Keep Talking Greece

Deadline for Declaring Illegal Houses Extended to January 31/2013

September 11, 2012 4

Greek Environment Ministry said on Tuesday that it is extending the deadline for Greeks who own illegally built or illegally altered homes to declare their properties and be exempted from future fines or demolitions until January 31, 2013. The ministry added that it was taking into account the negative economic climate …

Will Greeks Get Their Drugs at Super-Markets? So to Say “At the Cheese Stand”?

September 11, 2012 13

In the country of innovation and the unprecedented, no extreme is impossible. Greek Health Minister Andreas Lykourentzos said, that he would make law changes so that drugs could be obtained also at super markets. Speaking at the Healthworld 2012 conference, organized by the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce, Lykourentzos said: “We will find …

Troika Postpones Meeting with Labour Minister Until Protesting Communists Withdraw

September 11, 2012 9

With banners and anti-austerity slogans PAME-members of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) union settled in front of the Labour Ministry in Athens hindering representatives of Greece’s lenders to meet the minister. The meeting between Yiannis Vroutsis and the Troika was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. However the representatives of IMF, EU and ECB …

Odd! EP Schulz & German Industrialist Keitel Want Greece as “Special Economic Zone”

September 11, 2012 32

That’s odd. In fact, I think that’s more than odd and it borders to suspicion. One week after the President of European Parliament Martin Schulz proposed to turn Greece into a special economic zone with EU officials sent to control the proper operation of the whole project, the President of Federation of …

Greeks Visiting Australia for Work May End in Immigration Detention centres?

September 11, 2012 5

Reading following report, I remembered the Greek guy – a taxi driver – who wanted to seek work in Australia – on tourist visa. He was slightly older than the job requirements for taxi drivers offered by Australian authorities for jobless Greeks. The money he was earning as taxi driver in Athens …

Troika Allegedly Rejects Some of Samaras’ Austerity Proposals, Worth €2 Billion

September 10, 2012 2

Greek citizens and the counry’s lenders – the Troika – seem to agree: both are not pleased displeased with the 11.5-billion-euro austerity package Samaras government prepared. However Greeks and Troikans agree for diametrically opposed reasons. Greeks want less austerity measures, the Troikans want more. The Troika’s point of view seems clear: …

Santorini Volcano Magma is Swelling

September 10, 2012 Comments Off on Santorini Volcano Magma is Swelling

Our magma is swelling, our income is shrinking. These are Greek realities on Monday, September 10th 2012. Why our income is shrinking is very obvious and does not need surveys or experts to tells us why. But that the magma (the chamber of liquid rock) under the Santorini volcano is swelling is …

Sikiaridio Foundation for 250 Children with Special Needs Closes Down Due to Lack of State Funding

September 10, 2012 Comments Off on Sikiaridio Foundation for 250 Children with Special Needs Closes Down Due to Lack of State Funding

This is one of the cases of social groups living in Greece without the support of a strong lobby: seniors, poor, children with special needs. They suffer from the strict austerity and ‘die hard’ kicked out to the streets as foundations suffer from lack of funding and financial support from …

Chrysi Avgi Raids On Street Vendors Shock And Spark Outcry

September 10, 2012 28

The raiding incidents against foreigners are shocking – especially when they are led by elected members of the Greek Parliament. Men in black raid the stands of foreign street vendors, no police is around to hinder them. They do it once, twice, a third time maybe… The incidents cause uproar, …

Greek Financial Crime Units Seize Assets and Freeze Bank Accounts of 121 Tax Evaders

September 6, 2012 2

Banks accounts with ten of millions of euro and undisclosed amounts in foreign currency, shares in the stock exchange of Athens and New York, luxury properties, investments in insurance companies. All these assets of 121 persons and companies have been seized and bank accounts were frozen by the Financial Crimes Units (SDOE) of the …

Protesting Policemen Set “Gallows” Outside Greek Finance Ministry (video, picts)

September 6, 2012 4

Powerful pictures, full of symbolism: one policeman, one firefighter and one coastal guard “hang” themselves outside the Greek Finance Ministry in downtown Athens, near the Greek Parliament. They stand there for a couple of minutes. Silent. The crowd chants: “Thieves! Thieves! Thieves!” Video: Protesting Policemen – Gallows outside the Finance Ministry/slogans …

ECB’s Mario Draghi Saves the Euro with Bond-Buying Plan

September 6, 2012 11

Ufff! The euro is saved. And together with euro, we, debt-ridden European Southerners, are save too. Head of European Central Bank, Mario Draghi announced on Thursday, that the ECD will buy bonds of countries in debt crisis until they recover. Draghi’s decision comes despite Germany’s objections fearing that member states …