That was the longest day and night in Greece, yesterday. PM Lucas Papademos met the three political leaders of the coalition government for 7 hours. Short after the leaders the PM’s office, the Troika cars were entering the Maximos Mansion. Papademos-Troika meeting ended at 6 o’ clock in the morning. At 8 a.m. Evangelos Venizleos left for the Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, in the evening. With a thick file in his hands, an unfinished agreement.
After the meeting with the political leaders PM Papademos issued the following statement in the early morning hours of Thursday:
PRIME MINISTER’S PRESS OFFICE
“Thursday, February 09, 2012The Prime Minister and the political leaders met and examined in depth the content of the new economic program accompanying the country’s economic support for the following years.
There was broad agreement on all the program issues with the exception of one, which requires further elaboration and discussion with the troika. This discussion will take place immediately, so as to conclude the agreement in view of the Eurogroup meeting.
The president of LAOS Mr. George Karatzaferis expressed serious reservations.”
Samaras (Nea Dimokratia) and Karatzaferis (LAOS) did not give their blessing to cuts in supplementary pensions, a measure aiming to save €300 million. They agreed to everything else, including incredible cuts in the minimum wage of the private sector: decreases reaching -22% and -32%. They agreed to a new loan of at least €130 billion, and a package of additional austerity measures worth €3 billion. The target were measures worth 3.3 billion euro.
After the meeting, Samaras said he fights to save the supplementary pensions and the large-families allowances.
Karatzaferis said, he cannot approve under time pressure, questioned again the legality of the bailout and even implied, he may step back from the government. Further he recited a verse from Greek poet Kavafis, and commented on the negotiations with a Beatles’ title. No, he didn’t say “Help”, but “It’s a hard day’s night”…
Samaras and Karatzaferis visited first the headquarters of their parties and then went home.
The Troika gave the Greek political leadership a two-weeks deadline to find these money, through cuts in other sectors.
So the whole deal between Greece and its Troika lenders failed due to a sum of 300 million euro. In fact the missing total amount is €625 million, but €325 million will be cut from the Defence.
Today, the Greek media propose several ways to find this amount: for example by collecting money from big scale tax-dodgers owing the state billions.
Video: “you make me feel alright” YEAH!
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KTG.
Perhaps it should be ‘Twist and shout’ (To twist in English slang means to cheat) and we all know about shouting.
On another note I would find it extremely helpful if you could explain (for idiots like me) the political leanings/policies of the smaller political parties that are often mentioned.
lol I think just ‘Shout’ would be more appropriate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI9lo5BRJmg and Tears for Fears.
What do you mean by policies of small parties? i.e. what the left says?
I think Ted means Chrysi Avgi( golden dawn)who just got 3% in a poll. Anyway Tears for Fears yeah baby!!!!! 🙂
does he?
Leave the EURO, write off the debt and follow your own strategy. But you will see that many of the proposed measures are still necessary, e.g. comprehensive public sector reform, fighting corruption and tax evasion, strenghtening education&research, etc.
unfortunately many think that leaving the euro will automatically solve things.
No, I agree, but at least Greek people can then decide on their own how to solve things and not the Troika. Anyhow there will be no easy solutions at all.
Yes, I know what the left says. I have now found a website giving all the Greek political parties and their policies – thanks.
How about this one from The Beatles? http://youtu.be/9k5ooaufrLM
can you give us the link to this site?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Greece – 106k – Cached – Similar Pages
as you requested 🙂 Have a good day all.
thanks. and they write their policies as well? PS no time to check the link – another hell of a day today lol
Here: http://www.parties-and-elections.de/greece.html