediterranean country would have to "move towards the commitments" it had taken previously in respect of its massive bailouts by the EU and the International Monetary Fund.Juncker vowed to work with Athens "in the interest of all" to consolidate "the considerable progress of the past few years.""We mustn't turn the clock back now but work on this basis to enable further progress -- helping Greece to have more growth, more jobs, more investment."Join the conversation about this story »


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Greek F-16 jet crashes at base, killing 10, Spain officials say

A Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into other planes on the ground during NATO maneuvers in southeastern Spain Monday, killing at least 10 people, Spain's Defense Ministry said.


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Dijsselbloem: Greek issue will be looked into in mid-Feb.

Eurogroup leader states that the new government needs time - Schauble : Commitments must be observed - Pasus Coelho : Athens shouldn't defy European rules whatsoever


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Lagarde states ready to support Greece

“Awaiting discussions with the new government”, says the Head of International Monetary Fund


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Hopes of Spain's anti-austerity party Podemos fired by Greek result

Syriza's victory in Athens has encouraged the radical Spanish party to believe its left-wing agenda can bring similar success


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After Winning Over Voters, Greece’s New Government Must Face Creditors

The new prime minister’s promise to end austerity, renegotiate Greece’s bailout and reduce the country’s debt burden may be hard to fulfill.


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Germany will relent on Greek debt – and Europe will suffer

Alexis Tsipras has inflicted another defeat on Berlin. Merkel is no longer Empress Angela, and the real problems await in France and ItalySo Alex the Greek won, and the euro lost. Not quite. In fact, the bulk of euroland – the “Club Med” countries plus the mainstream left – are quietly triumphant. The southern tier and Europe’s social democratic parties never liked the diktat of the Germans, who have been cracking the whip of fiscal discipline and market-oriented reforms since the great crash of 2008. For years they have all preached cheap money and unfettered deficit spending.Now Berlin’s critics feel vindicated and emboldened by the victory of Greece’s far-out left (Syriza), which will form a government with the equally radical right (Independent Greeks). Athens, so they calculate, will finally break Angela Merkel’s stranglehold, her fingers already pried loose by Mario Draghi when the European Central Bank opened the flood gates of quantitative easing, which will gush forth masses of money at the lowest rates in history. Continue reading...


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Greece’s new coalition tasks: Cabinet, new Parliament, Vote of Confidence, Presidential Election

The very first challenge Greece’s new coalition government has to deal with is the Presidential election. But before this procedure is launched, other modalities have to be settled: form the cabinet, open the Parliament, get a vote of confidence. Cabinet The names of the ministers to form Greece’s new cabinet […]


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Greek coalition braces for debt showdown as Germany rattles sabre

The new Greece of Alexis Tsipras will run out of money by early March. It will then face a series of escalating crunch points that will end in default and a return to the drachma unless it can reach a deal with EU creditors. Greece must repay €3.4bn to ...


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Demis Roussos dead at 68 

The Greek singer, who was best-known for his hits Forever and Ever and Goodbye died in an Athens hospital early on Sunday morning following a lengthy stay where he was treated for an undisclosed illness.


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WorldViews: Greece’s new prime minister wants Germany to pay for Nazi war crimes

After the seismic victory of Greece’s leftist Syriza party in national polling Sunday, the country’s new prime minister, 40-year-old Alexis Tsipras, is leading all of Europe down an uncertain path.Syriza has vowed  to renegotiate the crippling debts saddled on the Greek economy by European lenders — a move that some fear could threaten the unity of the eurozone. Tsipras and his allies, meanwhile, see their ascension as a historic opportunity, as WorldViews discussed here.Read full article


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10 killed, 13 hurt in jet crash at military base in Spain

Greek F-16 jet crashes into other aircraft on the ground during NATO training in southeastern Spain


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Eurozone leaders reject Greek debt relief demands

Eurozone leaders gave short shrift to the debt-relief demands of Greece's far-left Syriza government on Monday even as they hinted at a possible ...


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Greece's taxman turned politican

Greece's most unpopular man appears to have won enough votes to become a new member of parliament.


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Eurozone : Greece must repay loans

Ed AdamczykBERLIN, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- European leaders said Greece is expected to honor its debts, even in the face of a weekend election in which an anti-austerity party was swept into power.


