What’s Up in Greece on Nov 29? tagged: , , , ,

What’s Up in Greece on Nov 29?

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Very Mix

All planets must be retrograde over Greece today and nothing seems to move on. Slowly but gradually I get an allergy towards news from and about Greece, and no matter how many kilometers I walk in a week, it doesn’t help much. We live in a vicious circle and our steps are getting more slowly day by day.

In Brussels, Eurogroup ministers take up important issues for Greece and the future of Euro Zone. At least, they wish to be able to take decisions. Greeks are primarily interested in getting the 6th aid tranche because without the 8 billion EUR, Athens won’t be able to pay salaries and pensions. Greek media reported on Monday evening, that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble gave the green light for the aid tranche saying: “Germany will give its OK, if the Troika approves the tranche”. However news from Washington claim, Poul Thomsen hasn’t submitted his Greece report yet. So even if Eurogroup ministers say “OK”, the €8-billion tranche will not be released tomorrow morning.

Eurogroup’s message is “Yes, but...”. According to capital.gr Athens will be asked to give persuative answers to the question of the missing targets at the budget 2011. The Troika and the EU Commission seem not to fully agree with Athens on the issue. It looks as if they will focus on where do we go from here to end of the year and what additional austerity measures will be needed in 2012!

The absolute “chaos” prevails in the issue of “labour reserve” in the public sector. Daily Eleftherotypiareports of  “a pandemonium as the applications of redundancy to complaints and requests for exemption will be reviewed in June 2012 [!!!] , the “reservists” are asked to deliver their cards and stamps although they haven’t got the labour reserve orders yet, other ‘reservists’ are not allowed to work, some are readying to file complaints against the Public institutions managements, and that the public sector is been deprived of experienced and skilled staff in times very critical for the country”.

I want to see just ONE state bill,  ONE single bill been thoroughly worked out before it comes into force and I could invite all KKTG-readers to …. (hm. let me think lol)

After some detention of tax dodgers in Athens and Thessaloniki, Financial Crimes Units (SDOE) of Finance Ministry have moved to the beautiful island of Crete and allegedly thoroughly brush up and compare tax declarations and bank accounts. Citing SDOE sources, news portal news247.gr reports of 40 million EUR to have been located in the bank accounts of 250 Creta inhabitants who declared to tax office their income was almost at zero levels.  OK, cross checking is essential before Greece imitates German populist BILD newspaper policies and brand-mark as tax dodgers everybody to had worked and had some savings form the past, but now is without income, right?

NewsIt reports of an explosion that occurred at 3 a.m. at the tax office of Glyfada, south suburb of Athens. Destroying archives in e-times? Ineffective, unless tax office employees still write with pen and paper….

In Socialist party PASOK it looks as if the wanna-be successors of former PM George Papandreou are queueing for a place under the sun. Four to five fronts have been built up within the party as the times nears when most likely Papandreou will step down from PASOK leadership. Or at least he would open the way for leadership elections. Shortly after Papademos government came into power, Papandreou had signaled that he might “take initiatives” only after the 6th aid tranche will be released.

In case, you noticed you see no more news in state broadcast ERT/NET: employees oppose their future status as ‘state employees working on fixed working hours’ and launch 24-hour strikes and work stoppages theses days. In general, the situation in the Greek public and private media is devastating, with heavy wages cuts of 20%+, working schemes of 3 days work per week and lay offs. Silently, but very very real…

A citizen sued the Pope,  because his Holiness did not wearing a safety belt on his Popemobile while on a tour. The citizen was… German, of course. :) I bet he lives in South Germany… lol