Greece

[Endovelico]

Athens asks Russia to lift import ban on strawberries, oranges and peaches
© Evgeniy Kurskov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Athens asks Russia to partially lift its ban on imports of Greek strawberry, oranges and peaches, Alexei Alexeyenko, an aide to the chief of Russia’s veterinary and phytosantitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor), told TASS on Sunday after his meeting with Greek Deputy Minister of Agriculture Panagiotis Sgouridis.

"Later, a Greek lawmaker addressed us with the same request. They ask to lift the ban on one or two items," he said.

According to Alexeyenko, Greece is worried most of all about the harvest of peaches, since this sector was created in Greece especially for the Russian market. Athens also asks to lift the ban on imports of strawberries, oranges and kiwifruit.

So far, it was just an oral request, he said, adding that a written request was to reach Moscow through diplomatic channels in a couple of days.

The issue of lifting the food ban in respect of Greece was raised by the Russian minister of agriculture in June. However this possibility was looked at only in case Greece quitted the European Union.

On August 7, 2014, Russia imposed a package of measures to respond to economic sanction from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway. Thus, Russia banned for a term of one year the imports of fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products from these countries. Some types of ready-to-eat meat and fish products /with the exception of sausages/ have not fallen under the ban.

http://tass.ru/en/economy/780308

Little by little Russia will be showing Europe what the consequences of Europe's stupidity will be...

[Typhoon]

Athens asks Russia to lift import ban on strawberries, oranges and peaches
© Evgeniy Kurskov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Athens asks Russia to partially lift its ban on imports of Greek strawberry, oranges and peaches, Alexei Alexeyenko, an aide to the chief of Russia’s veterinary and phytosantitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor), told TASS on Sunday after his meeting with Greek Deputy Minister of Agriculture Panagiotis Sgouridis.

"Later, a Greek lawmaker addressed us with the same request. They ask to lift the ban on one or two items," he said.

According to Alexeyenko, Greece is worried most of all about the harvest of peaches, since this sector was created in Greece especially for the Russian market. Athens also asks to lift the ban on imports of strawberries, oranges and kiwifruit.

So far, it was just an oral request, he said, adding that a written request was to reach Moscow through diplomatic channels in a couple of days.

The issue of lifting the food ban in respect of Greece was raised by the Russian minister of agriculture in June. However this possibility was looked at only in case Greece quitted the European Union.

On August 7, 2014, Russia imposed a package of measures to respond to economic sanction from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway. Thus, Russia banned for a term of one year the imports of fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products from these countries. Some types of ready-to-eat meat and fish products /with the exception of sausages/ have not fallen under the ban.

http://tass.ru/en/economy/780308

Little by little Russia will be showing Europe what the consequences of Europe's stupidity will be...

Since it's from TASS, it's probably the usual agitprop.

However, if there happens to be a pit of truth in this report, then Greece is rather demonstrating the risks of not diversifying their export market for peaches.

[monster_gardener]

Athens asks Russia to lift import ban on strawberries, oranges and peaches
© Evgeniy Kurskov/TASS

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Athens asks Russia to partially lift its ban on imports of Greek strawberry, oranges and peaches, Alexei Alexeyenko, an aide to the chief of Russia’s veterinary and phytosantitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor), told TASS on Sunday after his meeting with Greek Deputy Minister of Agriculture Panagiotis Sgouridis.

"Later, a Greek lawmaker addressed us with the same request. They ask to lift the ban on one or two items," he said.

According to Alexeyenko, Greece is worried most of all about the harvest of peaches, since this sector was created in Greece especially for the Russian market. Athens also asks to lift the ban on imports of strawberries, oranges and kiwifruit.

So far, it was just an oral request, he said, adding that a written request was to reach Moscow through diplomatic channels in a couple of days.

The issue of lifting the food ban in respect of Greece was raised by the Russian minister of agriculture in June. However this possibility was looked at only in case Greece quitted the European Union.

On August 7, 2014, Russia imposed a package of measures to respond to economic sanction from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway. Thus, Russia banned for a term of one year the imports of fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products from these countries. Some types of ready-to-eat meat and fish products /with the exception of sausages/ have not fallen under the ban.

http://tass.ru/en/economy/780308

Little by little Russia will be showing Europe what the consequences of Europe's stupidity will be...

Since it's from TASS, it's probably the usual agitprop.

However, if there happens to be a pit of truth in this report, then Greece is rather demonstrating the risks of not diversifying their export market for peaches.

Thank You VERY MUCH for your post, Typhoon.

However, if there happens to be a pit of truth in this report, then Greece is rather demonstrating the risks of not diversifying their export market for peaches.

If the Russians won't let you sell your peaches, perhaps it is time to make peach brandy.....

Wondering what kiwifruit brandy is like.....

[Simple Minded]

If the Russians won't let you sell your peaches, perhaps it is time to make peach brandy.....

Wondering what kiwifruit brandy is like.....

MG,

Welcome back. You could always sell your peaches to the Russians but claim they are Greek olives.....

[Endovelico]

If the Russians won't let you sell your peaches, perhaps it is time to make peach brandy.....

Wondering what kiwifruit brandy is like.....

