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How the world sees Greece
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
New Reason to Be Wary of Greek Yogurt
New Reason to Be Wary of Greek Yogurt
'Clementine in the Lower 9' melds Greek myth with New Orleans disaster ...
'Clementine in the Lower 9' melds Greek myth with New Orleans disaster ... Washington Post The scale is indeed that big as Dietz melds Greek myth with N'awlins disaster and superstition. The plot is loosely “Agamemnon,” and though it's probably time for a moratorium on the trend of American writers adapting Greeks (“Oedipus El Rey” and “An ... |
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Justine Frangouli-Argyris: The Parthenon Marbles: A Piece of History Still Orphaned
The Acropolis Museum, founded on the passion and spirit of Melina Mercouri, the renowned Greek actress and Minister of Culture, patiently awaits the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their rightful resting place.
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Euro leaders unite to tackle soaring youth unemployment rates
François Hollande makes impassioned plea for jobless 'post-crisis' generation that fears it will never work
European leaders yesterday warned that youth unemployment – which stands at up to 59% in some countries – could lead to a continent-wide "catastrophe" and widespread social unrest aimed at member state governments.
The French, German and Italian governments yesterday joined together to launch initiatives to "rescue an entire generation" who fear they will never find jobs.
More than 7.5m young Europeans aged between 15-24 are not employed or in education or training, according to European Union data. The rate of youth unemployment is more than double that of adults, and more than half of young people in Greece (59%) and Spain (55%) are unemployed.
François Hollande, the French president, dubbed them the "post-crisis generation", who will "for ever after, be holding today's governments responsible for their plight".
"Remember the postwar generation, my generation. Europe showed us and gave us the support we needed, the hope we cherished. The hopes that we could get a job after finishing school, and succeed in life," he said at conference in Paris. "Can we be responsible for depriving today's young generation of this kind of hope?
"Imagine all of the hatred, the anger. We're talking about a complete breakdown of identifying with Europe.
"What's really at stake here is, not just 'Let's punish those in power'. No. Citizens are turning their backs on Europe and the construction of the European project.
Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schäeuble warned that unless Europe tackles youth employment, which stands at 23.5% across all European Union countries, the continent "will lose the battle for Europe's unity".
Italy's labour minister Enrico Giovanni said European leaders needed to work together to "rescue an entire generation of people who are scared [they will never find work].
"We have the best ever educated generation in this continent, and we are putting them on hold," he said.
The UK department for work and pensions and the Treasury were unable to say why Britain, which has a 20.7% rate of youth unemployment, was not represented at the conference in Paris on Tuesday.
Stephen Timms, shadow employment minister, attacked the coalition for remaining "utterly silent on youth unemployment".
"This government has totally failed to tackle Britain's youth jobs crisis. This government must stop sitting on the sidelines and take the urgent action we need to get young people back to work."
Hollande outlined a series of measures to tackle the problem, including a "youth guarantee" to promise everyone under 25 a job or further education or training.
The plan, which has already been discussed by the European Commission, will be supported by €6bn of EU cash over the next five years. Another €16bn in European structural funds is also being made available for youth employment projects.
Herman Van Rompuy, European Council president, pledged to put the "fight against unemployment high on our agenda" at the next EU summit in June. "We must rise to the expectations of the millions of young people who expect political action," he said.
The commission estimates youth joblessness costs the EU €153bn in unemployment benefit, lost productivity and lost tax revenue.
"In addition, for young people themselves, being unemployed at a young age can have a long-lasting negative 'scarring effect'," the commission said. "These young people face not only higher risks of future unemployment, but also higher risks of exclusion, of poverty and of health problems."
The European ministers, who will meet with German chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the youth unemployment crisis in July, said small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) will form a central plank of the plans.
SMEs traditionally employ the vast majority of young people, but have complained they haven't been able to borrow enough money to grow since the financial crisis struck in 2008.
Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's labour minister, said: "Many SMEs, which are the backbone of our economies, are ready to produce but need capital, or they have to pay exorbitant borrowing rates."
The minsters are working on establishing a special credit line for small and medium-sized businesses from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which will have a €70bn lending capacity this year.
