Representative of International Monetary Fund Poul Thomsen, one of the so-called Troikans, admitted that there were mistakes in the bailout agreement between Greece and its lenders. According to Sunday newspaper TO VIMA, shortly before the Eurogroup meeting on October 8th and the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Athens …
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Troika Out of Control: Suggests Greeks Living on Small Islands Be …Relocated
This morning I wrote about Troikans being paranoid with a disease developing at full speed. Just hours later, my prediction came true. It’s all over the Greek press, that the Troika suggested that Greeks residing on islands with less than 150 inhabitants should be relocated somewhere else! This insane demand was allegedly …
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IMF’s Lagarde: “Too Early to Say Greek Program Failed”
“There are good developments in Greece,” IMF head Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday, stressing that the government has come very close to reach primary surplus and that it records progress in competitiveness. Asked by a Bloomberg report why the Greek program fails, Lagarde replied that it is too early to …
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A new Troika Demand? Austerity of €10 Billion In a Single Year?
If it’s true, this is, indeed, insane. According to Ta Nea newspaper, Greece’s lenders’ representatives want that almost the whole package of austerity measures will be implemented in 2013 and won’t be distributed more or less equally to 2013 and 2014. The new Troika’s request is allegedly that additional 2 billion …
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Athens: Troika Team Chased & Harassed by Municipality Workers
This is the third incident within 24 hours and I slowly believe, representatives and technical teams of the so-called Troika, Greece’s lenders from the IMF, the EU and the ECB, should start thinking to change their suits with some knight armor like in the good old Middle Ages*. Earlier on Tuesday, municipality …
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Athens: IMF’s Thomsen Enters a… Gym To Avoid Disabled Protesters
If you think the Troika representatives can bypass 50 disable protesters and enter unharmed the Labour Ministry in Athens , you’re wrong. The panic and confusion is so big that the Troikans can land into some private gym instead… Sorry, that was the gym. Labour ministry is there! Some 50 representatives …
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Athens: Protesters Boo and “Fire” Vulgar Insults at the Troika (video)
Members of Independent Greeks party prepared a hot welcome with boos and vulgar insults to members of the Troika on Monday in Athens. The technical team of the country’es lenders from IMF, EU and ECB had an appointment with Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras. But they protesters had gathered much earlier outside …
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DER SPIEGEL: 20 Billion Euro Shortfall in Greek Budget. Claims Denied
Does the Greek budget have a black hole of 200 billion euro? German weekly DER SPIEGEL claimed so, citing troika sources who spoke under condition of anonymity. Greece denied such reports on possible budget shortfall, while Germany urged to wait for the Troika report. Spiegel: 20 billion euro black hole in the …
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EU Commission: A Week Long Time-Out For Greek Bailout Talks
The representatives of Greece’s lenders, the so-called Troika, are leaving Athens, even though it seems that the negotiations on the spending savings package have not concluded yet. An EU Commission spokesman told reporters in Brussels, that the Troika “will be leaving this weekend and will return in about a week. the spokesman …
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Greek FinMin Got a New Idea: Poll Tax of 150 EUR on the Way…
And when you think, you’ve seen everything, Greece’s Finance Ministry is always good for surprises – under the Troika pressure, of course… Finance Ministry reportedly surprised coalition governemtn partners Venizelos (PASOK ) and Kouvelis (Democratic Left) during their meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday: A poll tax of minimum 150 euro. Imposed to whom? …
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€11.5-Billion Package: Totally Perplexed About the Upcoming Austerity Cuts
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 …
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Greek PM Samaras “Initiates” 6-Day Week: “There Are No Saturdays”
I can’t resist the temptation. Especially as the office of the Prime Minister felt the need to issue a press release on Antonis Samaras statement and his party, Nea Dimokratia, uploaded the relevant video on YouTube. Both gave an utmost importance of this statement. Video: outside Samaras’ office embedded by Embedded VideoYouTube Direkt Reporter: “Saturday …
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Greek Gov’t Priority: Saving the Public Sector and Have All Greeks Pay the Price
Things look bad for the Greek private sector, in fact for all working Greeks, if we believe the leakages to the Greek press by several government sources concerning the progress of the11.5-billion-euro package of austerity measures. What we have been hearing since yesterday watching the news on TV is this: …
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Troika Postpones Meeting with Labour Minister Until Protesting Communists Withdraw
With banners and anti-austerity slogans PAME-members of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) union settled in front of the Labour Ministry in Athens hindering representatives of Greece’s lenders to meet the minister. The meeting between Yiannis Vroutsis and the Troika was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. However the representatives of IMF, EU and ECB …
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Overthrow of Labor Rights: 5-Days Week to be Abolished by Troika’s Demand
While Greek government tries to save the country, the citizens are pushed into even greater misery. Incomes decrease, salaries, pensions and wages are cut, recession and unemployment blooming. Now an e-mail sent by the Troika to Ministries of Finance and Labor reminds the Greek government of some of its obligations that …
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“Black Out” in Greek Health Care: 9 Million Insurers In Despair
Difficult days for the nine million insurers at Greece’s National Health Care Provider (EOPYY). As of September 1st, pharmacists refuse to give to patients prescription medicine on credit. patients have to pay from their own pockets and request refund by EOPYY. A refund that could be return to the payer several months later. …
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Troika Pushes Greek Banks to Bring Under the Auction Hammer 100,000 Properties
Does the big bang rolls with forceful violence towards Greece’s property owners? Are those who bought homes on loans and found themselves unable to meet their obligations at risk to be kicked out of the four walls and the ceiling, they used to call ‘their own’? The Troika apparently puts pressure on the banks to start …
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“EU Source” Claims No €31-Billion Bailout Tranche Before October
The notorious but anonymous “EU source” spoke again. And said that Greece would not receive the €31-billion bailout tranche before upcoming October. Greece has been expecting to receive the financial aid in September, but the EU source claimed Greece’s lenders won’t give any green light to the tranche, before the Eurogroup meeting in …
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Why No Politician Dares Telling Greeks About the €11.5 Billion Cuts?
The Troika left, Greek politicians were left behind. In Athens. Greece’s lenders inspectors left the Greek capital Athens on Sunday after they laid the country’s coalition government leaders on Procrustes* bed. Representatives from IMF, EU and ECB did not stretched them on the rogue’s bed. Instead, they cut so much it needed to fit to …
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Eurogroup Meeting on Greece & Spain on Sept 3rd, 2012
The Eurogroup is to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss Greece and Spain on September 3rd, 2012, Italian news agency ANSA reported citing EU officials who spoke on conditions of anonymity. This is a new meeting announcement but the topics of Spain and Greece are unsurprising as these are the two …
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