MG,

Welcome back. You could always sell your peaches to the Russians but claim they are Greek olives.....

Among all the mirth this question has caused among some of you, maybe you will have noticed the first step towards the breakup of the present EU by the hand of Putin. Russia may be in the position of assisting Southern Europe breaking away from the EU and create a Mediterranean Union willing to dialogue with Russia. Personally nothing would please me more.

[noddy]

in soviet grecoslavia holiday has you.

[Simple Minded]

If the Russians won't let you sell your peaches, perhaps it is time to make peach brandy.....

Wondering what kiwifruit brandy is like.....

MG,

Welcome back. You could always sell your peaches to the Russians but claim they are Greek olives.....

Among all the mirth this question has caused among some of you, maybe you will have noticed the first step towards the breakup of the present EU by the hand of Putin. Russia may be in the position of assisting Southern Europe breaking away from the EU and create a Mediterranean Union willing to dialogue with Russia. Personally nothing would please me more.

Endo,

I wish you and your ideological kin all the best. Given the history of Europe/human nature, I am surprised that the EU has lasted as long as it has. One size never seems to fit all very well or for very long.

If needed, over time, the Mediterranean Union can always evolve into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western MU as required.

Viva Freedom of Association!!!

[Endovelico]

If the Russians won't let you sell your peaches, perhaps it is time to make peach brandy.....

Wondering what kiwifruit brandy is like.....

MG,

Welcome back. You could always sell your peaches to the Russians but claim they are Greek olives.....

Among all the mirth this question has caused among some of you, maybe you will have noticed the first step towards the breakup of the present EU by the hand of Putin. Russia may be in the position of assisting Southern Europe breaking away from the EU and create a Mediterranean Union willing to dialogue with Russia. Personally nothing would please me more.

Endo,

I wish you and your ideological kin all the best. Given the history of Europe/human nature, I am surprised that the EU has lasted as long as it has. One size never seems to fit all very well or for very long.

If needed, over time, the Mediterranean Union can always evolve into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western MU as required.

Viva Freedom of Association!!!

It could happen, but we have a long history of living together, although not always voluntarily... But although I recognize that there are some differences between a Greek and a Portuguese, or even between a Portuguese and a Spaniard, I know those differences are much smaller than the differences between any of these peoples and a German, a Brit or a Swede. A lot of sunlight, wine and much interbreeding has created here a society and a civilization which does not easily coexist with Northern Europeans. We are not better - nor worse -, we are simply different and happy to be different...

[Endovelico]

WHAT IS RUSSIA’S ANSWER TO GREECE’S PLAN B?
By John Helmer, Moscow

The Kremlin doesn’t want to say so exactly. But right now it is as reluctant to support the Greek Government in its conflict with Germany, as Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Politburo wanted to back the Greek Communist Party during the Greek civil war between 1946 and 1949. So, when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (right) met in Moscow with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotsias (left) two weeks ago, he offered Athens a hypothetical conditional: “Russia is also in a tough financial situation caused by a unilateral illegitimate policy of our Western colleagues. However, if the government of Greece ever comes up with any requests then, as Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said, they will, of course, be considered…”

Speaking a few hours before on Athens television, the new Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos proposed the Greek hypothetical conditional: “if we see that Germany remains rigid and wants to blow apart Europe, then we have the obligation to go to Plan B. Plan B is to get funding from another source. It could the United States at best, it could be Russia, it could be China or other countries.”

Asked to say what Greek Government requests Finance Minister Siluanov is considering, the ministry spokesman said today – nothing. That’s to say, the Greeks haven’t proposed a Plan B, and if they do, the Russian response will be — nothing. The Russian reason – the new Greek Government, like its predecessors, is regarded by the Kremlin as a US client, engaged in secret dealings with Washington which would put a Russian loan, if it were extended, at risk of being wasted, or lost.

In an American television interview on January 30, Siluanov had said: “we can imagine any situation, so if such [a] petition is submitted to the Russian government, we will definitely consider it, but will take into account all the factors of our bilateral relationships between Russia and Greece, so that is all I can say. If it is submitted we will consider it.”

Asked today to clarify Siluanov’s hypothetical conditional – had the Greeks proposed any form or value of a Russian loan – the spokesman for the Finance Ministry in Moscow replied: “we do not comment on this topic before the decision will be taken.”

In the circumstances, this was being diplomatic. Siluanov’s (below, left) deputy for international relations, Sergei Storchak (right) very clearly said no on Tuesday. Storchak was quoted by the state news agency RIA-Novosti as saying that financial aid to the government in Athens is excluded because there is no budget allocation. “To date, [financial aid to Greece] is ruled out because the law on the federal budget does not provide such facilities.”

Asked whether a Moscow loan in Plan B has been tabled, the new Greek Ambassador in Moscow, Danai-Magdalini Koumanakou, said through a spokesman that she would consider her answer, and decide when to give one. Koumanakou presented her credentials to President Vladimir Putin four months ago, on October 23. She is still considering what to say.