However, Werner Hoyer, head of the EIB, warned minister not have "expectations completely over the horizon".
"Let's be honest, there is no quick fix, there is no grand plan," he admitted.
Schäeuble warned that European welfare standards should not be jeopardised in order to cut the youth unemployment figures. "We would have revolution, not tomorrow, but on the very same day," he warned.
Germany and Austria have the lowest rate of youth unemployment, with just 8% not in work, education or training.
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Jean-Claude Juncker to visit Athens on June 10-11
Luxembourg Prime Minister and former head of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker is to make a working visit to Greece on June 10 and 11, it was announced on Tuesday.Juncker, who also visited Athens last August, is coming to Greece following an invitation from Prime Minister Antonis ...
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Reports shows Greeks work longer and are paid less than OECD average
People in Greece work 2,032 hours a year, more than the OECD average of 1,776 hours, according to the update of the ...
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Technical Chamber of Greece struggling to make ends meet
The Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), the organization that awards licenses to engineers and advises the Greek state on engineering projects, is suffering from funding problems.Until last year, TEE had three sources of funding: its ...
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MP Repousi Now Questions Asia Minor Genocide
The stance Maria Repousi took concerning ';the congestion of Greeks" in the port of Smyrna in 1922, which she herself withdrew from the school text book she had written, was a reminder to many of her request to exclude from the anti-racism bill the criminalization of the denial of the genocide of Greeks and Pontian Greeks from Asia Minor. Both genocides have been unanimously recognized ...
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Cart Smarts: Picture more Greek yogurt in your diet
Cart Smarts: Picture more Greek yogurt in your diet Post-Bulletin We scheduled a family photo session this week to capture the memories of our final weeks as a family of three. During the session, our photographer was raving about her favorite ways to use Greek yogurt at home. While yogurt is most commonly eaten ... |
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Foreign Investors Jockey For Position In Greece
(Photo/Alkis Konstantinidis/EPA) Cosco terminal at the port of Piraeus. The docks have become an operational base for the Chinese, who have taken over most of the harbor from Greek companies and made it work. Greece wants to be a business gateway to the European Union. ATHENS - The Chinese are interested in airports, harbors and railways. The Russians are determined to infiltrate the energy ...
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Greece HIV Cases Spike
The data concerning new cases of HIV infections among injecting drug users in Greece is shocking. According to the European Observatory on Drugs report, which was announced in Lisbon on May 28, there has been an increase in Greece more than anywhere else in Europe, and the situation can only be compared to that of Romania. At the same time, the conclusion drawn for new hepatitis C infections, ...
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Lana Del Ray in Greece July 8
After enough waiting, finally the 27-year-old songwriter/singer Lana Del Ray is coming to Greece, where she will appear at the Rockwave Festival along with Echo and the Bunnymen, on July 8. Lana Del Ray with obvious music influences from Kurt Cobain, is especially appreciated by music lovers of all kinds since she combines the 50′s femme fatale of rock (in appearance and voice) and is ...
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Gazprom Moves to Swallow Greeces DEPA
The Greek government has favorably changed privatization conditions for gas company DEPA in a procedure where the sole large bidder is Russian gas giant Gazprom. The move is seen as making Gazprom the almost certain winner of the bid, the deadline for which comes Wednesday. Greece has halved the required deposit to 10% of the company's bid for DEPA. The Russian company has offered EUR 900 ...
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God Bless Charles Schumer
(Photo/BBC) The face of Greece's unemployed young, Nikos Savvatis, 22, sometimes sits with his friends on the steps of Syntagma Square, overlooked by the Greek Parliament. This was a year ago, when he had been out of work for two years. The jobless rate for Greeks under 25 is 64 percent. Many would like to work in the U.S. The amendment to the new immigration law submitted by United States ...
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Bourse seeks direction as turnover drops to month-low
The Greek stock market continued to lack direction on Tuesday as the benchmark index remained virtually unchanged and turnover dropped considerably, with sellers taking the upper hand in banks and OTE telecom.The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,037.83 points, shrinking by just 0.10 percent from ...