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Demis Roussos’ Bitterness for his Beloved Greece

Demis Roussos, who died yesterday morning at the age of 68, was an internationally acclaimed singer who always kept Greece in his heart and mind, and made significant efforts to promote the country and its civilization abroad. Yet, within Greece, when he offered to help in the country’s promotion through his reputation and international acquaintances network, received a resounding “No.” In an interview with EGO magazine, Roussos referred to his greatest discontent from his beloved homeland. “Many years ago, I visited Anna Diamantopoulou, who at the time was holding office at the Environment Ministry. I talked to her about the great Cretan food treasures and how the Greek state could build on them in order to make profit. I volunteered to advertise this effort for free and in a worldwide scale. She told me that nothing could be done and referred to private initiative, bureaucracy… I thanked her and I left,” he characteristically said a couple of years ago. Referring to a second similar incident, Roussos said: “Some years ago, I received a phone call from the French second state TV channel regarding a great tribute to me by a Sunday program being watched by half the French people. I suggested that the shooting could take place in Greece. We would set a couch on the main stage of Herodes Atticus theater. We would make a video with the most beautiful parts of our country and have the appropriate guests. I went to Antonis Samaras’ office, who was Culture Minister then, where he joyfully received me and instructed his associates to help me. However, when the French TV crew arrived, they did not let them do anything. What else to say?”


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New Greek Cabinet Likely to Be Announced on Tuesday, Senior SYRIZA Source Says

Forming a government will be the first priority of new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, with the announcement and swearing-in of the new cabinet likely to be completed by Tuesday afternoon, a senior SYRIZA source said on Monday. In any case, the new government will be formed by Wednesday at the latest, the same source added. SYRIZA sources also indicated that Tsipras does not intend to include any members of “To Potami” party in his cabinet, nor ask for anything from the other parties. They said the government will present its positions and the legislation it has pledged to pass and let the other parties “take responsibility” for their actions. The new Prime Minister of Greece is also determined to insist on a “lean” cabinet and has prepared a plan for the necessary legal steps to merge Ministries and services. In regards to the people who will join the new government, the SYRIZA sources said that these will be up to the challenges faced by the country at this crucial time while also expressing the party’s ideological tendencies to the greatest possible extent. Regarding the reactions from abroad, SYRIZA said there was intense international activity regarding the positions that the new Greek government will present, both on the matter of negotiations with the lenders and its broader strategy on foreign policy and international relations. They noted messages arriving at the party from France, Russia and the European Commission, and said that these indicated a readiness for negotiations with the new Greek government, while the phone call put to Tsipras by French President Francois Hollande was described by SYRIZA sources as “particularly warm.” They said that the new Premier will make “every effort” to accept Hollande’s invitation to visit Paris for bilateral talks before the upcoming EU summit and noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s letter of congratulations to Tsipras, conveyed by the Russian ambassador, had also been warm in tone. Finally, they said that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in his letter congratulating Tsipras on his party’s electoral victory, had stressed the need to “promote sustainable solutions for employment and growth, while at the same time ensuring fiscal stability,” and noted that this was a challenge faced by all the EU. Juncker also stated that the European Commission “was ready to continue helping Greece to achieve these goals”. (source: ana-mpa)


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Mitsotakis OK After Heart Surgery

HANIA, Greece – Former Greek Prime Minister Constantinos Mitsotakis, who’s also the Honorary President of the New Democracy Conservatives, was fitted with a pacemaker on Jan. 26 and hospitalized. Mitsotakis was said to be feeling unwell the day before and doctors at the hospital found that his heart rate had slowed and needed assistance. Medics […] The post Mitsotakis OK After Heart Surgery appeared first on The National Herald.


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ETFs Moving On Greek Election

The Greek vote is in and the results were not a surprise; Syriza won the majority of votes and will take over the country. The news initially sent stocks around the globe lower; however, by the time the ...


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10 die in F-16 NATO exercise

Ten people have died after a Greek air force F-16 jet crashed at a base in Los Llanos in southeastern Spain, a senior Spanish defense official told CNN.


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No debt forgiveness for Greece, say eurozone finance bosses

The eurozone has ruled out debt forgiveness for Greece and warned its new anti-austerity coalition government must honour all past agreements with international creditors. Euro area ministers met in Brussels on Monday and tempered election congratulations ...