At the start of 1949, when the Politburo was discussing what assistance to provide the Greeks, the country had already recorded a loss of more than 100% of its GDP caused by the invasions of the Italian and German armies. The civil war, triggered by British forces in December 1944 and funded on the Greek Government side by the UK and US, halted the post-war recovery of Greece, so that it lagged far behind the recovery of the countries which had been occupied during the world war; and also behind the enemy states, Italy and Germany. The one sector of the Greek economy to benefit until 1950 was the military, police, and security agencies. Altogether, they received $400 million from Washington; that’s equivalent to $4.4 billion today. A recent econometric calculation indicates that the annual loss of Greece’s GDP growth, counting destruction of livestock and non-agricultural capital, unemployment, casualties and displacement of population during the civil war was 12.15% per year until the war ended in August 1949.

The GDP loss in Greece since the start of the German-directed EU bailout programme has been about 30%; that’s an annual rate of almost 6% or about half the loss rate inflicted by the German invasion or by the civil war. The casualty rate – dead and wounded – is less today; the displacement rate – from village to city or emigration – almost the same.

Stalin’s decision not to contest Greece with the Americans, and the calculation in Moscow at the time of higher priority state interests have been well documented. Less well-known is the calculation of the last Soviet Politburo in 1989, then ruled by Mikhail Gorbachev: he decided not to come to the aid of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, who requested assistance ahead of the parliamentary election of June 1989. Papandreou lost that election.

The calculation this time round is unchanged. The new Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, is viewed in Moscow as a closet American.

Greek assessments of Tsipras’ current negotiating tactics with the European Union (EU) come to the same conclusion. Tsipras conceded as much in an interview he gave the German magazine Stern on February 19. Asked if President Vladimir Putin has promised money, Tsipras replied: “if only it were so easy to accumulate the funds. But it’s true — Russia’s ambassador was the first diplomat to congratulate me. However, prior to that I received a phone call from President Obama. And later on from President Putin and the Chinese premier. It just goes to show how much global interest there is in Greece continuing on its path to stability and returning to growth.”

“Q: Do you want money from Russia or from China? A: “For the time being, we only have a European solution in mind. We as a country belong to the eurozone. It would be a mistake to jeopardise this political unity. We are fully aware of the key geopolitical role Greece plays in the world, and we will continue to be a stable anchor in a fragile tri-border region.”

Russian strategic analysts do not agree that Greece is as important as Tsipras claims, nor as stable. Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he refuses to discuss Greece. Sergei Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, prefers discrete silence. Yury Kvashnin, head of the EU studies section at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, says the new Greek government is pretending to approach Moscow in order to play at “blackmail” with the EU.

“[Tsipras says to the EU] you are going to make concessions on the debt issue for us, and we in our turn will be ready to reconsider our position on the future relations with the Russian Federation. Thus, it appears that at the moment the tactical interests of Russia and Greece are the same. It can be expected that as long as there is no settlement of the Greek debt issue, there will be very warm relations between Russia and Greece. I do not exclude that there will be mutual visits at the highest level, and a lot of words will be spoken about friendship, about the need for partnership between the two countries, the necessity for deepening economic cooperation.”

“However, we must understand that Greece is an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic structures. It is part of the EU, it enters into NATO. Therefore strategically the main purpose for Greece is to stay in these structures, but on more favourable terms. So I think that now we will see some warmth in the relations between Russia and Greece . Everything will be well and good. But in the future, of course, all this may come to naught. That is, of course, if Greece manages to agree on restructuring their public debt.”

Gazprom said this week it is not less skeptical of Greek intentions, and much more confident of Turkey’s strategic importance by contrast. Asked if the Tsipras government has requested talks on new pipeline deliveries to Greece, a Gazprom spokesman implied no, but replied with a hypothetical conditional: “it’s better to ask first the government of Greece about this issue, and after that we will be able to respond.”

The source also noted that early this month Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller (below, right) toured western Turkey with Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz (left) and discussed the route of Turkish Stream, the renamed South Stream pipeline project which was cancelled after EU pressure last December.

According to Gazprom, if the Greek government wants Russian gas, it is welcome to build a pipeline to Ipsala, on Greece’s western border with Turkey, to buy it. The Gazprom release says its priority in the meantime is delivering gas to meet rising Turkish demand. “The parties defined the key reference points of the route and technical solutions for the gas pipeline in Turkey. In particular, the meeting chose the landfall location – near Kiyikoy village, the gas delivery point for Turkish consumers in Luleburgaz and a border crossing between Turkey and Greece in Ipsala. The gas pipeline length will total 180 kilometers. In the near future a permit is to be obtained for conducting FEED operations for the new Turkish offshore section. The growing demand for natural gas in the Istanbul district will be taken into account in the gas pipeline design; therefore, the volume of gas to be delivered to the border between Turkey and Greece was specified and estimated at 47 billion cubic meters. The capacity of the offshore gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey will amount to 63 billion cubic meters a year, the first string is to be completed by December 2016.”

