Greece’s poor demographic performance is evolving into a major threat for the country’s social security system, as a recent study conducted by the National Actuarial Authority and submitted to the European Commission has shown that the Greek population will shrink dramatically from 11.045 million last year (according to Eurostat) to 8.5 million in 2060.
Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Banks unable to finance the economy
Greek banks are struggling to stay alive, according to observers, as the flight of deposits and their only marginal replacement by liquidity supplied from the Eurosystem are not allowing the local credit sector anything more than the mere serving of cash flow needs.
Greece saga fades, economy in focus
Growth and interest rates will regain the spotlight as investors can most likely put Greece behind them for a few months.
Hooligan violence in Greece persists, as football championship resumes behind closed doors
ATHENS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Hooligan violence in Greece persisted this weekend as the Super League football championship resumed behind ...
Juncker says EU army would deter Russia from aggression
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has said a common European army would be a timely deterrent against further Russian aggression on the continent. Mr Juncker insisted there will “never” be a Greek exit from the euro zone but demanded that further financial assistance for Athens should be more political than technocratic. Mr Juncker said pooling military capability would demonstrate EU member states’s determination never to go to war against each other. But the true value of such an institution, he said, lay in the situation further east. “A common army of Europeans would give Russia the clear impression that we are serious with the defence of European values,” he told...
Panathinaikos beat PAOK as Greek league resumes
The Greek government have not yet said if the supporter-ban will continue for ... All eyes will now switch to next Wednesday's Greek Cup quarter-final ...
Greece could be pushed into new elections if eurozone rejects austerity plans, Yanis Varoufakis warns
Greece could be forced into fresh elections or a referendum if eurozone finance ministers reject its plans to ease austerity, the nation’s Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said today.
Greek Theatre Unveils 2015 Lineup: Robert Plant, Wilco, 'Weird Al'
As the drama over who will run The Greek Theatre continues to play out, the shows must go on, and so the iconic L.A. venue this morning unveiled its...
Greece defies creditors, seeking credit but no bailout
Talks between Greece and euro zone finance ministers over the country's debt crisis broke down on Monday when Athens rejected a proposal to request a six-month extension of its international bailout package as "unacceptable".
Greece is simply 'too big to fail'
Here's why markets shouldn't be worried about Greece not honoring past debt agreements, says Michael Yoshikami.
Greek Foreign Ministry: 'Turkey Should Keep its Suggestions About Responsible Behavior to Itself'
Responding to press questions, Koutras said, “Nobody can indicate to Greece how the Greek government and the Greek nation overall must practice ...
Greek anarchists storm Syriza party HQ
Anarchists have occupied the headquarters of Greece's Syriza party in support of hunger strikers protesting against conditions in maximum-security ...
Greek Legislation Stops Commercialization of Hydrogen Car
eco-racer Students of the Technical University of Crete have built a hydrogen car that has won international awards, yet Greek legislation prevents ...
Greece mulls referendum amid deadlock with creditors
Greece's anti-austerity coalition is considering calling a referendum on government policy as euro zone finance ministers are set to withhold further aid ...
Greece faces leaving the euro as debt deadline looms Friday
Greece and its European creditors converged on Brussels Friday aiming to bridge major differences over Athens' request for a six-month loan extension to help pay off massive debts and keep it from falling out of the eurozone.
Anarchists occupy ruling SYRIZA's headquarters
Anarchists occupied Greece's ruling party headquarters on Sunday in support of hunger strikers protesting against conditions in the country's maximum-security jails.
Greece submits its proposals to end bailout deadlock
Greece sent Thursday its proposals to break a deadlock with European creditors over its frozen bailout program and end uncertainty over the debt-heavy country's future in the euro.
Greece warns against rejection of reforms
Greece's finance minister has warned that the country may hold early elections or a referendum if the eurozone does not agree to its bailout plans.
US job gains impress, wage rates not so much; ECB rebuffs Greece; China exports jump; UST 10yr ...
In Europe, Greece sent its euro zone partners an expanded list of its proposed reforms over the weekend, but EU and ECB officials tightened their ...
Greece and eurozone creditors reach deal on loan
Greece and its creditors in the 19-nation eurozone reached an agreement Friday on extending the country's rescue loans, a move that should ease concerns it was heading for the euro exit door.
Greek prime minister declares end to austerity
Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras set his leftist government on a collision course with Greece's creditors Sunday, proclaiming an end to the era of austerity and "five years of bailout barbarity."
Greek officials scramble to draft reforms as bailout deadline looms
Racing against time, Greek officials scrambled Monday to draft a list of reforms in order to secure continued funding from the country's international lenders.
Greece to dominate eurogroup meeting
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan travels to Brussels on Monday for a meeting of euro-zone finance ministers that is expected to be dominated by Greece, as the Greek government signalled its intention over the weekend to hold a referendum should its ...
Greece to seek extension
Athens, Greece Greece is considering requesting an extension to its loan agreement, government officials said Tuesday, in an effort to reach a last-minute deal with the country's European creditors and avoid the danger of a euro exit. The country would submit the request before Friday, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity pending the formal announcement. They stressed the ...
