Keep Talking Greece

Greek PM Papademos Does Not Rule Out 3rd Bailout Package

March 30, 2012 2

Greece’s Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said on Friday the country was making every effort to avoid a third bailout package but said he could not rule out the need for one. “Some form of financial assistance might be necessary but we have to work intensely to avoid such an event,” …

Greek Helped Bring Down “Erratic” Pilot of JetBlue Flight (video)

March 29, 2012 Comments Off on Greek Helped Bring Down “Erratic” Pilot of JetBlue Flight (video)

Pick up a stone and you will find a Greek underneath. Diaspora Greek, Paul Babakitis, a retired New York police officer, was one of the JetBlue Flight passengers who helped wrestle the “erratic” captain to the ground. On Tuesday a JetBlue flight bound for Las Vegas made an emergency landing in Texas on Tuesday …

Education Minister Threatens to Resign over Greek Universities Funding

March 29, 2012 2

Just 23 days after his appointment, Greece’s Education Minister Giorgos Babiniotis threatened to resign on Thusrday upon criticism and pressure he received on his decision to disengage the funding of universities and Technical Education Schools (TEI)from the councils elections as it has been defined by a recent law passed by Papademos coalition government. …

IMF’s Thomsen Booed At LSE (video)

March 29, 2012 Comments Off on IMF’s Thomsen Booed At LSE (video)

IMF’s Poul Thomsen became the target of protests while he was delivering a speed at the London School of Economics on Wednesday. Poul Thomsen Poul Thomsen, deputy director in the European Department of the International Monetary Fund and and head of the Troika Programme for Greece, was speaking about the (successful?) recipe …

USS Enterprise in Piraeus: Wellcome, American Dollar!

March 28, 2012 7

The very first American nuclear powered aircraft carrier “Enterprise” anchored off shore of Palaio Faliro, south of Athens, on Wednesday morning. The USS Entreprise, the longest naval vessel of the world, is on its last deployment after 53 successful years on duty. With more than 4,000 crew members the ship resembles a small …

Turkey: Reopen Halki Seminary? Reciprocal Move, First!

March 27, 2012 2

That’s the usual Turkish tactic when it comes to diplomacy: reciprocacy above all! It was just two days ago, when Turkish Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan announced to US President Barack Obama his decision to reopen the Theological School of Halki. On Tuesday, Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bagis came out …

Greek Crisis: Welfare Bodies Close to Bankruptcy

March 27, 2012 3

” The financial situation in which Greece’s national insurance bodies find themselves is, to say the least, very serious. The organisations are the victims not only of the serious economic crisis in which Greece finds itself but also of the two-party system that has ruled the country for years and that …

IMF’s Thomsen: Minimum Wages in Greece 50% Higher than in Portugal

March 27, 2012 11

Am I confused or they just don’t know what they’re talking about? I am again impressed by the manipulated mathematics of the IMF &Co when it comes to minimum wages in Greece and the infamous competitiveness. During a hearing at the European Parliament, IMF’s man in Greece, Poul Thomsen claimed that …

Educated Young Greeks Seek Life as Farmers

March 27, 2012 5

Highly educated young people seeking a quality life consider to abandon big cities, return to the countryside and get involved in the rural sector even if at the price of a decreased income. One to one-and-a-half million young Greeks plan to return to the countryside, according to a survey conducted …

Dozens Greeks Willing to Return Illegal Social Benefits

March 27, 2012 5

Dozens Greeks are apparently willing to return the social benefits that they illegally obtained fro several years after several government bodies run a severe cross-checking. Speaking to VIMA FM, Athens deputy mayor Kalliopi Giannopoulou said that these false “beneficiarie”s seek the municipality and request to return the money in installments. However, no solution …

400K Greek Employees Work Without Salary since 6 Months

March 27, 2012 6

Maria* has been working at a lady’s fashion shop in Glyfada, a noble suburb of Athens, in the south. The 50-year old woman is desperate. Last time she got paid her full salary of 900 euro was in July 2011. From August onwards, Maria has been receiving 200 euro per …

Athens: Metro, Tram, Urban Train Work Stoppage, Mar 28/12

March 27, 2012 Comments Off on Athens: Metro, Tram, Urban Train Work Stoppage, Mar 28/12

Workers at the Metro, the Tram and the Urban Train (HSAP) will launch a warning four-hour work stoppage on Wednesday, March 28th 2012. The work stoppage will take place from 11 am to 3 pm. The workers demand the signing of a Collective Labour Agreement and warn that there would …