Alexei Makarkin, an analyst with the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow, refuses to answer direct questions on Russia’s Greek strategy. He recently published a warning that, for the time being, “[Greek] rhetoric, as is often the case, is much more radical than real action. So, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on January 29, Kotsias did not block a decision to extend sanctions against Russia, and even conceded some expansion… The new ‘sectoral’ sanctions have not been approved, but this is associated with the position, not only of Greece, but also of a number of other EU countries — Italy, Hungary, Cyprus, and perhaps France…The Greek government will continue manoeuvering, trying to find a common language with the European centre-left and get their relief in the economic sphere. In this case, it will make active use of the Russian factor to put pressure on the EU (as does the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban…”

Moscow analysts of Greece dismiss claims published in US and UK media that there is an influential relationship between Ministers Kotsias and Kammenos and Konstantin Malofeev (below, left), the financier of Orthodox causes and the Novorussian resistance to Kiev, and Malofeev’s ideologist, Alexander Dugin (right).

US Government radio, the Financial Times, and Der Zeit have reported this month: “Powerful Russians want to drive a wedge into the EU and are fighting for Moscow’s dominance. Confidential emails reveal how they are influencing the Greek government.” Malofeev and Dugin are the “powerful Russians”, Kotsias and Kammenos the influential figures in the Greek government.

According to Sam Jones, NATO spokesman at the Financial Times, “European and Nato intelligence officials are now poring over links between the Kremlin and senior figures from Syriza and its coalition partner, the Independent Greeks party… Mr Kotzias — a former Piraeus university professor — has espoused increasingly nationalist positions, developing a relationship with Alexander Dugin, the Russian nationalist philosopher, during several visits to Moscow, according to a colleague who declined to be identified. Mr Dugin, who is close to several figures in the Moscow security establishment and last August called for a ‘genocide’ of Ukrainians, was invited by Mr Kotzias to speak at an event in the Piraeus campus in 2013, where he extolled the role of Orthodox Christianity in uniting Greeks and Russians. Mr Kammenos has also been a frequent visitor to Moscow. A picture shows him in the Russian capital two weeks ago, meeting the chairman of the Russian Duma’s foreign affairs committee and the deputy chairman of its defence committee.”

Dugin asked to be paid for an interview before he would respond to questions. For the source of the state bank funds which Malofeev has been spending, read this. Malofeev describes his financial contributions in Crimea and Donbass as religiously-inspired philanthropy and humanitarian aid; he denies funding troop formations or military operations. According to a source close to Kremlin policymaking, “whatever contacts they may have had with the Greeks make no difference to Kremlin policy. That’s because neither the two Russians, nor the two Greeks make a difference.”

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=12834

Interesting analysis. But it could still go either way... My guess is that if Greece asks for money, Russia will probably supply it. But it is true that for that to go ahead Greece will have to reconsider its position towards the EU. If elections in Spain and Portugal result in Syriza-like parties winning, then Greece may feel that with the help of those two countries it could risk trying and changing the EU rules, or else consider a Mediterranean alternative union.

[Alexis]

Interesting analysis. But it could still go either way... My guess is that if Greece asks for money, Russia will probably supply it. But it is true that for that to go ahead Greece will have to reconsider its position towards the EU. If elections in Spain and Portugal result in Syriza-like parties winning, then Greece may feel that with the help of those two countries it could risk trying and changing the EU rules, or else consider a Mediterranean alternative union.

Interesting, yes. But one thing really eludes me.

If Greece decided to refuse the demands of the Troika and to default, with expulsion from the Eurozone forced by the ECB as a consequence, why on Earth would Greece need a influx of foreign money?

We're speaking of a country which would have:
- A new currency with much cheaper rate, hence a balanced trade after initial crisis and sharp reduction of imports
- A more than balanced national budget, given suspension of interest payments on most of national debt
- A reduced national debt, given default on public-held debt (circa 70% of present debt) and service only of privately and IMF-held debt (30% * current 175% would mean national debt less than 60% of present GDP)
- An adversarial relationship with many if not most EU governments, given default on 70% of present debt that is more than 200 billion €, and nationalistic tricks in answer to demands of repayment - "let's discuss first the 162 billion € Germans owe us as a result of WWII" and the like. Restructuring on that part of the debt - in practice a huge haircut - would be negotiated not by the pro-European present financial minister Varoufakis, but by Kammenos the anti-European rightist. EU leaders wouldn't like the change
- Capital controls prohibiting export of capital with forced investment in-country instead, similar to China, India or Brazil, that is different from Russia, the USA or EU countries

Such a country would not need new foreign loans. Nor would it get them. No more from Russians than from Germans, Americans nor any other. As for Chinese, I don't know, but timeo Sinae et dona ferentes

It would recentre on production instead of consumption, self-financing instead of loans, internal investment to increase productivity instead of capital export to German banks, austerity balanced between social classes instead of concentrated on poors and letting the rich off the hook... but it would still be austerity.

A "Plan B" is conceivable, and it's possible Greece will do it, no matter whether willing or unwilling. But in no case would a Plan B entail new significant loans from foreign.

[Simple Minded]

......

A "Plan B" is conceivable, and it's possible Greece will do it, no matter whether willing or unwilling. But in no case would a Plan B entail new significant loans from foreign.

Alexis,

Amen. You have now hit the crux of the problem. Mechanically, financially, or legislatively, fixing the real internal Greek problems of debt, corruption, oppression, cronyism, and all other problems tomorrow at noon, would not change the problems of internal culture, nor external perception of Greek culture a bit.

