Greece and the economic crisis 2018

NEWS ARCHIVE - October 13 - October 19

October 19, 2018

Mitsotakis has large scale investment plan if elected

SF Gate on the likely ascension of ND to lead the Greek government.

Tsipras denies snap vote ahead

Reuters on the obvious. SYRIZA needs a better voting environment (one in which they're not ten points behind ND), or they will simply wait until the next election cycle to face the inevitable.

Zaev has parliamentary majority

The FYOM name deal is still alive as Zeav has managed to get 2/3rds support in the Skopje parliament. The Prespa Agreement now moves toward gaining a majority in the 120 house that would allow amending the constitution. The VMRO party is against this and that may force Zaev to call snap elections - more at Protothema.

Gov't 2019 budget shows money increased for employment

Story at Naftemporiki [in Greek] on the budget which shows less money for health and education, but more allocated for employment.

New Democracy 11 points out in front of SYRIZA in new poll

eKathimerini reports on a new Pulse poll showing ND holding a strong lead, also includes some detail on the large negative attitude facing the Tsipras' government.

Population decrease on the horizon

Another report on the negative numbers for future Greece demographics

Oct 18, 2018: Story at Greek Reporter – See more Demographics of Greece

Turkey claims stopped Greek naval "harassment" in Mediterranean

Reuters story which repeats the Turkish claim, yet, as noted in the short Reuters news brief, there are no particulars about the event. Protothema has more information.

Cliffs on Paxi Island

October 18, 2018

Turkish ship conducting seismic research on Greek continental shelf

Greek Reporter on the Turkish ship Barbaros making unauthorized access to Greek waters.

Greece to receive €2.5 million for 2017 Kos earthquake

europa.eu - Greece to receive €2.5 million from a €34 million release in aid from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF).

Hellenic Petroleum bids coming in November

Reuters on negotiations and how investors are searching out possible financing.

Postecoglou for national team?

Story at Sydney Herald

German woman returns ancient mosaics

The story is that during the 1960s the unnamed woman took mosaics from Delos and Athens archeological sites. She has now placed them with the Greek Embassy in Berlin in order to achieve their return. Story at Tornos News. [Over the centuries a great number of artifacts have been removed from Greece, usually illegally - - for example, the most famous being the "Elgin marbles".) – More Archeology in Greece

Black Rock investment firm bails on "Academy Gardens"

Protothema reports on the US investment group "freezing" a 11 year effort at developing a €300 million, 55,000-square meter shopping facility to be titled "Academy Gardens." The story says the company is blaming "Greek bureaucracy" for the lack of progress.

Greece falling further behind on Diavgeia

The Diavgeia open data program began in 2010, but Greece still lags behind in implementation. The program is to provide transparency in government document activity. Story at GTP.

World Economic Forum report says gov't lacks direction

The WEF yearly report covers several areas (for example competitiveness, putting Greece at 57th, dropping from 53rd last year). In the are of government planning for the future, Greece dropped from 87th (last year) to 135th this year, a ranking position placing Greece with Brazil and Venezuela. Story at eKathimerini.

November 17 Savvas Xiros seeks release

Daily Journal on the claimed health needs as the basis for release from five life terms.

October 17, 2018

Kotzias quits: Tsipras assumes roles of Foreign Minister

Keep Talking Greece says that Tsipras is pressing home his message that he will not tolerate any "personal strategy" from individuals in regards to the Prespa Agreement that is with FYOM. eKathimerini quotes Tsipras with ‘I will not tolerate double talk and self-serving strategies.’

If elected, Mitsotakis Has immediate Investment Plans for Greece

Bloomberg article on the plans of the New Democracy leader if his party beats SYRIZA. Primarily interested in reducing "blockages" to various long-planned development projects, Mitsotakis also wants to include private investment to improve health care and waste management.

Gongbao bails out on negotiations to buy stake in National Insurance business

Reuters story about the collapse of interest in purchase of a majority stake in the National Bank of Greece (NBG) insurance business. The Gongbao Group is based in Shanghai.