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Greece's Garbage Crisis: A Stinky Metaphor for an Economy in the Dumps
Greece's Garbage Crisis: A Stinky Metaphor for an Economy in the Dumps TIME It is like a dark inversion of the tourist images of Greece. Seagulls circle not over the clear blue waters of the Aegean, but a bleak, cratered landscape, swooping down to compete with human scavengers and mangy dogs for spoils in a sea of waste. The ... |
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Passionate Zionist leaves Greek paradise for IDF service
Passionate Zionist leaves Greek paradise for IDF service Ynetnews When Ion Braun made aliyah to Israel in order to conscript to the IDF he slashed by half the number of Jews on his native Greek island of Kea. There are about two thousand residents on the island which is a 40-minute sail away from Athens. Braun and ... |
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Everything You Need to Know About the Greek Festival
Everything You Need to Know About the Greek Festival Richmond.com New Dishes at Greek Fest. New dishes at Greek Fest include lamb sliders and Greek fries. Pictured here: the classic gyro. Greek Fest Tip #1: Retsina and Coke. This weekend, Richmond is all about the Greek Festival. It starts Thursday, May 28 at 11 a.m ... |
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Waste from Greek Yogurt Can Be Toxic
KCRG | Waste from Greek Yogurt Can Be Toxic TIME Greek yogurt — the thicker and more protein packed version of yogurt — has been everywhere lately: Greek yogurt for men, Ben & Jerry's new frozen variety, even NYC pop-up shops. The 'crack yogurt' has ignited such a feeding frenzy that in the last ... Chobani, Dannon attempt to defuse Greek yogurt 'acid whey' environmental ... Hy-Vee Dietitian: Go Greek with Simple Substitutions Food: 'Gurt so good! |
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Governments Finally Get Serious About Youth Unemployment Crisis
* French, Germany, Italy want plan for youth jobs crisis * Plans to be fleshed out at June, July EU meetings * Hollande says a...
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Turkey's economy is thriving in a dangerous neighbourhood
There is nothing flashy about Turkey's rise, which has been based on fundamentals, rather than bubbles or resource discoveries
A recent visit to Turkey reminded me of its enormous economic successes during the last decade. The economy has grown rapidly, inequality is declining, and innovation is on the rise.
Turkey's achievements are all the more remarkable when one considers its neighbourhood. Its neighbours to the west, Cyprus and Greece, are at the epicentre of the eurozone crisis. To the south-east is war-torn Syria, which has already disgorged almost 400,000 refugees into Turkey. To the east lie Iraq and Iran. And to the north-east lie Armenia and Georgia. If there is a more complicated neighbourhood in the world, it would be difficult to find it.
Yet Turkey has made remarkable strides in the midst of regional upheavals. After a sharp downturn in 1999-2001, the economy grew by 5% a year on average from 2002 to 2012. It has remained at peace, despite regional wars. Its banks avoided the boom-bust cycle of the past decade, having learned from the banking collapse in 2000-2001. Inequality has been falling. And the government has won three consecutive general elections, each time with a greater share of the popular vote.
There is nothing flashy about Turkey's rise, which has been based on fundamentals, rather than bubbles or resource discoveries. Indeed, Turkey lacks its neighbours' oil and gas resources, but it compensates for this with the competitiveness of its industry and services. Tourism alone attracted more than 36 million visitors in 2012, making Turkey one of the world's top destinations.
Even a short stay in Ankara allows one to see these underlying strengths. The airport, highways, and other infrastructure are first class, and a high-speed intercity rail network links Ankara with other parts of the country. Much of the advanced engineering is homegrown. Turkish construction firms are internationally competitive and increasingly win bids throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Turkey's universities are rising as well. Ankara has become a hub of higher education, attracting students from Africa and Asia. Many top programmes are in English, ensuring that Turkey will attract an increasing number of international students. And the country's universities are increasingly spinning off high-tech companies in avionics, information technology, and advanced electronics, among other areas.
To its credit, Turkey has begun to invest heavily in sustainable technologies. The country is rich in wind, geothermal, and other renewable energy, and will most likely become a global exporter of advanced green innovations.