It is a matter of trust. People do not invest with those they do not trust, nor perceive to be the best bang for their buck. It may take an entire generation to rebuild misplaced trust.

The UAW and the American auto industry went thru this back in the 1980s. Both parties in DC have that problem today.

Regardless of all the arguments one can make about fairness and humanitarian ideals, once the perception becomes "Well you lied to me over the last few years, and every day you claimed you weren't lying to me. Why should I believe you today when you say you are not lying?" you are well beyond the simple aspect of fixing broken mechanisms.

There is reality, and there is perception. I would not expect that fixing the real problems would change perceptions anytime soon.

[Endovelico]

Greece to seek German war reparations
March 11, 2015 8:02AM

SPEAKING in parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said it was a moral obligation for Greece to seek war reparations and the return of a forced loan given to the Nazis by Greece's Central Bank.
"Germany has never properly paid reparations for the damage done to Greece by the Nazi occupation," Tsipras told lawmakers.

"The crimes carried out by the Nazis are still vivid and we have a moral obligation to remember what the forces did to the country."

Parliament approved a proposal put forward by Parliamentary President Zoe Constantopoulou on Monday for the re-establishment of a house committee which would continue collecting and organising historical material related to Greece's case.

"The crimes carried out by the German Nazis are the worst in history ... the worst possible crimes against humanity," said Constantopoulou.

The demand for compensation was first launched by the previous conservative-led coalition government in 2013, but was never followed through.

Berlin has repeatedly said that it legally settled the question of war reparations with Greece in the treaty which reunified Germany in 1990.

But Tsipras said the settlement "does not include a forced loan given to the Nazis by Greece's central bank or the destruction of the country's infrastructure and economy at the time."

Officials in Athens have said Greece's demand for reparations includes a war loan of 476 million Reichsmarks, or roughly 11 billion euros ($A15.5 billion) today before interest that the Bank of Greece was forced to make to the Nazis in 1942.

Overall, Greece is seeking 160 billion euros ($A225.29 billion) to cover the loan and compensation for damages from the occupation, in which tens of thousands of people were killed or died of starvation.

The renewed demand comes as anti-German sentiment has increased in Greece in recent years over Germany's determination that Greece rein in its ballooning budget with tough austerity reforms.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaki ... 7257874273

Seeing how Germany keeps paying Jews and Israel compensation for the crimes against Jews, it will be difficult for Germany to refuse the same treatment to Greece. My feeling is that Germany will end up paying at least the forced loan Greece had to make to Nazi Germany. It may have to go to the International Court in The Hague, but Germany is bound to lose.

[Endovelico]

EU Commission warns Greece “anti-poverty law is unilateral action”
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy, Politics

I thought that it was only Stupidity that had no limits. I was wrong. It is also Boldness. Especially in Brussels the center of Europe that has mutated into the major command center currently carrying the economic World War III. Lost in ghosts of the past, the European Commission issues statements that remind us of historical hostile communiques and ultimatums that traditionally ended in armed conflicts, aggression, destruction and death. A more or less similar “communique” was issued by Declan Costello, director at the European Commission’s directorate for economic and financial affairs.

“We would strongly urge having the proper policy consultations first, including consistency with reform efforts. There are several issues to be discussed and we need to do them as a coherent and comprehensive package.

“Doing otherwise would be proceeding unilaterally and in a piecemeal manner that is inconsistent with the commitments made, including to the Eurogroup as stated in the February 20 communiqué.”

The Costello communique was published by Channel 4 journalist Paul Manson.

So, an EC clerk Declan Costello orders a member country Greece to stop the planned measures to tackle the humanitarian crisis but also a planned law allowing tax arrears to be paid in up to 100 installments that could bring revenues in the state pockets.

What does Costello tells Greece? “He effectively says that if the Greek parliament votes on the new law it is a violation of the compromise deal signed by finance minister Yanis Varoufakis on 20 February in Brussels,” notes Paul Manson.

Greeks: E-mail? what E-mail?

Deep in anger, the Greek left-led coalition government decided to ignore the European Commission order and proceed with the planned legislation.

“Some want to turn Greece also to a political lab rat, in addition of being an economic lab rat,” Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in his speech at the Parliament during the law debate on Wednesday.

Tsipras said further that the government plans to fulfill its elections promises and that Europe has accepted not only that there is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis but also that there is a government against the neo-liberal dogma.

The Greek Prime Minister made clear that the government will follow a different path than the previous governments did and that “we will not accept technocrats and we will not legislate according to e-mails,” as he said characteristically.

Sharply criticizing the EU partners and also the technocrats’ behavior, Tsipras said:

“They expose Europe. Some have the audacity to write on paper and send e-mail saying that tackling the humanitarian crisis is unilateral action. Is this the Europe we have envisioned? The one that creates a humanitarian crisis, it admits it and then considers the bill to address the crisis unilateral action? “

“For fifty days we have been receiving the same and the same threats and it runs out that they are empty of content,” Tsipras stressed most probably in the direction of Germany and Wolfgang Schaeuble.

