Greece Prime Minister George Papandreou shocked those Greeks who chose to listen to his speech than enjoy the Saturday night with friends. “I will take care that every family has one working member” said Papandreou in his keynote speech at the 76th Thessaloniki International Fair, while thousands of protesters were delivering a battle with riot police outside the Vellidion building. ” We will do what is necessary to get out of the crisis as winners and take necessary measures” he added prompting the audience neck hair getting into uphold position.
Sunday morning, Papandreou called for an extraordinary cabinet meeting and the new measures needed to cover a hole of 1,7 billion euro are expected any moment now. Greek media speculate about new special taxes on real estate owners, and increase in the indirect taxes on alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.
Papandreou’s keynote speech that reached the citizens though television live broadcast, was thin. He announced some measures to aid the unemployed (normallysix to eight months contracts in the municipalities, street work, garbage collection and so on, for not more than 650 euro per month), distributing farming land to young aspiring farmers against a small fee and the search for oil and gas in the Ionian Sea and South of Crete.
Here is worth mentioning that the special contribution levies ended up in double taxing the already taxed income, the already taxed interest rates from bank savings.
After 20 months of cut pensions and salaries and raising direct and indirect taxes, after 20 months of unemployment having reached 16% and recession at 7.3% tha last thing Greeks want are new taxes and levies, and wishes based on American Style PR semantics.
When Papandreou speaks I often have the wierd feeling I’m listening to Obama….