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PM: Greece is leaving austerity

The leader of the left-wing Syriza party Alexis Tsipras is sworn in as Greece's new Prime Minister after forming a coalition with the right-wing Independent Greeks party -- but how will the debt-laden state satisfy promises on ending austerity?


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Back to the Future: Capitalizing on the Traditional Greek Diet is a Key Part of Solving the Crisis for Greeks

As early as the 4th century B.C., Hippocrates from Cos, the ancient Greek physician who is considered the founding father of western medicine, was spreading the word about the unquestionable value of a healthy diet, writing characteristically: "Let food be the medicine and medicine be the food." Today, more than two and one-half millennia later, and after a plethora of epidemiological studies that are undeniably in favor of his sayings, the interrelated epidemics of obesity and diabetes are growing rapidly both in USA and in Europe. As a result, we witness a rapid and massive wave turning back towards the health benefits of the traditional Greek Mediterranean Diet. The underlying dietary principles of Greece's traditional diet are incorporated into formal nutritional guidelines and used by many major health organizations. In addition, food products in supermarkets, restaurants and health clubs are highlighting their "Greekness" (real or not) so as to persuade the public of their high nutritional value and in an attempt to capitalize on this popular trend. It is becoming crystal clear, based on the perfect agreement between the scientific community and the market that the Greek Mediterranean Diet is a sector with a huge potential that needs to be utilized and exploited as a natural resource which can help solve the Greek economic crisis; one that Greeks painfully have experienced too closely in the last years. Realizing the convergence of market trends and scientific knowledge around this Greek natural resource stands, the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency (OEMR) at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) as a part of the OEMR's ongoing Initiative for Productivity and Health Management in collaboration with the PBS show, The Cooking Odyssey, organized a two-day Conference on "Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health". This unique and innovative conference featured lectures, panels, and selected chef-supervised meals aiming to increase awareness, appeal, and understanding of Greek Mediterranean dietary habits as a vehicle for improved workplace health. An associated Greek food/wine expo was also held as a way to increase the reputation of Greek products and boost Greek tourism among Americans. The Conference Chairs welcomed more than 125 participants from 9 different countries across the globe as well as throughout the USA. There was representation from 13 different universities such as Harvard, John Hopkins's, and the University of Pennsylvania along with a plethora of disciplines such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, fitness, government & military, fire/ police, labor, academics, food service , and gastronomy. Moreover, the participation of members of top international companies such as Proctor & Gamble, General Electric, and Johnson & Johnson further contributed to a broad interest in the happenings of the conference from many different perspectives. Commercial support for the academic conference and expo was provided by names well-known in Greece (e.g. FAGE USA, Chateau NicoLazardi, and the Greek National Tourism Office) as well as smaller enterprises from Greece and the Greek-American community. These ground-breaking events in Boston were considered to be an unquestionable success, focused to a great extent on emphasizing to the three basic pillars that uniquely surround the Greek Diet; the history, the culture, as well as the scientific evidence in favor of it. Harvard Professors, Dr. Walter Willett and others, provided an in-depth summary of the major epidemiologic evidence of the last decades indicating the unquestionable benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Dr. Willett further elaborated on Mediterranean Diet patterns as the "Rolls Royce" of healthy eating habits as supported by their association with better health status, greater longevity, and positive effects on chronic diseases. This two-day symposium managed not only to greatly and effectively disseminate the current knowledge regarding Greek Mediterranean Diet, but also to combine all this knowledge and expertise with hands-on, live tasting of traditional and health-conscious Greek food and wine. Two Greek chefs of worldwide-renown, Michael Psillakis and Dianne Kochilas, served as key conference faculty, and together with Harvard's chefs and local and international Greek businesses brought the conference participants in touch with the fascinating combination of flavors and sensations that make the Greek diet so unique. Therefore, this first attempt at bridging taste and health Greek-style made the pallets of a Fire Chief from Alabama, a student from Japan and a doctor from Canada all succumb favorably to the tastes and colors of Greek dishes. This experience proved that healthy eating could also be delicious and fun. On the top of this, a critical part of this unbelievable success was the fact that this multicultural group of people not only started to have some knowledge around the principles of Greek Mediterranean Diet but also around the potential to apply the basic nutritional principles to other non-Mediterranean cuisines as well. We are confident that this type of knowledge translation could assist people from different backgrounds create gradually the necessary consciousness to apply the principles of Greek diet in their personal lives at home and work, while also serving better meals for their children. We strongly believe that now is the time when the reigns of this colossal effort should be reverted to the place where everything started, to Greece, "where it all began." It is time that the international terrain is mature enough, to embrace more and more Greek traditional eating, based not only on agreement among top professors and chefs, but also after witnessing a gigantic demand in the market. Greek foods are becoming a trend around the world and with great timing, so as to be able to give the opportunity to Greeks to utilize their natural resource and create sustainable paths that will lead the crisis to its end. It is well known that times of crisis are characterized by huge risk, but also by unbelievably huge opportunities. So, let's have Greece grasp this enormous opportunity and make herself the ambassador who will help everyone around the world to eat better and live healthier by exploring the best hidden secrets of the Greek gastronomy. Therefore, we believe authorities within Greece should take the initiative and boost actively the consumption and export of Greek products, as vital components of the spirit of the Greek Mediterranean Diet. Critical to the rebirth of this gigantic effort, which will not only help financially, but will also revive the morale of the Greeks, is the creation and strengthening of promotional networks of Greek products. An outstanding paradigm which also confirms the potential for success of such initiatives comes from YOLENI'S, one of the Boston expo's sponsors. A group of Greek professionals who came together, believed in the value of the Greek diet and took the risk, creating an e-shop with a wide variety of Greek food and wine products. The YOLENI'S team finds these products by traveling all around Greece to come in contact with outstanding local producers, make deals and make these goods accessible outside Greece. In conclusion, the evidence of the international scientific community is compelling in favor of the Greek Mediterranean Diet, and the market is in love with anything Greek, while at the same time Greece is in such a tough situation. It is time for Greeks, all over the world, to believe in and promote our diet, an integral part of our national wealth and use it as an indisputable natural resource to combat the painful and unprecedented Greek crisis.