Let's hope Russia and/or China will supply Greece with enough funds for a few months, until the Greek government's measures start having effect. Because that's the whole issue: Germany and some other countries do not want Greece to be able to solve its problems by means other than those prescribed by the Germans. Otherwise the whole exploitation scheme will collapse.

[Parodite]

Let's hope Russia and/or China will supply Greece with enough funds for a few months, until the Greek government's measures start having effect. Because that's the whole issue: Germany and some other countries do not want Greece to be able to solve its problems by means other than those prescribed by the Germans. Otherwise the whole exploitation scheme will collapse.

It's a nightmare and a comedy. Yet in defense of Germany (and other richer Northerners ).. remember that the loans given to Greece are borrowed from our Northern kids. So maybe some harsh strictness is allowed?

The whole affaire reminds me of what happens when people don't borrow money from (prudent) banks... but from a rich family member. I have seen it happen in my own family. The husband of a niece of mine, who operates a bit like Greece mentally, asked my widowed aunt who is the sweetest lady in the world and also rich, to borrow him money to rescue his insolvent business. Money kept going in.. she gave him a second.. third.. a fourth chance. She is totally fond of him.. in love almost. But in the end the money was gone. 6 figure amounts. Then her kids got involved and pissed off. Can they be blamed for being angry? Lot of tensions in the family. If he just had gone to a strict and impersonal bank that is predictable.. with people trained to assess the viability of your business plan and personal skill set, giving you tips and advice or free.. he would have saved himself and others a lot of troubles, headaches and heartaches.

As with family it goes with borrowing money from politicians who speak and act as if they are on the helm of a (prudent) bank. They are not. They act like morons. Now there are (imprudent) banks who don't give a damn.. cause those criminal banks found a formula to make money even on the dying corpses of others. Those EU-politicians and their crime-bankers opened the doors to all the lavender that now happens with Greece and in the EU in general.

[Simple Minded]

It's a nightmare and a comedy. Yet in defense of Germany (and other richer Northerners ).. remember that the loans given to Greece are borrowed from our Northern kids. So maybe some harsh strictness is allowed?

Good point. Perhaps Greece should fear the next generation of Northern Europeans more than the current generation.

The whole affaire reminds me of what happens when people don't borrow money from (prudent) banks... but from a rich family member. I have seen it happen in my own family. The husband of a niece of mine, who operates a bit like Greece mentally, asked my widowed aunt who is the sweetest lady in the world and also rich, to borrow him money to rescue his insolvent business. Money kept going in.. she gave him a second.. third.. a fourth chance. She is totally fond of him.. in love almost. But in the end the money was gone. 6 figure amounts. Then her kids got involved and pissed off. Can they be blamed for being angry? Lot of tensions in the family. If he just had gone to a strict and impersonal bank that is predictable.. with people trained to assess the viability of your business plan and personal skill set, giving you tips and advice or free.. he would have saved himself and others a lot of troubles, headaches and heartaches.

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, or worse baring gifts.

To hear Endo tell the story, the rich German Aunt does not really care much for the younger Greek man.

[Nonc Hilaire]

I think the Greek Calvinball method of economic negotiations is inspired.

[noddy]

im not sure the chinese uncle plays buy any different a ruleset to the german one to be honest.. business is business and the basic rules cross cultures and time periods.

i still dont understand why the greek government doesnt just default already, i thought they where meant to be radical lefties, not status quo bumbling technocracts looking to steal the peoples savings to pay for governenments crimes

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-g ... lls-2015-3

The Greek government is attempting to raid funds earmarked for social security in order to meet state pension and public sector wage bills this month.

In a recent interview, Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis acknowledged that the country was facing a squeeze on its finances following disappointingly low tax revenues in January. He said that “we have money to pay salaries and pensions of public employees…[but] for the rest we will see”. Yet it appears that even that now appears to have been optimistic.

dissapointing lies, i expect a radical rightwing in greece soon enough.

[Alexis]

German satirical video on the German-Greek crisis

A mix of self-parody and of satire of the Greek financial minister
(subtitles available in English, German, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish)

Afl9WFGJE0M

[Endovelico]

Shocking austerity: Greece’s poor lost 86% of income, but rich only 17-20%
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy, Society

Greece’s unbalanced austerity and drastic increase of poverty. The poorest households in the debt-ridden country lost nearly 86% of their income, while the richest lost only 17-20%. The tax burden on the poor increased by 337% while the burden on upper-income classes increased by only 9% !!! This is the result of a study that has analyzed 260.000 tax and income data from the years 2008 – 2012.

According to the study commissioned by the German Institute for Macroeconomic Research (IMK) affiliated with the Hans Böckler Foundation:

- The nominal gross income of Greek households decreased by almost a quarter in only four years.
- The wages cuts caused nearly half of the decline.
- The net income fell further by almost 9 percent, because the tax burden was significantly increased
- While all social classes suffered income losses due to cuts, tax increases and the economic crisis, particularly strongly affected were households of low- and middle-income. This was due to sharp increase in unemployment and tax increases, that were partially regressive.

