Tag Archives: Samaras government

Athens Stock Exchange suffered a mini crach on Monday, plunged by -6.28%, the General Index fell below 820 units and the banking sector with losses of 15% as Greece’s lenders refused to make any concessions on labour rights ‘reforms’ and junior coalition government partner Democratic Left insists on not voting in favor of the …

Read More »

I am totally baffled! And with me, millions of Greeks following the negotiations between Athens and the Troika, the bargain on the austerity measures to come with the €11.5-billion package. On Friday, we read about the raise of retirement age from 65 to 67, on Monday we read “the Troika doubts the …

Read More »

Almost three months after the the June elections and the establishment of the three-party coalition government, Greeks seem to be giving conservative Nea Dimocratia and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras a “period of mercy” to prove it can manage the situation and the economic crisis. However, public support for ND has …

Read More »

Main opposition leader and Syriza chief Alexis Tsipras called on Greek government to end any discussion with the representatives of the EC-ECB-IMF troika, and propose an EU Summit meeting to focus on a different strategy for Greece.    Addressing the Syriza parliamentary group on Monday, Tsipras voiced his party’s determination …

Read More »

Greek government and the Troika are apparently at odds over the emergency property tax. Samaras’ government wants the tax to be disconnected from the electricity bill and not to punish with power supply cuts those who do not pay it.  The Troika insists on linking the tax with electricity cuts out of fear …

Read More »

What if the Greek government tries to get together a ‘national negotiation team’. What if Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is willing to go to Brussels together with his coalition partners Evangelos Venizelos (PASOK) and Fotis Kouvelis (Democratic Left) and renegotiate the bailout programme face to face with Greece’s lenders. Athens is reportedly to ask two …

Read More »

Greek Deputy Health Minister Fotini Skopouli is claiming the “Oscar for Sincerity”. She appeared in the morning magazine of state broadcaster NET TV on Tuesday. What the professor for Pathology-Immunology at the Harokopio University said stunned the journalists and the viewers alike – and more than those, Samaras’ government as well. “I came to …

Read More »

The majority of Greeks felt an icy-cold electro-current coming down their spinal cord, when they heard new Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras speaking of the necessity that the state collects  3.5 billion euro in revenues and thus as soon as possible. Greeks – and many other voters’ masses around the world – tend to …

Read More »

Main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras from left-wing SYRIZa called the party leaders of Samaras coalition government “Merkelists”. During the debate on the government programme, Tsipras criticized the coalition government  stressing that the politics of Memorandum of Understanding leads Greece out of the euro. Addressing the three leader of the coalition …

Read More »

Greece’s coalition government of Nea Dimocratia, PASOK and Democratic Left published its joint programme aiming to undo some austerity measures. Measures demanded by the Troika of IMF/EU/ECB and have been signed by Samaras in the second bailout agreement. The ambitious programme aims at tax cuts, extra help for the poor and unemployed, …

Read More »

I truly believe the appointment of Olga Kefalogianni, 37, for the post of the Tourism Ministry is a good choice. For several reasons: First and most important – she knows the issues she is going to deal with as she was responsible for Tourism within Nea Dimocratia for several years. Second: As an …

Read More »

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 »

Greek media reported that Samaras, Venizelos and Kouvelis have agreed upon the majority of the ministers to be apppointed. For some ministerial posts, appointments were delayed as the chosen-ones did not accept the positions. Vasssilis Rapanos will be Finance Minister, with alternate ministers Giorgos Zannias (caretaker FinMin in Pikrammenos gov’t),  …

Read More »