Keep Talking Greece

Kos Residents Launch Petition as Ryanair Halts Flights to Kos & Rhodes

September 17, 2012 13

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has scheduled to cancel to Kos and to Rhodes due to a dispute with the local authorities apparently over a promotion agreement. Ryanair’s flight cancellation is due before the end of the tourism season which ends in November for these two islands of the Dodecanese. Ryanair decided to halt 82 flights per week …

GD Requests Ministry Data about Number of Foreign Families Receiving Child Benefits

September 17, 2012 7

That’s interesting and worrying at the same time. I personally didn’t know how many foreigner families with more than two children live in Greece for more than ten years the criteria for receiving child benefit. Neither was I interested, nor did I care about. But now after the release of data by the …

Civic Movement “No Middlemen” Starts Again – Anger with Potato Prices

September 17, 2012 1

With additional agricultural products such a pulses, fruits, flour and vegetables, the civic initiative “Movement Without Middlemen ‘, starts its activities for the upcoming winter. started its activities last year. During a nationwide conference in Katerini, North Greece, the members of the Movement decided to create an online platform when producers can …

Why Can’t Greece Obtain Tax-Cheat CDs with Data from Swiss Banks?

September 17, 2012 3

“Because these CDs have been classified as products of industrial espionage by the Swiss banks.” This is what Deputy Finance Minister Giorgos Mavraganis replied to a question posed by members of main opposition party, left-wing SYRIZA. “For the acquisition of such CDs there have been also issued arrest warrants,” Mavraganis …

Troika-Samaras Increase Retirement Age from 65 to 67 & Add 5 More years to Secure Minimum Pension

September 17, 2012 Comments Off on Troika-Samaras Increase Retirement Age from 65 to 67 & Add 5 More years to Secure Minimum Pension

Thousands of Greeks -preferentially those working in the private sector – will be obliged to work for up to two years in order to go to retirement. At the same time, working years to secure the minimum pension will be increased from 15 to 20. This seems to be the …

Tsipras: “Memorandum Failed” – Eight Objectives to Reconstruct the Greek Economy

September 16, 2012 14

Calling for people to respond to the “invitation for unity and creation”, Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s leader of main opposition party left-wing SYRIZA, revealed a thorough program for the recostruction of the Greek economy. Speaking at the International Fair of Thessaloniki, Tsipras presented eight objectives for “a comprehensive, coherent, progressive and realistic reconstruction program” in order to …

Greek PM Samaras “Initiates” 6-Day Week: “There Are No Saturdays”

September 16, 2012 2

I can’t resist the temptation. Especially as the office of the Prime Minister felt the need to issue a press release on Antonis Samaras statement and his party, Nea Dimokratia, uploaded the relevant video on YouTube. Both gave an utmost importance of this statement. Video: outside Samaras’ office embedded by Embedded VideoYouTube Direkt Reporter: “Saturday …

Thessaloniki: Baby-Girl Abandoned at Pediatrics-Clinic Elevator

September 15, 2012 1

A visitor at the new born clinic could not believe his eyes when he entered the hospitals elevator: a baby girl was left there, wrapped in diapers. Abandoned on the cold floor of an elevator at a pediatrics clinic of Ippokratio Hospital in Thessaloniki. Apparently by a single mom or parents who …

Athens: Indignant Greeks Go … Syntagma Square, Sept 15/2012

September 15, 2012 Comments Off on Athens: Indignant Greeks Go … Syntagma Square, Sept 15/2012

Indignant Greeks decided to return to Syntagma Square and are calling people to join the protest, scheduled for today, Saturday, September 15th 2012. “People need to join their voices for one more time against the austerity government measures and express their anger about the situation they experience,” a post said on …

Greeks Have a Good Feeling: Lenders Positive on Program Extension…

September 15, 2012 Comments Off on Greeks Have a Good Feeling: Lenders Positive on Program Extension…

Greeks got the feeling, that the climate is changing, it’s turning from negative-rejecting to positive- supportive. Some hints in this direction came from here and there yesterday, claim the Greek media. The country’s international lenders hint Greece may get the desired two-years extension. That apparently the total message from the Eurogroup meeting in Nicosia on …

Compensation of Greek President to Be Cut into Half: Just €11,561/Month

September 14, 2012 6

The monthly compensation a Greek President receives will be cut into half. With decision of the finance ministry and effect from September 1st 2012, the monthly compensation of a Greek president will be 11,561 euro. After the cut, he monthly compensation for the President is be equal to twice the salary of …

Greek Transport Ministry to Combat Ticket Dodgers with Free Tickets

September 14, 2012 Comments Off on Greek Transport Ministry to Combat Ticket Dodgers with Free Tickets

Greek Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure decided to introduce new measures to combat “ticket evasion”. Passengers returning ten cancelled tickets will be awarded with one ticket of charge. The Ministry targets to decrease the so-called ticket dodgers by 50 percent until the end of the year and so to avoid …