- The total number of employees in the private sector suffered significantly greater loss of income, and they were more likely to be unemployed than those employed in the public sector.
-From 2009 to 2013 wages and salaries in the private sector declined in several stages at around 19 percent. Among other things, because the minimum wage was lowered and collective bargaining structures were weakened. Employees in the public sector lost around a quarter of their income.
-The extent of the wages cuts were grossly overstated - at least ten percentage points, the study researchers estimate.
Unemployment & Early Retirement

Unemployment surged from 7.3% in the Q2 2008 to 26.6% in the Q2 2014. among youth aged 15-24, unemployment had an average of 44%.

Early retirement in the Private Sector increased by 14%.

Early retirement in the Public Sector* increased by 48%

The researchers see here a clear link to the austerity policy, that’s is the Greek government managed to fulfill the Troika requirements for smaller public sector. However, this trend caused a burden to the social security funds.
* Much to KTG’s knowledge public servants with 25 years in the public administration rushed to early retirement in 2010 out of fear of further cuts in their wages and consequently to their pension rights.

Taxes

Taxes were greatly increased, but they had a regressive effect.

Since beginning of the austerity, direct taxes increased by nearly 53%, while indirect taxes increased by 22 percent.
The taxation policy has indeed contributed significantly to the consolidation of the public budget, but by doing so the social imbalance was magnified.

Little has been done against tax avoidance and tax evasion, however, the tax base was actually extended “downwards” with the effect that households with low-income and assets were strongly burdened.

Particularly poorer households paid disproportionately more in taxes and the tax burden to lower-income rose by 337%. In comparison, the tax burden to upper-income households rose by only 9%.

In absolute euro amounts, the annual tax burden of many poorer households increased “only” by a few hundred euros. However, with regards to the rapidly declining of incomes and rampant unemployment, this social class was over-burdened with taxes.

The Poor suffered more

On average, the annual income of Greek households before taxes fell from €23,100 euros in 2008 to just below €17,900 euros in 2012. This represents a loss of nearly 23 percent.

The losses were significantly different to each income class with the poorest households to have suffered the biggest losses.

Almost one in three Greek household had to make it through 2012 with an annual income below €7,000.
Income losses 2008-2012

1. Class: i.e. 10% of Greek total: households that have lowest income: loss 86%
2. and 3. class: loss between 51% and 31%
4. – 7. class: households with higher income: loss between 25% and 18%
8. Class: 30% of Greek total: households with the highest income: loss between 20% and 17%.

Shocked?

KTG has been saying this since 2011, has been saying this and criticizing every new taxation law: that the burden to the poor, the low-incomers, the low-pensioners and even the jobless was over-proportional when compared to the economically better society classes.

I wonder what a study will bring in results for the years 2013 and 2014 that were the worst years of austerity.

Full study here: http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/p_imk_study_38_2015.pdf

Please note that this study was commissioned by the German Institute for Macroeconomic Research (IMK) affiliated with the Hans Böckler Foundation. Being German must be accurate...

This shows what the results of the so brilliant measures imposed by the so intelligent Frau Merkel are. And the same brilliant people continue refusing Greece the right to try something else... But, of course, Germans - because they are German - must be right, and Greeks - because they are Greek - must be wrong... The incredible arrogance of the supposedly intelligent, who are, after all, pretty dumb...

[noddy]

bollocks, it shows how corrupt and useless the greek government is, as per my link above.

the rich and the connected to government are avoiding austerity as much as they can, everyone else suffers.

this radical lefty thing better start getting radical and lefty, or things are going to get ugly.

[Endovelico]

bollocks, it shows how corrupt and useless the greek government is, as per my link above.

the rich and the connected to government are avoiding austerity as much as they can, everyone else suffers.

this radical lefty thing better start getting radical and lefty, or things are going to get ugly.

noddy,

Just to give you an example of plain stupidity:

The "troika", and the EU spurred by Germany, have insisted on debtor countries cutting the workers' salaries, lowering pensions, lowering corporate taxes, lowering social benefits, etc. All in order to improve the country's competitiveness - by lowering production costs - and thus lead to a stronger economy. In fact, as any moderately well informed person knows, competitiveness depends almost exclusively on investment, mostly directed at modernization of the producing apparatus and the adoption of state of the art technology. Only when capital stock is up to standard and modern technology is being used, can cutting production costs be a competitiveness tool. In other words, while the debtor's countries problem is mostly structural, the amazingly stupid EU, Germany and "troika" impose conjunctural measures which cannot produce the desired results. Cutting salaries may work in Germany, it will not work in Greece or Portugal. But that's too fine a point for Frau Merkel to understand...

[noddy]

the article above that you posted said that the lower income people not in government copped it hardest as per the implementation done by the greek government, exactly what i was complaining about.

you choose to blame the germans, im still waiting to see a proper radical solution to a radical problem, not technocrats blaming the other technocrats.

i say that as if i was the greek version of noddy.

[Endovelico]

the article above that you posted said that the lower income people not in government copped it hardest as per the implementation done by the greek government, exactly what i was complaining about.

you choose to blame the germans, im still waiting to see a proper radical solution to a radical problem, not technocrats blaming the other technocrats.

i say that as if i was the greek version of noddy.

The solution to the problem doesn't have to be radical, just smart.