Mass migration as a Turkish Weapon

The Gatestone Institute discusses how Turkey acts as a buffer and enabler for undocumented immigration into Greece and Bulgaria (and by extension, all of Europe). They claim that there are 1.5 million refugees stalled at the Iranian border who could eventually make it to Evros.

Official start of Kiwi harvest

Fresh Plaza on the harvest which is delayed by many growers waiting for a higher level of sugar in the fruit as it matures to ripeness. Greek kiwi ships 40% of it's production to the UK, 20% into the rest of Europe, with then the remaining 40% overseas to the USA and China. The Kiwi trade is described as very competitive, with New Zealand and Italy the big competitors against Greece.

US cautions Turkey on Cyprus energy issues

eKathimerini on statements from Washington to Ankara to cease increasing tensions with aggressive rhetoric.

Egypt and Greece sign military cooperation deal

Naftemporiki with a brief note on the agreement.

Expansion of the "Golden Visa" program

Protothema on a new category of investor who puts €800,000 ($926,000) into government bonds.

Stone Sculpture Park Dimaki

October 16, 2018

4 police injured

ABC News on the street violence near Omonia Square where police were injured from thrown Molotov cocktails.

Tsipras asks cabinet to not bring down government over quarrel between Kammenos and Kotzias

The Prespa agreement is the center of the problem: story at Naftemporiki [in Greek].

Tsipras Gov't presents two budgets with/without pension cuts to EU

eKathimerini on the either with/without budget going to Brussels for approval. Details show that the government has been producing the expected budget surplus through meagre public investment.

200 refugee / migrants pass over Evros into Greece

Numbers moving out of Turkey into Greece continues to rise - story at NY Times

24-hour strike for Wed Nov 14, 2018 by ADEDY

Tanea on the coming planned strike. More at the ADEDY website [in Greek]

Akinci and Anastasiades to meet

Protothema on the meeting of the Cyprus leaders.

Lycabettus Hill from Anafiotika

Mount Lycabettus

October 15, 2018

Targets missed on state budgets for September

Naftemporiki on how budget revenues for the year have been on the plus side, but September has fallen short by 346 million.

Will Brexit help Greece get the Elgin Marbles back?

Story at Artfixdaily on the possible changes afoot concerning the return of the Acropolis frieze pieces. They use an image of the Korai statues (now in London) that were pillars on the Erechtheion.

More about the "Elgin Marbles."

Is the Prespa name deal about to be settled?

eKathimerini on the movement of the name deal to the Skopje parliament on Tuesday. Some are saying Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has the needed 80 votes to get the name change legalized. Yahoo reports on the Monday debates.

Moria refugee camp focus on child sex attacks

Protothema on the problems plaguing the Moria refugee camp on Lesvos. More on this at Daily Hellas.

Environmental group makes legal challenge to Meliti II coal plant

The ClientEarth environmental group is making a legal challenge against the not-yet built power plant. eKathimerini describes the complicated issue of coal power in Greece plus the impact of the Paris climate pact.

Kammenos backs off his entreaty for more US military bases in Greece

Kammenos had proposed US bases at Alexandroupoli, Volos and Trikala. He had also described the creation of a Balkan military alliance if FYOM failed to gain entrance to NATO - more at Tovima.

October 13, 2018

11 Migrants killed in vehicle crash near Kavala

ABC News on the fatal wreck. This comes just a few days after deaths at the border of three women - BBC story on that story of those stabbing deaths at Evros.

Half of new jobs are part-time

eKathimerini on the decline of full time jobs while there has been a surplus of temporary and part-time labor.

IMF's Mario Draghi, wants Italy to drop the tone and wait for the data

Naftemporiki story - Drago says that the spread between Greece and Italy demonstrates the issue is primarily local. This story at Bloomberg discusses the Italian "bond yield spread" problem and a critique of EU's fiscal rules and that the "war of words" is making the matter worse.

Berlin wants the reparations issue to be closed

Protothema on the response from Germany - "the issue is legally and politically definitively settled..."

Stournaras on keeping Greece out of the market turmoil

Story at Tovima on Yannis Stournaras, Governor of the Bank of Greece, whom hopes to keep Greece from being drawn into the problems surfacing throughout the EU and world markets, and in particular the issue in Italy.