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Church and state in Greece

GREECE'S new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, made history within hours of his victory by informing the Archbishop of Athens, very politely, that clerical ...


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Greek fighter jet crashes during NATO training session in Spain

At least 10 people have been killed after a Greek fighter jet crashed at a military base in southeastern Spain. According to the Spanish Defense Ministry, the jet was taking part in a NATO training session.


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Greek fighter jet crashes in Spain during NATO exercise

The F-16 jet plummeted just after takeoff at Los Llanos air base in Albacete on Monday.


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Expat Greeks frustrated after exclusion from election

Athens parliament failed to pass new law in time to allow overseas nationals to voteWatching the Greek elections unfold from her London office left Zoe Spiliopoulou frustrated. Like thousands of expatriate Greeks she was prevented from voting in Sunday’s polls after the Athens parliament failed to pass a law in time to overturn a longstanding ban.“It is really unfair being in London. I am still interested in Greek politics. But to vote means taking time off work and buying a plane ticket back to my town, which is two hours from Athens,” said Spiliopoulou, an urban designer who has spent the last three years in the UK. Continue reading...


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Greek fighter jet crash: 10 killed in Spain after aircraft crashes into hangar at military base

At least 10 people have died at a military base in southeastern Spain, after a Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into a hangar and triggered a large fire, according to officials.


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Post-election relief in Athens: ‘This is the new face of democracy in Europe’

Mood of optimism on streets of Greek capital a day after election that brought anti-austerity Syriza to powerIn the first three years of Greece’s agony, the wide expanse of Syntagma Square in front of the old Royal Palace – home of the present-day parliament – was a scene of savage clashes between riot police and incensed anti-austerity protesters.On Monday, the day after elections won in spectacular fashion by a party pledged to burying austerity for good by writing off chunks of the country’s debt and ripping up the draconian terms of its eurozone bailout deal, the mood was one of long-awaited relief. Continue reading...


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Hold the celebrations: Greece is still doomed

If ever there was a sadder manifestation of the old saying that, even in despair, hope springs eternal, it was the ecstatic Greeks on the streets of Athens on Sunday night, celebrating the election of the motor-cycling Marxist, Alexis Tsipras, as their ...


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Peristera Batziana: partner of 30 years to Alexis Tsipras, ‘Betty’ to the people

The media-shy partner of Greece’s new prime minister is the country’s first unmarried first ladyPeristera Batziana is the media-shy partner and childhood sweetheart of Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s new Prime Minister.‘Betty’, as she is known, will be the country’s first unmarried first lady: marriage, perhaps unsurprisingly, was never on the cards. Continue reading...


