;)
tagged: Feb 19 2012, Greece, protests, public transport work stoppage Feb 21 2012, Syntagma, what's up in greeceWhat’s Up in Greece on Feb 19/12?
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Very Mix
Protests are up in Greece, specifically in Athens, outside the Greek parliament. Members of public and private sector unions, ADEDY and GSEE, have already started to flock to Syntagma Square for an anti-austerity demonstration on Sunday morning. Several other interests groups have also called for an anti-austerity protest in the afternoon.
The cabinet met under PM Papademos on Saturday. The government ministers decided to pass through fast-track procedures the new painful measures like further cuts in pensions, health sector, prescription medicine etc. 79 measures will pass in 1o days in the most ‘violent adjustment of the Greek economy and society” writes To Vima. [I'm sure you don't want to know the brutal details of the new measures, on a Sunday...] Papademos said that the 12% cuts in the pensions over €1,300 and in the supplementary pensions were inevitable. This measures package is a precondition for the new loan agreement.
Tomorrow, Monday, the Eurogroup ministers will meet to decide on the second bailout for Greece. There are some scenarios about setting up an escrow account and some stricter surveillance.
Ppademos said on Saturday that a ‘state minister’ [assigned by the EU] is “out of question.” There was talk in Athens aboput setting up a Greek Troika consisting of government ministers to control the implementation of the bailout agreement.
There is no trace of the thieves that stole priceless artifacts from the Museum of Ancient Olympia. Culture Minister, Pavlos Geroulanos, submitted his resignation on Friday, right after the robbery. Geroulanos is expected to have a private meeting with the PM today, to clear the issue of pending resignation.
Blue bus drivers will launch a work stoppage from 11 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, Feb 21,2012.
The weather is sunny and chilly in Athens. Rain is expected as of Monday.
PS Almost forgot: It’s Carnival time….
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
FINANCIAL NEWSFriday, 17 February 2012 – 10:29
Rompuy: Eurozone summit on March 1-2
Capital.gr
Eurozone leaders will hold a special meeting on March 2 to discuss the currency΄s debt firewall and elect a new eurozone boss, with EU president Herman Van Rompuy favoured to win the job.
European Union leaders stage their next summit on March 1-2, and Van Rompuy — already set to be confirmed in a show of hands for a new, 30-month mandate to head the Council of EU governments — has decided to call the eurozone gathering over lunch on the second day.
“There will be a eurozone summit over lunch dedicated to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the selection of the president of the euro summit,” Van Rompuy΄s office told the 27 EU governments on Wednesday, internal EU papers seen by AFP on Thursday showed.
EU and governmental sources confirmed Van Rompuy΄s plans, and his likely dual appointment as chairman of bi-annual summits of the 17-nation eurozone agreed under a new cross-border economic governance drive.
He would work in tandem with Luxembourg΄s head of the finance ministerial Eurogroup, Jean-Claude Juncker.
Despite Slovakia reiterating its opposition during this week΄s talks, the ESM debate will focus on boosting the effective lending capacity of a new rescue fund that enters service in July, paving the way for governments to increase its 500-billion-euro effective lending capacity.
One way leaders are considering doing this is by adding in monies left over in the 440-billion European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) that was due to be phased out in the summer of 2013.
The discussion comes amid efforts to raise the resources available to the International Monetary Fund via extra loans mainly from the Group of 20 major and emerging economies.
This debate follows fears that the eurozone might not have enough firepower at its disposal should debt-crisis contagion spread once again to Italy or Spain.
The summit, which will also focus on whether to grant Serbia EU accession candidate status, will see the bloc΄s new inter-governmental Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance presented for signing on March 2.
Twenty-five of the 27 governments, minus Britain and the Czech Republic, have said they will implement a “golden rule” enshrined in the treaty to move quickly towards balanced budgets.
The treaty negotiations have closed, with an EU source adding that two contentious questions have been resolved by a “special agreement” among leaders behind the scenes.
The first, concerning the right for an unhappy government to take another state to the European Court of Justice if pledges are not carried through, has been resolved “so you don΄t see the smoking gun”, or the country calling the shots, he said.
The second, which may cause ructions in Ireland, whose highest legal officer has yet to declare whether the treaty will need endorsement by a referendum, would see, this official said, the treaty regarded as “non-referendum compatible” under a “gentleman΄s agreement”.
Does this or does it not seem like the ending of democracy?
The ending of democracy.
Mr Farage puts it succinctly. http://youtu.be/G-eAL8jSNHI
Ted, saw this yesterday.He is eloquent in the way he cuts all of them up and it would seem they don’t want to here the truth about themselves. It’s too bad we are seeing anyone like him here
here? where?
I ment to say it’s too bad we are NOT seeing anyone like him here in Greece. Sorry
I just don’t understand.
Why is anyone under the age of 30 still in Greece?
I presume that (just like every high school graduate in Ireland and Holland, all high school graduates speak/write English. So, why have they not migrated?
they’re still her ebecause Merkel told them on Sunday, they should immigrate… I try to find the youtube video.