Keep Talking Greece Greek News in English, Blog, Wit & Drama

The International Monetary Fund has warned that austerity programs in Europe’s most troubled economies could have political limits, as resistance grows in Greece and Portugal over their bailout terms. In a briefing made for the November 4-5 meeting of G20 leading economies in Mexico and released Thursday in Washington, the …

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 German Chancellor Angela Merkel stunned 200 parliamentarians and journalists in Europe Parliament when she fiercely opposed Greeks launching strikes and protests. “You have to tell them, ‘It is not right, that every time I go on strike when a privatization is due,  it is not right that a railway company is not …

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With a marginal majority of 153 votes Greece’s coalition government under Prime Minister Antonis Samaras managed to pass the austerity package bill through the Greek Parliament. An austerity bill that is hard if not impossible to be implemented when in combination with the Budget 2013 will send millions of people to …

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France will send again the so-called Lagarde-list to Greece after a formal request by the Greek Finance Ministry. A source from French Finance Ministry said on Thursday that in fact Paris has already sent the list to Athens via the administrative way. The moment the list contains information about taxpayers …

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The additional austerity package adopted by the Greek Parliament on Wednesday includes a provision that will force ship owners, long accused of enjoying lavish fiscal privileges, to pony up at least 140 million euros. The provision initially called for a “voluntary” contribution to the state coffers, but Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras withdrew …

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The austerity package that will bring financial disaster to millions of Greek households was apparently not enough for Greece’s lenders to give the green light for the release of the 31 billion euro bailout tranche. Of course, the budget 2013 has to be adopted by the Greek Parliament, as well. …

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Taxis will operate as usual as of  5 o’clock  in the morning on November 9th 2012.

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Officially the gross monthly salary of a Greek Member of the Parliament is 5.700 euro. However unofficially the salary is much higher and thus more than 8,000 euro. Nea Dimocratia MP Fotini Pipili revealed the real income of MPs, reading out of her own payment declaration: 8,217 euro. Basic Salary: …

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Latest data on unemployment released by the Greek Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) are really shocking: Not only because youth unemployment climbed to 58% and the general unemployment reached 25.4%. But because also these data refer to August, one of the summer months that traditionally offer(ed) seasonal jobs to people. In comparison: …

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Workers at Metro, Tram and urban train ISAP/HSAP are on 24-hour strike on Thursday, November 8th 2012. Also taxi owners continue their protest action.  

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With 153 “Yes” votes the austerity package bill was adopted by the Greek Parliament on Wednesday night. The voting brought some casualties for Samaras coalition government as the bill received even less votes than originally thought. MPs from junior coalition partner Democratic Left voted “present”, following the party line except,  2 MPs who …

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Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said that the austerity bill to be passed by the parliament is “the last austerity package, the last painful cuts for wages and pensions”.  He admitted that cuts in wages and pensions are not fair, but “necessary for the rescue of the country.” He noted …

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