Keep Talking Greece

Opinion Polls: Nea Dimocratia – SYRIZA virtually tied, “best PM” is Mr “Nobody”

January 19, 2013 Comments Off on Opinion Polls: Nea Dimocratia – SYRIZA virtually tied, “best PM” is Mr “Nobody”

Government party conservative Nea Dimocratia and main opposition left-wing SYRIZA are virtually tied in two public opinion polls, with SYRIZA to have a slight lead in one of them. However the majority of the Greeks believe the country is “heading to wrong direction”, while “best Prime Minister” is considered to by …

IMF Greece’s report: new austerity measures & haircuts, bold political intervention

January 19, 2013 1

New austerity measures, new haircuts, grim predictions for the near future, debt unsustainability but also bold intervention in the internal political affairs of the country recorded in the latest Greek program review released by the International Monetary Fund on Friday. Greece is recovering but debt is not sustainable, International Monetary Fund …

Athens Metro: 24-hour strike, Jan 19/2013

January 18, 2013 12

For third consequent day workers at Athens Metro will launch a 24-hour stirke on Saturday, Jan 19th 2013. Metro workers demand to be exempted from the new payroll common for all civil servants. As Transport and Development minister rejects their demands, the workers will stage a “First in Greece”: a …

Greek lawmakers to probe ex FinMin Papaconstantinou over Lagarde List

January 18, 2013 Comments Off on Greek lawmakers to probe ex FinMin Papaconstantinou over Lagarde List

After a marathon and stormy meeting, Greek lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to refer ex Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou to face parliamentary inquiry over allegations he tampered the Lagarde list and removed the names of three relatives from the list of Greek bank account holders at HSBC bank in Geneva. A total of 265 …

UPD Athens: Pakistani man stabbed to death, two Greeks arrested

January 17, 2013 2

Police arrested two Greeks suspected of stabbing to death a Pakistani man a couple of hours earlier. One of the suspects is a firefighter, according to a statement issued by police on Thursday. The incident occurred at 3 o’clock in the morning, when the victim, 27, was riding his bicycle in …

Jodie Foster was in Athens during austerity protests and riots

January 17, 2013 5

Hollywood star Jodie Foster revealed, she happened to be in Athens during anti-austerity protests and riots while the air was filled with tear gas. Speaking to Greek Reporter she described, how she was watching the incidents from a Syntagma hotel together with her children. Jodie Foster said also, she was …

One vote, four ballots: Greek lawmakers seek responsibilites for Lagarde List – or not

January 17, 2013 9

After a tense parliament session on Thursday morning, Greece’s lawmakers decided to hold a single vote and set up four ballot boxes where MPs can cast their vote and decided who will face inquiry over the handling of infamous Lagarde list. The ballot boxes will open for two former finance ministers (Papaconstantinou, …

Athens: Metro, Urban Train HSAP, Tram on 24h strike, Jan 18/2013

January 17, 2013 Comments Off on Athens: Metro, Urban Train HSAP, Tram on 24h strike, Jan 18/2013

Workers at Athens Metro, urban train ISAP (HSAP) and tram will launch a 24-hour strike on Friday, January 18th 2013. For the Metro it will be the second consequent strike day. Workers demand to be exempted from the new collective payroll for civil servants. However Minister of Development rejected their demands. …

UPD Athens: Hand grenade found on street pavement

January 16, 2013 3

Police units on motorcycles DIAS found a hand grenade at 3:15 Wednesday afternoon laying on the pavement at the corner of Piraios and Persefonis streets in Gazi district of Athens. Anti-terror but also an army unit have rushed to the spot, Greek media reported. Part of the Piraios street is …

Swiss far-right with anti-Greek poster against own FinMin

January 16, 2013 1

Swiss politicians from the far-right spectrum emerged from the melted chocolate and cheese fondue pots and created an anti-Greek poster in order to attack their own finance minister, Ursula Gut, Finance Minister of the Zurich Canton from FDP party. Aposter that features a finance minister as a cheater. “Doing tricks like the …

Guest Post: Greece’s hydrocarbons deposits: Fantasy vs Reality

January 16, 2013 4

This is an interesting approach to the issue of the hydrocarbon deposits apparently hidden in million of cubic meters in the bottom of our wonderful blue Greek waters. Are these deposits real? And if the answer is affirmative, will they solve all economic problems of the debt-ridden country with a population …

Dress Code and Good Manners for Greece’s Lawmakers

January 16, 2013 3

Tame language code and descent dress code will be imposed in the Greek Parliament as the situation is getting out of control, according to conservative Nea Dimocratia. Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Greek Parliament, Christos Markogiannakis, issued strict recommendations to the country’s lawmakers concerning what they wear and what …