ND Leader Antonis Samaras: ‘No’ to Congress or Leadership Change
New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras focused his speech at the party’s political committee on Sunday on criticizing the majority ruling party SYRIZA for its policies, while he rejected all calls for a party congress and change in leadership. “We lost the elections but retained our forces,” he said, “even though we applied an extremely difficult but necessary policy for Greece, with cutbacks and reforms that were unpleasant for many — you do the math, with PASOK, which ruled by itself and lost 31 percentage points and was dispersed. We retained our forces and remained a ruling party… Is there any doubt we kept the country in the euro? Is there any doubt that we saved the country?” He said when the party took over rule, the deficit was at 9.5 percent, and when it left it had a 1.5 percent surplus. “It also was faced with a recession of 7 percent and this year it is expected that Greece will register 2.5 percent growth. If we had not been stopped, we would have exited the memorandums permanently this year,” he claimed. Samaras stressed that the state of the Greek economy was dire and claimed the government was in panic, saying that the legislation the current government is passing to relieve society was already in place by his government. “We are not in a hurry to kick them out,” he said, “they are doing whatever they can to leave sooner. We are here to make sure the country doesn’t hit the rocks and we’ll do whatever we can to prevent that.” Party-wise, he said that holding a congress would “lead the party to becoming ingrown,” while he said he would now open it to new members, both at the base and at the higher echelons. (source: ana-mpa)
Touching Pictures of a Greek Man Giving a Pair of Shoes to Homeless Fellow Man
An Athenian man captured with his camera the touching scene of a young man approaching a homeless man and spontaneously giving him a pair of sports shoes. The four pictures Iraklis Pnevmatikakis snapped in downtown Athens, on a Saturday afternoon capture not only the harsh reality of the economic crisis that has stricken Greece , but also the face of compassion, the essence of being human. The giver has not only given the homeless man a much-needed pair of shoes, but he has also given him hope and trust in humanity. The man who received the unexpected gift shows his gratitude by shedding tears of happiness. The four pictures have been all over the social media today, reminding everyone that so little can mean so much some times.
Greece pledges to shut immigrant detention centres
Greece's new left-wing government pledged on Saturday to close down detention centres for illegal immigrants that have long been criticised by rights groups as inhumane.
EU's Dombrovskis downplays impact of Greek letter outlining reforms
BERLIN - A letter from Greece to euro zone ministers outlining reforms intended to unblock loans is not in itself enough to sway them as ...
Greece threatens it can go back to elections or call referendum
Greece is talking tough and says if the eurozone fails to accept the reform measures it has put forward to get the bailout, there could be problems.
Anarchist Group Seizes Headquarters of Greek Syriza Party in Athens
The Greek anarchist group Rubicon said it took over the Syriza party's office in Athens to support several dozens of Greek inmates, including those ...
Greece threatens new elections if eurozone rejects planned reforms
Greece's anti-austerity government has raised the spectre of further political strife in the crisis-plagued country by saying it will consider calling a ...
Greece says Turkey 'should keep suggestions to itself'
“No one can indicate to Greece the manner in which the Greek government should exercise its sovereignty,” Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman ...
World Press View: Audacious Greek Plan For Tourist Tax Spies
As one wag put it, the idea of using tourists to spy on tax cheats at restaurants and the like is a crazy Greek idea that might work. Might.
Iakovos Personified Leadership in The 1965 Selma March
Archbishop Iakovos courageously took part in the 1965 Selma, Alabama Civil Rights march because as a Greek in Turkey he knew about discrimination.
Greek FM dismisses media reports over possible referendum on euro
ATHENS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis dismissed media reports on Sunday over a possible referendum for euro in ...
Op-Ed: Greek creditors keeping pressure on Greek government to reform
As part of the tax reforms, the Greek government proposes that the length of time for repayment of tax arrears should be extended. There would be ...
Greece could call referendum if debt plan rejected, warns finance minister
Greece could call a referendum or hold early elections, if eurozone partners reject its debt and growth plans. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has ...
Anarchists storm Greek ruling party HQ
Fate of Lebanon hostage negotiations unclear · image1 · Bishop denies Kerry linked Lebanon crisis to Iran · image1 · Anarchists storm Greek ruling ...
Greek Monastery an unlikely Arizona desert attraction
Florence, Arizona, an Old West desert town is an unlikely location for Greek monks, but there it is, a little oasis among the sagebrush and cactus about ...
Greece Warns of Referendum Ahead of Debt Deal Meeting
Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis upped the stakes sharply ahead of tomorrow's crucial Eurogroup meeting in Brussels by raising the prospect of new Greek elections or even a referendum on any debt dea...
