Tag Archives: greek society

Greece’s political system has undermined itself in the last years as the economic crisis brought on the surface all chronic diseases of a ststem that had an expiration date.  Ideologies have been abolished in a society that used to be highly politicized. Whether socialist (PASOK) or left-wings (SYRIZA) parties, they …

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SYRIZA celebrates one year in power. SYRIZA finds itself confronted with almost the whole of Greek professionals who are on the streets and highways to protest the upcoming hikes in social security contributions and the pensions reform. The farmers lead the protests followed by lawyers, doctors and engineers. Also winemakers …

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Residents in several underprivileged suburbs of Athens and Piraeus have seen their economic situation to have dramatically deteriorate and consequently also their living standards. According to a survey conducted by the Greek Ombudsman: one in five residents seeks soup kitchens and social groceries in order to get food. Three in …

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I think we have turned into a country where everyone considers he owns a free pass to transform into a law every crap that comes into his mind. The Executive Director  of the Athens Public Transport company (OASA) seems to be one of them. OASA CEO Grigoris Dimitriadis told the …

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I have been quite quiet lately, as reporter, as blogger, as a human being… It is not that I have nothing to say, it is not that nothing important is happening in Greece and the Greek society.  But it is the same thing happening in Greece and to the Greek …

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In the sixth year of recession, Greeks are frustrated. Very frustrated, indeed. And angry. Very angry. They can’t stand anymore the permanent pressure by a state and its lenders that demand more and more and even more and give less and less instead. Greeks are galled about the constantly increasing …

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The clock shows two in the afternoon. I have been thinking the whole morning what news I should write about. Should I start with the upcoming cuts in pensions of several professional groups? With the hikes in patents’ cash participation in prescription medicine, maybe? As I was sipping in my …

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Bahalo (Μπάχαλο) is a nice word. Greeks use it many times per day. In fact, they say “Bahalo” every time they contact a public service or they watch news on television.  Bahalo – accent on the first syllable – means bloody mess, chaos and big confussion. It literally gives the …

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Three kids 5, 9 and 12 years old. Μom, 32, dad 39. They all live ‘comfortably’ in a van since almost a week. Since they were evicted from the home they were renting, for outstanding debts of 3 months. Father Alenxadros Xanthopoulos had no other choice than to pack a …

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 Blue-eyed Angelina had the misfortune of being born in Greece in 2010, just as the country became engulfed by an economic crisis that has deprived her parents, like so many Greeks, of their jobs and livelihood, AFP reports. Today, Angelina’s family lives in the run-down district of Palia Kokkinia, near …

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“The student who stunned politicians” is the title of the video, with Vasilis Themistoklis, 27, speaking to politicians about how the real life looks like when young labourers work for 450 euro per month. How the real horror the Greek politicians created looks like when one has to live within. …

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Greek state is broke and in need of every penny and cent it can get. Therefore, it cut the poverty-pension to an over-aged widow, when it found out, the home she was living in was in her name. Even though she had  inherited it after her husbands’ death, even though the land-house was …

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Don’t be surprised if you see your electricity bills gone up again.  It’s not only because the emergency property tax 2012 will be tagged in the August bills sent but Greek Public Power Company (DEH). It is because Energy Regulatory Authority has decided to increase the fees for Renewable Energy by 47 percent. Greece’s …

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This is one example of the madness Greeks experience each and every day when they contact public services. The story was published at a website by Dimitris Messinis who was eye-witness of the struggle of a citizen to pay utilities and lives in the dark as The Public Power Company …

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 The eight-year old boy had been eating just plain pasta cooked in pure water for the last days. That was the only meal the family could afford to offer its kids. The father without job, the mother working only a couple of days per month. On Thursday noon, the boy collapsed in front of …

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 Uncertainty and fear for the future, continuous hikes and taxes, unemployment and  wage cuts, arm the citizens’ hands who are ready to ‘explode’ against the politicians at the first opportunity. Reactions such as attacks with eggs and yogurt, and even the use of force against the politicians are considered by many as “effective practices”. The …

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Fish eggs, rotten vegetables, cracked eggs, expired dairy products, a loaf of old bread… They pick everything they think they can eat from the big garbage bins standing outside super-markets and restaurants. They set aside their dignity and dig deep in the stinking bins to secure something to eat. A …

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“They put our feet in one single shoe” shouts the old lady as she enters slowly a bakery shop in a middle class suburb of Athens. She stands half-at the doorway and  sends a smile to the bakery woman; she shouts over my head “I can’t buy anything today, I’ve …

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News wires report today about  Coca Cola Hellas  weak profit figures and the bottler’s consideration not to pay out dividend on 2010 profit. Coca Cola 3E blames the government imposed windfall levy on corporate earnings and tax on dividends, says Reuters. Second-quarter figures show a net profit dropped to E172m, while sales …

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