The much awaited report of the International Monetary Fund’s independent watchdog (Independent Evaluation Office- ΙΕΟ) is out: 700 pages featuring one by one all the errors, mistakes, miscalculations in the design and implementation of the IMF’s programs in Greece, Ireland and Portugal 2010-2011 and the way it handled the crises …
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Independent report: The Seven Errors of IMF in Greek Program
An auditors’ body consisting of independent economists investigated the first Greek Program. In their report the economists sharply criticize the International Monetary Fund and record seven mistakes the IMF did in the Greek program. According to daily Kathimerini that exclusively published the report, the group of independent economists and specialists …
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EU Commission to sanction Spain & Portugal with fines and funding blocking
The European Commission has officially launched the procedure to impose sanctions against Spain and Portugal for deficits of more than 3% in their budgets 2015. In a statement the EC paved the way for fines against its two members and suspension of part EU Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). In …
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Portuguese and Syrian volunteers in Athens to help refugees
Portuguese and Syrian volunteers are currently in Athens offering a helping hand to refugees and migrants trapped in the ice-cold Greek capital. The six volunteers flew from Lisbon to Athens right after Christmas and landed in an ice-cold city with hundreds of people sleeping outdoors. The article was submitted by …
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Greece has mass production of “unemployed labor-craft with higher education”
Greeks continue to ‘invest’ in education and ‘produce’ qualified jobless despite the high unemployment among the youth and the highly skilled labor craft. According to OECD’s latest report “Education at Glance 2015” Greece has the highest rate in higher education. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found in its …
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IMF strikes back with same old joke: 2% wages decrease for PIIGS to boost competitiveness
You certainly know the old IMF joke: “Greece needs to boost its competitiveness via wage decreases.” Managing Director Christine Lagarde said it x times in 2011 and 2012 and 2013 but she stopped telling it around after wages dropped by 40% in Greece and Greeks were not able to laugh …
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Free tool for austerity-junkies: Random Austerity Measures Generator
Are you an austerity junkie who has run out of ideas as to what austerity measures to impose to Greece? Here is THE super-ultra Random Austerity Measures Generator that will untie your hands and unblock your brain. The tool has endless resources and creativity, the website has already created more …
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EU studies Spain, Italy, Greece & Portugal over banks’ potentially illegal deferred tax assets
European Union regulators are scrutinising four EU countries’ treatment of banks’ deferred tax assets (DTAs) to see if they constitute potentially illegal state aid, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The EU executive said it had contacted authorities in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece following requests from some lawmakers in …
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German state TV: Eurozone didn’t allow Greece to bankrupt in 2010, due to German & French banks
German state broadcaster ARD aired a documentary that shocked many conservatives, neoliberals and hardliners accord the German country. The documentary with the title “The trail of the Troika – Power without Control” , a documentary produced by RBB from network ARTE showed to Germans a different approach to the Greek …
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Index of 15 most miserable economies in the world: Greece, Spain top in eurozone
When is a country’s economy “miserable”? When unemployment and inflation are high, says Bloomberg. In the Misery Index for 2015, Venezuela tops the list followed by Argentina, South Africa, Ukraine and Greece — the five most painful economies in which to live and work, according to a Bloomberg survey among 51 …
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Guest Post: German economy inefficient through Schaeuble’s Macho-Economics & frenzy Trade Surpluses
What is the real problem of Greece in particular and the eurozone in general? What is the purpose of piling up debts and more debts -call me: bailout – to Greece and the other indebted countries of the European South and strictest austerity program that end up in recession, deflation …
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Greece 3rd in survey “12 countries that hate their government most”
In many countries governments are quite unpopular and thus for several reasons. According to a global public opinion survey, Greece has apparently the third most hated government in the world. Only 14% of the Greeks appear to approve Samaras-Venizelos coalition government. Top on the list with the lowest government approval …
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Black Rock warns “Greece most likely to default” and nobody cares
Look what happened after four years of economic war and heavy bombardment with news about the imminent bankruptcy of Greece – a disaster that never came, because the country was bankrupt anyway. An economic report warning of Greece’s bankruptcy risk is being released and we simply don’t care. No panic …
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MEP Cerkas:Troika’s austerity caused a “social tsunami” and “acted like butchers”
The troika caused a social tsunami in Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Ireland. This is the result of the members of the Employment Committee of the European Parliament who have investigated the impact of austerity and bailout program imposed on the debt-ridden Euro zone countries. “Unemployment grew, small companies disappeared, poverty …
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European Parliament points conflict of interest within the Troika of IMF, EU, ECB
The European Commission and the European Central Bank had conflicting interests when they acted within the troika of international lenders in bailed out countries, Members of European Parliament say. Othmar Karas and Liem Hoang Ngoc, the two MEPs tasked with looking at the problems surrounding the work of the so-called …
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EUobserver: bailout advisers to Troika – the multi-million unholy business with austerity
Who are the advisers to Troika who rule over our austerity-hit lives? In Greece, in Portugal, in Ireland, in Cyprus and Spain? How do they get the jobs and the contracts? How much are they being paid to ruin the lives of citizens in the European South? What are their …
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EP vice president to investigate Troikas’ work in four eurozone countries
This is going to be an evaluation, not a condemnation”, stresses Othmar Karas, Vice President of the European Parliament, who will lead the parliamentary inquiry into the work of the troika in Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Ireland. He will do this job jointly with a French socialist. The Parliament calls …
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EU wants hikes in V.A.T & other taxes in Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy…
The gap between theory and practice… That’s the main problem of institutional technocrats seeking solutions to countries where real people live in. They just don’t get it. that their theoretical approach is good on academic level but a failure in real life. A fact that is being confirmed again and …
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Survey: 51% of Europeans believe austerity politics have failed
51% of Europeans believe austerity politics have failed. Greece, Portugal and Cyprus have expressed the greatest degree of dissatisfaction with austerity policies According to a study by the Gallup Institute for the “Debating Europe” platform, 51% of Europeans believe that the austerity policies implemented to combat the crisis have failed, …
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repost: ERT solidarity letter from Portugal, signed by 78 personalities – incl ex president
KTG re-posts the “ERT solidarity letter signed by 78 personalities from Portugal” – incl a former president of the country -, after several people complained they could not open to read the post and got error message “Page not Found”. LTG hopes it will work now. original post on June …
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