We, the Greeks living in this wonderful, sun-kissed and beauty-blessed country, survived another politically tense weekend. We survived it without injuries and bruises. We, the simple Greeks: the average jobless, the employee on time-contract, the pensioner. In fact, our only care was whether we can afford to turn on the air-condition or the fan and skyrocket our electricity bills and the summer temperatures are on the rise. We managed to survive the winter without heating wearing three pullovers and two pairs of socks. But how can one survive the summer heat?
We spent the weekend splashing in the sea, enjoying ice cream, eating home-made sandwiches and drinking tab water form the cooler. Summer fun with the least possible expenses.
I think we were the only group of people who enjoyed this weekend.
ERT non-stop
The fired employees of shutdown public broadcaster ERT continued their 24-hour live broadcast accompanied by many activities like concerts and children shows. ERT employees have been broadcasting their pirate program non-stop since June 11th. At the same time, they evaluate and prepare to take decisions for the transitional ERT apparently “to open soon” for the period of time until the new Greek public broadcaster NERIT is established – probably after 3-4 months.
TV screens of four international channels remain blackened. TV-screens of ERt show color bars. The government claim with showing color bars the government followed and implemented the council of State order for immediate restoration of ERT frequencies.
That was the joke of the weekend, while we were biting on cheese-ham sandwiches, spitting watermelon seeds or drinking home-made lemonade. It was real pure luck that nobody has choked upon hearing the joke while eating or drinking.
When I was a kid our favorite game at the beach beside building sand castles was the watermelon contest. Who will spit the seeds the farest. We, a group of 5 to 7 year-olds, would stand right there where the water kiss the sand holding watermelon seeds in our hand palms. An older kid or a mom or even a granny would give the signal. Contest in 2 steps: 1) put a seed in the mouth 2) spit. The ‘jury’ did not bother to keep record, so its round had a winner. Nikos, Maria, Yiannis, Pepi, Anna… When I was a kid the sea often smelled like watermelon. I was sure that the seeds we spat ended in growing watermelons at the bottom of the sea. when I gre up i learned that the smell was due to the watermelon peels people used to throw in the sea.
Connected to the Holy Spirit
To tell you the truth I hardly heard any news since Friday evening. I only checked here and there on internet to see if something groundbreaking occurred. It didn’t. It was supposed to be a long quiet week-end due to the Holy-Sspirit celebration on Monday. A work-free day for the blessed sector of the Greek civil servants. the kids of the lesser God, those in the private sector have to work. It’s all about having a good relation with the Holy Spirit, isn’t it?…
Government success are …the rates in public opinion polls
It looks as if Nea Dimocratia lawmakers have no other success to display except the party’s success in public opinion polls. “The public supports Samaras”, “we are 1.5% ahead of SYRIZA’. These two sentences were repeatedly heard over the weekend and still on Monday.
Of course. What else can they stress as success? The rising of unemployment or the failure in privatizations of public assets and state-run enterprises?
There you go! it was not watermelons growing at the bottom of the sea!
Venizelos supports Samaras wearing a life ring writting “early elections”.
Venizelos: “As I support you, why a life ring?”
Samaras: “Coz it gives me style!”
More political caricatures in skitsoblog
Nightmare weekend for politicians due to gov’t reshuffle
On the other hand, the weekend was a real nightmare for our esteemed politicians, the local nomenclatura, the sidekickers and professional slobbers. The withdrawal of Democratic Left from coalition government on Thursday made the reshuffle imperative.
Old and aspiring ministers spent the weekend with eyes staring at their mobile phones. A call from PM Samaras or PASOK’s leader Venizelos? When? Not yet? What?
No matter how Nea-Dimocratia ministers tried to re-chew Samaras’ triptych “Effort-Recovery-Development” after the emergency meeting on Thursday night, quite a lot of them will have to be replaced. Because now the Greek coalition government has only two partners (ND and PASOK), because PASOK will have a stronger participation in the government and because some ministers did not do the work they were asked too – allegedly.
In order to prove that “Greece moves forward, renewed and refreshed”, Samaras and Venizelos will hold 98% of the new ministers from the old stock, according to leaks to the Greek media. PASOK and Nea Dimocratia officials who have been waiting on the party selves under a thick layer of dust. Their time has come to make a step ahead and save the country.
Greek media report of some ministries to be split apart and others to be unified. We call it “wasting time” or “chasing one’s own tail”.
The official announcement of the government reshuffle is expected today in the afternoon or tomorrow morning.
You think, anyone cares?
PS There are rumors that cleaners still on Monday try to remove the saliva from the stairs of Maximos Mansion, the PM’s office, that was pured on Thursday.