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Demis Roussos obituary

Greek singer loved by fans worldwide for his kaftans and 1970s hit Forever and EverFew pop artists of the past 50 years achieved such global recognition as Demis Roussos, who has died aged 68. The kaftan-clad, middle-of-the-road crooner was reported to have sold more than 60m records in his long career. Yet despite his huge success, his portly stature and tousled beard attracted criticism and mirth – in Mike Leigh’s 1977 play Abigail’s Party, for instance, the hapless hostess Beverly, played by Alison Steadman, is revealed to be one of his most ardent fans.One of Roussos’s most enduring signature songs – and one beloved by Beverly – was the title track of his 1973 album Forever and Ever. The album reached No 2 in the UK charts in 1974. It was followed by Happy to Be On an Island in the Sun, a specially written number by David Lewis shrewdly aimed at the British fondness for Mediterranean holidays, and a top 10 hit in 1975, as was the accompanying album. Roussos said: “The reason for my big success in England was that the Brits started wanting to go on holidays to Greece and Spain. My music came right on time. It was romantic Mediterranean music addressed to all those people.” Continue reading...


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Athens and creditors dig in on Greek debt

Mr Tsipras dismayed EU governments that oppose extensive debt relief for Greece by moving swiftly to form a coalition with the Independent Greeks, ...


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Greek F-16 crashes in Spain during NATO exercise, killing 10

(CNN) Ten people died Monday after a Greek air force F-16 jet crashed at a base in Los Llanos in southeastern Spain, a senior Spanish defense ...


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Dignity: why I voted for Syriza

Greece has roundly rejected its old leaders and elected the radical leftwingers. What is their appeal?There is no single reason why people vote for a particular candidate in a particular country at a particular time. People assess the options from narrow, even selfish perspectives, and decide. To try to disentangle them is like trying to reverse-engineer a moussaka back to aubergines, potatoes and a live sheep.Democracy is public, but also profoundly personal. All I can do is tell you why I voted for Syriza, to give you my impression as an almost-Brit of what I have seen happen to my birth country. Continue reading...


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Noonan says debt conference on Greece not necessary

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has said that a proposed European debt conference is “not necessary yet” as he gave his first response to yesterday’s Greek elections which saw radical left party Syriza top the polls. Asked about his comments ...


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Greece’s new anti-austerity government set on collision course with Brussels

Alexis Tsipras, at 40 Greece’s youngest-ever prime minister, heads coalition of left and right parties with mandate to take on country’s paymastersGreek radicals sought on Monday to redraw the political map of Europe, forming a coalition government of left and right, united only by their desire to defy the European financial establishment and shrug off the constraints of austerity.The new coalition, led by 40 year-old Alexis Tsipras, was expected to dispatch its new finance minister to Brussels in the next few days to seek a fundamental renegotiation of Greece economic bailout package, vowing “the end of humiliation has come”. Tsipras and his Syriza party have promised to replace the austerity programmes imposed by its international creditors with policies aimed at helping the third of the population now living in poverty. Continue reading...


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Profile: Greece’s new finance minister Yanis Varoufakis

The self-proclaimed ‘accidental economist’ is expected to adopt a constructive approach to tough debt negotiationsYanis Varoufakis, 53, is known for his running commentary on the financial crisis in a series of blogposts that have won him thousands of Twitter followers and the respect of Syriza’s leadership.John Maynard Keynes with a hint of Karl Marx is how one analyst described the self-proclaimed “accidental economist” who is now to become Greece’s finance minister and a key negotiator with its international creditors. Continue reading...


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Tsipras sworn in as Greece PM to fight bailout terms

… constitution, Tsipras told President Karolos Papoulias: "We have an uphill … the small Independent Greeks party which also opposes Greece's EU … the centre-left PASOK, the two forces that had dominated Greek politics since …


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IMF says they ‘stand ready’ to support Greece

GREECE HAS A new Prime Minister and speculation is rife about what course the country will take. One group that says it will continue the country is the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Today the IMF said it is prepared to continue its financial support ...


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Will Syriza win rock the global economy?

Election of left-wing government in Greece highlights the mounting popular unrest in Europe over "austerity" policies


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IMF ready to continue Greece backup — Christine Lagarde

WASHINGTON, January 26. /TASS/. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is ready to continue supporting Greece, the Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde confirmed on Monday.


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