The European Commission released the European Semester 2019 Spring Package with recommendations for all Member States in order to advance sustainable and inclusive economic growth. On its 7-page long report on Greece, the Commission notes that “Greece is currently in the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact and …
Read More »
IMF admits ‘notable failures’ in bailout programs deepened Greece’s recession
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has admitted “notable failures” in the first Greek bailout including a deeper-than-expected recession, a run on the country’s banking system and exceptionally high unemployment. The IMF’s Review of Program Design and Conditionality provides a deep look into the design of 133 IMF-supported lending programs in …
Read More »
Hunger wages: One million Greek workers earn €250-€500 per month
Hunger wages: Almost one million Greeks earn €200 to €500 per month in the country’s private sector, the annual report on Greece’s Employment and Economy of private sector union umbrella GSEE Labor Institute revealed on Wednesday. According to the report, 571,000 Greeks, about 1/5 of workers in the private sector, …
Read More »
IMF sees “rising risks” in Greece’s debt servicing capacity, insists on taxing the poor
The International Monetary Fund Executive Board concluded its first post-bailout program monitoring of Greece. The country’s debt servicing capacity is “adequate” the IMF report notes and cites “rising risks” especially from banks, benefits as well as court decisions about retroactively annulling pension cuts. Speaking to state broadcaster ERT TV, the …
Read More »
Mati wildfire report: Cynical 199-operators, complete chaos in Fire Service
The prosecutors’ report on the Mati wildfire on 23. July 2018 highlights the complete lack of organization and operation, and reveals the shocking responses by the Fire Service operators to residents desperately calling for help. The anguished calls by distressed citizens fearing for their lives were met with the cynicism …
Read More »
Number of asylum-seekers in Greece rose to 73,000, says Migration Minister
There are about 15,000 immigrants living in the Greek islands, Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas said on Monday. He pointed out at the overpopulation of the hot spots on Samos and Moria on Lesvos. And he stressed that the majority of migrants arriving in Greece nowadays are from Afghanistan and countries …
Read More »
European Lenders: Greece has made progress, but… faces “excessive imbalances”
The Greek economy still faces “excessive imbalances” such as a high public debt, unemployment and a high rate of non-performing loans, despite progress made in the last few years, the European Commission said in its Enhanced Surveillance Report published on Wednesday. In their report, Greece’s lenders raise nine objections to …
Read More »
CoE Rights group slams “inhumane” treatment of migrants in Greece
The Council of Europe rights body Tuesday condemned the “inhuman and degrading treatment” of migrants and asylum seekers held in Greece, adding it had credible allegations of abuse by police. “Foreign nationals deprived of their liberty by the Greek authorities must be treated humanely and with dignity,” the Council’s European …
Read More »
“Brussels Anonymous”: Greece at risk of not getting cash as reforms lag
Greece is at risk of not getting some 750 million euros next month that it won under a debt relief deal with the euro zone last year because it has not completed agreed reforms, euro zone officials told Reuters on Monday. The money is part of about 4.8 billion euros …
Read More »
Scandal on Athens wildfires investigation narrowly avoided
A scandal about possible delays and freezing of the investigation about the wildfires in Athens where 99 people lost their lives was narrowly avoided on Tuesday. The prosecutor of Greece’s top court Areios Pagos had to cancel her decision to “freeze” the ongoing investigation conducted by the head of the …
Read More »
Greece’s report of German WWII Reparations to be submitted to Parliament
Did Berlin think that Greece forgot the issue of German War Reparations? Berlin may have forgotten the issue thinking it had scared off Athens with its multiple rejections of Greek claims. But the Greeks did not forget. The Parliament’s special committee report on the German war reparations will have been …
Read More »
IMF: “Progress but action needed”… Ops! and “condolence” to Greece’s fire tragedy
IMF Greece’s report published on 31. July 2018: With the wildfires tragedy since last week we forgot that we have other issues that are pressing, like Greece’s commitments to the lenders. But a creditor is a cool-headed technocrat who does not get impressed by 92 dead people killed within a …
Read More »
Inspectors’ report blames municipality, forestry officials for deadly flash-floods in Mandra
Forestry officials, elected municipal officers and engineers from the private sector share the responsibility for the deadly flash floods that hit western Attica in November 2017, an official report published on Monday said. Twenty-four people died in the floods, that swept through Mandra and devastated the town after torrential rain. …
Read More »
IMF: Greece has come a long way but still high unemployment, weak banks, needed reforms
As it prepares to exit the program era, Greece has come a long way in the path of economic recovery. It still faces many challenges: high unemployment, weak banks, and uncompleted reforms, the IMF tweeted on Friday presenting the concluding statement that describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at …
Read More »
Greece has ‘wide disparities’ in standards among its migrant detention centers
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) published preliminary observations on its ad hoc visit to Greece and migrant detention centers there from April 10 to April 19 of this year. As reported by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), the CPT, “confirmed the persisting reality …
Read More »
Expats report about living in Greece: Story by Rob Johnson
Can visiting or permanently living in Greece change your life? Do you feel at home here or have problems with the different way of Greek culture? What are the biggest challenges a foreigner has to deal with when on short or long term visit? KTG asked its readers to submit …
Read More »
McKinsey report brings down Greece’s PPC stocks
Stocks of Greece Public’s Power Corporation (PPC/DEH) have been targeted by traders in Athens Stock Exchange of Monday, after a report of McKinsey consulting group described PPC as “unsustainable” and warned of “tough conditions the banks want in order to refinance the company’s loans.” PPC shares had recorded losses of …
Read More »
Expats report about living in Greece: Story by Lisette
Can visiting or permanently living in Greece change your life? Do you feel at home here or have problems with the different way of Greek culture? What are the biggest challenges a foreigner has to deal with when on short or long term visit? KTG asked its readers to submit …
Read More »
Greece’s securities regulator launches audit into Folli Follie vs QCMFund war
The Hellenic Capital Market Commission has launched an independent audit into Greek luxury goods retailer Folli Follie after hedge fund Quintessential Capital Management expressed doubt about the chain’s financial report of last year. The company refutes the claims and threatens with legal action. Greece’s securities regulator HCMC said on Monday …
Read More »
Expats report about living in Greece: Story by Rebecca Hall
Can visiting or permanently living in Greece change your life? Do you feel at home here or have problems with the different way of Greek culture? What are the biggest challenges a foreigner has to deal with when on short or long term visit? KTG asked its readers to submit …
Read More »