Philipp Roesler, German economics Minister in Athens with a eager to invest businessmen delegation. He came, saw and conquered the hearts of the Greeks. Millions of moustached Zorbas from the social class of “new poor” raised their ouzo glasses to the ever-lasting health of Roesler. Thousands of mourning Helectras applauded Roesler proudly announcing “Our presence here is …
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Trends: KTG Considers A Language “Haircut”… Is this Possible?
I’ve been thinking to follow the Austerity Trend in Greece, not only in term of my income and expenses – something that happens anyway in the usual monthly tact: income decreases, expenses rise. I have been wondering whether I would invent a kind of ‘austerity language’ with a 30-40% of “Haircut” …
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Greeks Open Umbrellas – It Rains Taxes Again…
Today’s news lulls me sweetly. Running around the whole morning to fix issues does not exactly promote inspiration, clear thinking, cool analysis and sorting out. Today’s news is not good. As it hasn’t been in the last months. Increasing unemployment and one in five companies preparing to close. The market has dried …
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Watching Greek news, Aug 9
The stuffed eggplant lays a bit heavily in my stomach and I firmly believe that it is time to make a confession hoping for some relief. I suffer from an incredible difficulty to resume posting on a daily basis. My mind is filled with images of villages and seas, my ears …
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All Quiet on the Greek front
It’s all quiet on the Greek front this morning, twelve hours after the EU Leaders agreed to save Greece. The Euro zone Summit ended last night with lots of smiles and lots of unanswered questions by politicians and bankers. We still have to wait and see the details of the …
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That’s the Greece I like!
No, I don’t like been in trouble due to strikes especially in hot summer days. No, I don’t like to see the yellow-grey smog ring rising every day on the horizon and hear no measures to combat air pollution. No, I don’t like the increased ozone levels and hear the …
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IS this the EU we wanted? I don’t think so…
The European road has its reached dead-end. Call it “Greek crisis”, call it “Euro crisis” the European leaders prove day in day out that they are not able to deal with this challenge. EU leaders live in their own happy-go-merry world with some aging EU-gentlemen ridiculte themselves by claiming they are sexy. If …
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Athens, June 29/11: Glorification of the Greek Democracy
I am so damned proud today! Greece showed that it is a truly democratic country and the people’s will prevails in rate 155:300. Inside the parliament the lawmakers dressed in light summer suits voted pro and contra the Mid-Term Austerity Programme. A 28 billion euro package containing wages, social allowances …
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Greece: Plumber Triggered the Crisis, Electrician to Ruin the Euro Zone
Man, oh man! What a twisted day today! I feel, I am living in a virtual reality suffering from an extreme borderline syndrome. Yesterday, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced a series of predatory and unfair austerity measures that grab deep holes in citizens’ incomes and minimize the available money to living. Fin Min …
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Euro-Crisis: It’s all Greek to you…
…but it’s Chinese to me! Then for us, Greeks, the idiom “It’s all Greek to me” makes really no sense. However, whether in Chinese or in Greek, the Greek crisis makes no more sense to anybody. The Eurogroup in Luxembroug postponed its decision to release the 5th tranche of 12 billion …
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Disoriented in Greece
I am disoriented today. I feel the heavy load of the additional austerity measures over my shoulders. I have been hanging on the phone and e-mail box the whole morning. Friends call and we exchange views on the measures. Despair. Hopelessness. Internet friends send e-mails asking about Greece’s economic future. What can I …
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Additional Greek Bailout: A Blessing or a Curse?
The new bailout for Greece is unofficially sealed according to international and national media. A pretty packed additional aid of estimated €30-35 billion, revenues of €25 billion through privatizations and a kind of debt ‘recycling’ for €20 billion through private investors will apparently help Greece meet its creditors’ expectations and state expenditures needs. Details of the new deal …
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Greece: Winds of Change?
The wave of Indignants appears to be spreading increasingly and the virus of “Speak Up”-disease infects more and more people and social classes. The voices of those seeking changes in the deadlocked political system are getting louder. No, no, there not demands about ‘anarchistic revolts, “overturning the order” and other scary political concepts, …
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Greece at Crossroads or Deadlock?
Pressure is mounting against the Greek government, pressure is coming from inland and abroad. In Greece opposition parties refuse to bless the ‘midterm IMF/EU/ECB plan for 2011-2015’. Ordinary people occupy the major squares of 38 cities and chant “Thieves! Thieves!”. A governing party EU official drops a bombshell and threatens – some call it ‘blackmailing’ – “More …
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IMF-Chief asks Cuts for Greece’s Public Sector Wages
The Chief of International Monetary Fund could not be more clear! “Public Sector Wages” was the magic sentence he spitted out. Referring to Greece’s economic problems, Dominique Strauss-Kahn said that what Greece need is not debt restructuring but combat its biggest problem, which is competitiveness. “The problem of Greece has …
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Greece: You know there is an economic crisis, when…
When your otherwise silent neighbors start quarreling…. When voices full of anger start coming through walls and stairways and a personal drama is taking place behind closed doors and windows… When a man yells “Think, I’m not looking for job?” and a woman shouts “Shhh, they can hear us!” When the sounds of …
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Why do Greek strays ‘attack’ Greek Civil servants?
Have Greek strays started attacking Greek civil servants? Have the strays in the yard of Ministry of Education been abused? Greek animal welfare portal Adespoto.gr reports of a complaint by a employee at the Ministry. According to the information published at the portal some animal loving employees care with devotion …
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Greece’s tough struggle at Eurogroup meeting
What does Greece expects today fromthe Eurogroup leaders meeting in Brussels? Athens’ expectations refer to three crucial things: Repayment extension for the €110 billion bailout, Decrease of borrowing interest rates and Buyback of its debt. Practically there has been an EU acceptance on the repayment extension and cuts in the interest …
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Are We a Morally-Bankrupt Society?
This morning I was trying to find some positive news to write about. Something like “The Good News of the Day”. For a change, you know… But not matter how hard did I try, I didn’t find anything. We, Greeks, are going through economically difficult and socially disheartening times. We …
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“Piri Reis” & “Cesme”: The Little Boats of Greek Horror
That is indeed a very refreshing game played among the deep blue waves of the Aegean and the South Mediterranean Sea. Refreshing in terms that when heat waves hit Greece and Turkey and everybody feels exhausted from high temperatures and air pollution, some scientists (Turks) and coastal guards (Greeks) enjoy the …
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