Tsipras-Varoufakis Gear Up for Critical Eurogroup
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a series of telephone conversations with European leaders on Saturday ahead of Monday’s critical Eurogroup. Tsipras spoke with the President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi and told him that he respects the fact that ECB is an autonomous entity that doesn’t heed to political pressure, and said that the ECB should treat Greece the same regardless of the person heading the finance ministry. The Greek premier also spoke with his French counterpart Fransois Hollande and the two men agreed to have a close cooperation on all areas. They also agreed that the finance ministers of the two countries should meet in Paris and later in Athens. Later, Tsipras spoke to his close associates saying that the negotiations are mainly political. Meanwhile, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said during a think tank in Venice that Athens wants to implement reforms that will be for the benefit of all Europe. He mentioned the letter of seven proposals he sent to Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem. According to Greek government sources, Dijsselbloem reacted positively and stressed the need that talks in the Euroworking Group and between the technical teams should continue so that the agreement of February 20 would be put in practice. President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker called on all members of the European Union to understand the dire condition Greek society is in. Speaking to German newspaper Die Welt, Juncker said, “We must make sure the situation in Greece will not get worse. What concerns me is that not all members of the EU understand the seriousness of the situation in Greece.” Juncker stressed that one fourth of Greeks don’t have health insurance and unemployment is at the highest, especially among the young. At the same time, he reiterated that Greece will not exit the euro zone and that such scenarios damage the reputation of the common European currency. However, he called on Greece to respect the reforms it has agreed on with creditors. “If the (Greek) government wants to spend more money, it must counter-balance that with additional revenues,” he said.
British House of Commons to Discuss Parthenon Marbles on Monday
The British House of Commons will discuss on Monday Greece’s demand for the return of the Parthenon sculptures to their rightful home. Greece has asked UNESCO to mediate on the issue and the organization has given a deadline to the British government to respond. If Britain does not respond by the end of March, the Greek government can take legal action in the European Court of Human Rights. A team of lawyers including Amal Clooney have prepared a 300-page report setting out Greece’s options on the matter. The lawyers believe that there is a 75-80 percent chance of winning the rights to the sculptures that are regarded by some as the finest works of art in history. The sculptures were allegedly bought by Lord Elgin under controversial circumstances in the early 1800’s when Greece was still under Ottoman rule. Elgin allegedly sold the marbles to the British Museum where they have been exhibited since. Greek Antiquities Director of the Culture Ministry, Dr. Elena Korka told The Independent of the significance of the reunification of “these exceptional, outstanding and most important sculptures which belong as an integral part of a unique symbolic monument for the whole world.” “This is the essence of it, making something which exists today as whole as it can be… this is what the public wants, every poll shows it. It’s such an important issue. Even if Greece didn’t ask for it, the whole world would,” Korka said. The Antiquities director also told The Independent that the return of the sculptures would be a day of “true joy” for the monument and it will be a gesture of co-operation, boosting morale in crisis-stricken Greece.
Dimitris Avramopoulos Resigns as ND Deputy Leader
Greece’s EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos resigned as New Democracy (ND) vice-president on Sunday. Dimitris Avramopoulos said, “It is time to bridge the faction’s generations.” He added that he would continue to focus on European issues. He said that it was time for “brave evaluation” and to “put an end today to the frightened ND.” In his statement, the former minister said that in the national elections (that brought SYRIZA to power), “a significant section of the Greek people turned their backs on us. We cannot attribute the loss to an adversary’s campaign promises, but we must recognize our mistakes and go through self-criticism. Today we must put an end to a phobic ND.”
SYRIZA: Varoufakis Was Misquoted, There Will Be No Referendum!
Greek Government circles are denying that Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis mentioned the possibility of a referendum being held to stay in the euro. “Over the last few days we have noticed an effort to strike against Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis through ironic statements or by fabricating fake or misleading news. Statements that were never made or with the addition of ‘clarifications’ that totally change the meaning of the answers, as was the case in the particular interview that appeared in the Spanish newspaper Corriere della Sera,” state government agents, adding that Varoufakis never referred to a “referendum for the euro.” They state that the word “euro” was added by the journalist herself, hence she placed it in brackets. Government sources state that there is no talk of replacing Varoufakis. “We won’t do them the favor. The Finance Minister of Greece is Yanis Varoufakis. If they want someone styled after Gikas Hardouvelis, who says ‘yes’ to everything then they will be disappointed,” say Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) sources.
Euro zone says Greek reform outline helpful, but needs 'troika' scrutiny
"This document will be helpful in the process of specifying the first list of reform measures," Dijsselbloem said in a written reply to the Greek letter ...
ECB Official: Time is Running Short for Greece
ECB-Benoît-Coeuré “We are looking forward to working with Greece. Time is running short,” said Benoit Coeure, Executive Board Member of the ...
Varoufakis warns of early election or referendum if EU rejects latest Greek proposals
There could be problems. But, as my prime minister has said, we are not yet glued to our chairs. We can return to elections, call a referendum.
What went right and wrong with the Greek Final
EDITORIAL – I felt the need to write this text at this moment as I didn't watch the Greek National Final on TV because I was working on the spot.
ECB would refuse to allow Greece to issue more debt
The European Central Bank (ECB) would not agree to Greece issuing more short-term debt, because that would be tantamount to it illegally financing ...
'Turkey should keep its suggestions about responsible behaviour for itself', Foreign ministry
Turkey should keep its recommendations about responsibility for itself, Foreign Ministry spokesman Konstantinos Koutras said on Sunday, in response to a statement by the Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday calling on the Greek government to "curb the irresponsible ...