Owners of restaurants, bars and cafeterias will appeal the anti-smoking law at Greece’s top court, the Council of State. They believe that the total, horizontal smoking ban in their facilities will drastically decrease the volume of customers and will be disastrous for the market that has already be “hurt.” They …
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Mayor of Thessaloniki to impose fines for violations of smoking restrictions
Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yannis Boutaris, announced on Friday that he is determined to implement the anti-smoking law by the book and will impose fines to owners of restaurants, cafeteria etc as well as to their smoking customers. “Until Easter we will inform the entrepreneurs and then, with the minimum [law …
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Greece’s Gov’t can collect up to €48million in 2018 by taxing Airbnb-rentals
A total of 48 million euros is estimated to go into Greek state coffers in 2018 if the Greek government manages to collect tax from Airbnb-style short-term rentals. According to estimates, more than 8,000 properties in Attica alone are being leased out to tourists illegally. Airbnb-style rentals are depriving the …
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No debt relief, no IMF participation and therefore no implementation of €3.6bn measures, says PM Tsipras
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made it clear: the additional austerity measures for 2019-2020 will not be implemented if there is no measures for debt relief. Then, without debt relief the IMF will not participate in the Greek program. “It is not a figure of speech, we will implement the …
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Dijsselbloem: Income tax measures €1.8bn in 2019 if Greece misses targets
In a letter to the members of the Eurogroup, chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem summarized what was agreed upon at the meeting in Malta on April 7th 2017. In his letter Dijsselbloem reveals also what the Greek government agreed on the implementation of the additional austerity measures scheduled to be implemented in …
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Claims: Greece has adopted 38% of agreed reforms, but implemented only 13%
“Laws adopted but not implemented – That’s how the Greeks trick with the Reforms”: This is the title of a report by conservative German tabloid BILD newspaper, a report criticizing the Greek left-wing government for not implementing reforms. Citing an “internal study” of Athens-based research institute INERP, the report notes …
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Germany takes 16 Syrian refugees from Turkey, now TR has to take 16 from Greece
The first Syrian refugees arrived in Germany on Monday morning under the controversial EU-Turkey deal of refugees exchange and send backs. In this silly children’s game called “EU Turkey Deal”, now Turkey has to take 16 Syrian refugees from Greece. The 16 asylum seekers were flown from Istanbul, Turkey, to …
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Schauble: “Yes” vote “important step” but “Grexit is the best option”
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble goes to bed and wakes up with only one fixed idea in his mind: Grexit. He will never stop undermining the Greek deal, claiming that a debt relief within the Eurozone was not possible, but only possible with a temporary Grexit. Speaking to German radio …
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Supreme Court orders Greece to reverse 2012 pension cuts as “unconstitutional”
Greece’s top administrative Court Council of State ruled out on Wednesday that the pension cuts of 2012 imposed by the Troika were against the Constitution. The court ruling followed a massive litigation by individual pensioners and pensioners’ associations from the country’s private sector. The Council of State ruled that the …
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Finally! Greek Gov’t introduces “guaranteed minimum income”
With three years austerity delay, Greek government finally managed to implement a pilot scheme for “guaranteed minimum income”. The program will be initially implemented in 13 municipalities across the country. It refers to 700,000 people living in conditions of extreme poverty. Under the program, one-person households will receive 200 euros …
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Tsipras rejects “signature of commitment” to loan agreements with the Troika
Alexis Tsipras, leader of main opposition party left-wing SYRIZA rejected the option that he would put his signature under the Memorandum of Understanding (loan agreement) between Greece and its lenders. Speaking to SYRIZA parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday, Alexis Tsipras said: “If they dare to ask our signature on their …
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