The first round of voting for Greece’s next President is taking place in the Parliament. 300 lawmakers will be asked to vote in a roll call either for sole candidate “Stavros Dimas” or “Present“. MPs do not have the option to say “No”. Just the name of the candidate or …
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PM Samaras accelerates President’s election; first round of voting Dec 17/2014
The election of Greece’s next President will start already on December and not in February as originally scheduled. The first round of voting will be on December 17th that is in less than ten days from now. So far there has been no official nomination from the coalition government Nea …
Read More »Greek PM Samaras submits Confidence Vote request – Voting Oct 10/2014
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras officially submitted a request for a confidence vote on Monday, the day the Parliament Plenary resumed work after the summer break. On Wednesday, a 3-day debate is to start while the voting is scheduled for Friday, October 10th 2014, at midnight. The request was submitted to …
Read More »Greek Government unexpectedly closed the Parliament for summer break
It was shortly after 5 in the afternoon and a fully troubled plenary session, when police hanged a Presidential Decree announcing the unexpected closure of the Greek Parliament and the start of the summer sessions. The government decision to close the Parliament as expressed by the Presidential Decree took Greek …
Read More »Gripes about Greek civil services rose 26% in 2013
One should not wonder why citizens’ complains about Greece’s public administration have increased. Greeks were always dissatisfied with the public services where civil servants would come to and leave work whenever they wanted. But in recent years things got worse for another reason: shortage of staff. Troika has practically forbidden …
Read More »Greek cookies of shame…
We have a major issue here in Greece. A scandalous issue that challenges the coalition government and the millions of jobless and low-pensioners in debt-ridden and austerity-hit Greece. Key word: Cookies. Yes. In the volume of one metric tonne. Butter, chocolate, vanilla. Soft cookies, hard cookies. Stuffed with chunks of …
Read More »Volos: desparate parents urge Greek PM to foster their children
In a symbolic action, at least fourty parents from Volos, urged the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker to adopt or foster their children. The members of the local association of families with three children in Almyros symbolically signed adoption papers agreeing that their children …
Read More »Society Boils but Politicians Won’t Listen: A Swan Song for Greece?
Is this a swan song we’ve been listening here? A song sung by a corrupt political system and a society in despair? No, it’s not. Because the swan song is supposed to be beautiful even though the last one before death. But what we’re experiencin ghere is ungly. And I wouldn’t know …
Read More »Greece November 2011: “The Coup D’ Etat that Did Not Happen…” Part II
Below you will find some of the highlights published in Sunday newspaper To Vima in its front page report “The Coup d’ etat that didn’t happen…”. The basic idea of the newspaper is that the leadership of the Greek Armed Forces was replaced in November 2011 because then Prime Minister …
Read More »Powerful Tremor Shakes Greece with Leaked Lists of Allegedly Corrupt Politicians
The most powerful tremor of recent years shakes the Greek political world, after several lists contaning names of politicians alleged under investigation by the Finance Crime Units (SDOE) were leaked to the press and published by a number of newspapers and news-portals. Current and former political leaders, ministers and deputy ministers, former …
Read More »Greek Parliament Goes … Vulgar
An unprecedented vulgar verbal attack from the side of Greek Parliament Speaker allegedly occurred this morning in the plenary hall of the Parliament. “Suck my ***” was allegedly the vulgar sentence that soon reached the mainstream media, the websites and the blogs. The parliament office dismissed the claims that such a …
Read More »Greece’s Parliament Speaker “Suspends” His Duties
Greece’s Parliament Speaker and MP from conservative Nea Dimocratia Evaggelos Meimarakis suspended his duties following a corruption and money laundering inquiry by authorities. According to reports Meimarakis suspends his duties as Parliament Speaker until the inquiry concludes. He does not resign from his position. Citing a press release issued by Meimarakis, news …
Read More »Real News: SDOE Probes Three Former Ministers for Money Laundering
A ‘mega bomb’ exploded on Saturday in Athens when a weekly newspaper with front page “Testimony Burns 3 Ministers” claimed that two former ministers and the current parliament speaker have been alledgedly involved in money laundering scandal. In its exclusive story Real News refers to the written testimony of a real estate …
Read More »Greece’s Army Chief of Staff Resigns On Grounds of “Return of Retired Army Officers”?
Greece’s Army Chief of Staff Cosntantinos Ziazias dropped a “bomb” in the early morning hours of Wednesday. He resigned citing reasons of “ethics and dignity”. Ziazias’ resignation came hours before a government meeting (KYSEA) with top brass from the political and military leadership of the country on military and defence policy. But most …
Read More »10+1 Golden Benefits & Privileges for 300 Members of Greek Parliament
A total of 20,203 euro is spent per month by the Greek parliament for each of its elected members: MP compensation, several open and hidden benefits, additional income through participation in committees as well as operational costs for their offices make it an expensive hobby for thousands of Greeks suffering …
Read More »Left Parties Abandon Parliament Hall When Golden Dawn Leader Starts Speaking
This was never seen before in the Greek parliament. Hardly had speaker Vaggelis Meimarakis invited Nikos Michaloliakos, leader of extreme-right Golden Dawn (Chrysi Avgi) to take the floor, immediately more than 100 MPs stood up. However for very different reasons. Various Greek MPs abandon Parliament to protest Golden Dawn Party leaders and 71 MPs from main opposition …
Read More »Outrage Over €1,000 Elections Bonus for Greek Parliament Employees
HA! If that’s not a provocation for the majority of Greeks especially those in the private sector struggling to make ends meet… Parliament speaker Vyron Polydoras approved to pay to parliament personnel an flat allowance of 1,000 euro due to overtime work because of the two elections in May and …
Read More »Greek Parliament: 300 MPs Were Sworn-in; When Will Samaras Get Confidence Vote?
Greece’ new parliament finally convened on Thursday. 300 MPs elected in June 17 elections were sworn-in in a religious ceremony. Even thought members of left-wing SYRIZA and communist KKE refrained form taking a religious oath. Three Muslim MPs were sworn-in to the Quran. The ceremony took place in absence of …
Read More »Here is Greece’s “National Responsibility” Government
At the very end, Greeks got neither a “national unity” government as Antonis Samaras had proposed, neither a “national co-responsibility” government as Evangelos Venizelos wanted. After four days of negotiations between Nea Dimocratia, PASOK and Democratic Left, Greeks got a “national responsibility” government. In a proclamation published together with the names …
Read More »Unprecedented swearing in Greek Parliament
Members of the Greek Parliament Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee were almost turned into salt columns on Tuesday hearing a former national defense minister unspeakably swearing at the former director of national intelligence service. “Good Morning” said Ioannis Corantis to Vaggelis Meimarakis. This Good morningwas the spark that set the anger of …
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