Waste-treatment facilities are not typically tourist attractions, but Ankara's novel integrated urban waste-management system has rightly attracted global attention. Until a few years ago, the waste was dumped into a fetid, stinking, noxious landfill. Now, with cutting-edge technology, the landfill has been turned into a green zone.
The private waste-management company ITC receives thousands of tonnes of solid municipal waste each day. The waste is separated into recyclable materials (plastics, metals) and organic waste. The organic waste is processed in a fermentation plant, producing compost and methane, which is used to produce electricity in a 25MW power plant. The electricity is returned to the city's power grid, while the heat exhaust is piped to the facility's greenhouses, which produce tomatoes, strawberries, and orchids.
Turkey's diversified, innovative base of industry, construction, and services serves it well in a world in which market opportunities are shifting from the United States and western Europe to Africa, eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Turkey has been deft in seizing these new opportunities, with exports increasingly headed south and east to the emerging economies, rather than west to high-income markets. This trend will continue, as Africa and Asia become robust markets for Turkey's construction firms, information technology, and green innovations.
So, how did Turkey do it? Most important, the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his economics team, led by the deputy prime minister, Ali Babacan, have stuck to basics and looked to the long term. Erdoğan came to power in 2003, after years of short-term instability and banking crises. The International Monetary Fund had been called in for an emergency rescue. Step by step, the Erdoğan-Babacan strategy was to rebuild the banking sector, get the budget under control, and invest heavily and consistently where it counts: infrastructure, education, health, and technology.
Smart diplomacy has also helped. Turkey has remained a staunchly moderate voice in a region of extremes. It has kept an open door and balanced diplomacy (to the extent possible) with the major powers in its neighbourhood. This has helped Turkey not only to maintain its own internal balance, but also to win markets and keep friends without the heavy baggage and risks of divisive geopolitics.
No doubt, Turkey's ability to continue on a rapid growth trajectory remains uncertain. Any combination of crises – the eurozone, Syria, Iraq, Iran, or world oil prices – could create instability. Another global financial crisis could disrupt short-term capital inflows. A dangerous neighbourhood means inescapable risks, though Turkey has demonstrated a remarkable capacity during the last decade to surmount them.
Moreover, the challenge of raising educational quality and attainment, especially of girls and women, remains a priority. Fortunately, the government has clearly acknowledged the education challenge and is pursuing it through school reforms, increased investments, and the introduction of new information technologies in the classroom.
Turkey's successes have deep roots in governmental capacity and its people's skills, reflecting decades of investment and centuries of history dating back to Ottoman times. Other countries cannot simply copy these achievements, but they can still learn the main lesson that is too often forgotten in a world of "stimulus", bubbles, and short-term thinking. Long-term growth stems from prudent monetary and fiscal policies, the political will to regulate banks, and a combination of bold public and private investments in infrastructure, skills, and cutting-edge technologies.
Copyright: Project Syndicate
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Road traffic on Greek highways down by 40 pct
Road traffic on Greece's national highways has dropped by 40 percent since the beginning of the debt crisis, according to reports.The high price of tolls and gas are the main reason for the reduced traffic.Meanwhile, falling toll revenue has hit Olympia Odos, the contractor for the highway from Athens to the Peloponnese. The company reported 57.7 million euro losses in 2012 up from 30.2 ...
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Sixth World Naked Bike Ride in Thessaloniki
The World Naked Bike Ride will be held in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on June 7 for the sixth consecutive year. Organizers are calling citizens to say STOP to indecent exposure of humans and to the pollution of the planet. World Naked Bike Ride is an international movement, in which more than 70 cities around the whole world participate. This year, the 6th World Naked Bike Ride in ...
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Twin Price Inscription Expected on Greek Menus
Given that Greece has successfully reached an agreement with its creditors over a value-added tax reduction on food service, it is quite possible for the Development Ministry to introduce a mandatory regulation for all restaurateurs to display two separate prices on their menu catalogs: namely, before and after the reduction, as daily Kathimerini reports. Until next week, when representatives of ...
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