I would cut interest on debt to, at most, 1%, and use most of the saved money to invest, by means of an investment plan elaborated in cooperation between the government, owners associations and unions, with the objective of replacing some imports and expand the exports. Then I would tax the richer in a way which could help financing social expenses, mostly on what concerns health care (NHS) and social security. Soon the investment would promote employment and thus lower unemployment benefits, which would give a cushion for government to keep other essential social services. As the economy would start growing again, tax revenues would increase and the debt would start decreasing as a % of GDP and, at the same time, corporate taxes and revenue taxes could start decreasing. Not very radical...

[Endovelico]

Deadlock over Greek debt crisis could play into Russia's hands
Helena Smith in Athens - Tuesday 17 March 2015 19.29 GMT

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/m ... sias-hands


Alexis Tsipras meets Victoria Nuland in Athens



Greece’s battle to stay solvent and in the eurozone is becoming a game of dangerous brinkmanship. Beyond the war of words between Athens and Berlin, the dark arts of diplomacy are also being played.

On Tuesday, only hours after Greece’s leftist-led government announced that the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, had accepted an offer by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, to visit Berlin, it was revealed that he would also be making a similar tour to Moscow. “The prime minister will visit the Kremlin on 8 April after being invited by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin,” his office said.

Before the sun had set over the Acropolis, the top US diplomat Victoria Nuland had waded in, holding talks with Greece’s foreign minister, Nikos Kotzias, in Athens.

Nuland, who is assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, flew into the capital amid mounting US concerns that the great euro debt crisis has begun to pose a geopolitical threat. Allowed to veer out of control, Greece could end up in the ambit of Russia, financially bereft and without the EU links that keep it bounded to the west. Nato’s south-eastern flank would be immeasurably weakened at a time of mounting global security worries over Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East.

Under Tsipras’s steely leadership, the country has worked hard to stoke such fears. Exploiting his far-left Syriza party’s traditionally good ties with Moscow, the young leader has allowed his ministers to suggest openly that they would turn to Moscow as a strategic protector in the event of Athens being ejected from the 19-nation currency bloc. Russia, in turn, has said it would happily consider a Greek request for aid – despite its own financial woes – should its fellow Orthodox state ask.

“We want a deal with creditors,” asserted Panos Kammenos, the rightwing nationalist who leads the ruling coalition’s small Independent Greeks party. “But if there is no deal, and if we see that Germany remains rigid and wants to blow Europe apart, then we will have to go to plan B.”

As negotiations with Brussels and Berlin have become ever more tortuous, Kotzias has increasingly played up Athens’ geostrategic role. Creditors, he recently warned, would cut off Greece at their peril. “There will be millions of immigrants and thousands of jihadis flocking to Europe if the Greek economy collapses,” he told EU counterparts 10 days ago. “There is no stability in the western Balkans and then we have problems in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and north Africa.”

Seasoned euro crisis watchers fear that in his bid to extract concessions over the country’s monumental debt, Tsipras is overplaying his hand.

Almost six years into the crisis, patience with Greece among voters in Europe’s northern climes – and especially in Germany, the biggest contributor to the €240bn bailout programme propping up the Greek economy – is wearing thin. Tsipras’s desire to find a political solution when he meets Merkel next week – one that would focus less on figures than reforms – already smacks of evasion for austerity hawks who believe fiscal rectitude is the only way forward for Europe’s most indebted state.

Fears of Greek isolation were highlighted on Tuesday when the chairman of the euro group of finance ministers warned that capital controls, or even a Cyprus-style bailin of banks, was not beyond the realms of probability if progress was not made. Unable to tap international markets, the cash-strapped Greek state has reached breaking point.

Amid the shrillness and shouting, Washington worries Europe may be losing the wood for the trees. Diplomats hate unpredictability. But against a backdrop of growing speculation over Athens’ ability to remain in the euro, there are rising fears that Moscow has identified Greece as a potential Trojan horse.

“Russia has a great interest in seeing the Greek crisis turn for the worse,” said Dimitris Keridis, a professor of political science at Athens’ Panteion University. “It is very supportive of the drachma lobby precisely because a Greek exit from the euro [Grexit] would hurt the eurozone, weaken Europe and de-link Greece from the west. Russia does not want a united, strong Europe because it sees it as a potential geopolitical threat.”

US diplomats fear that the hard line creditors are taking could backfire. Too much attention, they say, is being paid to the pressure of bailout concerns at the expense of geopolitical power and the influence that Greece exerts at the crossroads of east and west. Regionally, few places are as important as the southern island of Crete, home to facilities that provide command control and logistics support to US and Nato operating forces.

If Athens were to turn its back on the west, Turkey could be next. “Greece is much more important than people think,” the former US ambassador to Greece, Daniel Speckhard, told a recent edition of Fortune magazine. “The conventional wisdom is now that we can allow a Grexit and just cauterise the wound, but it’s not that simple.”

It's so obvious that even The Guardian spotted it... But our dummy European leaders do not seem to understand...

[Parodite]

The "troika", and the EU spurred by Germany, have insisted on debtor countries cutting the workers' salaries, lowering pensions, lowering corporate taxes, lowering social benefits, etc. All in order to improve the country's competitiveness - by lowering production costs - and thus lead to a stronger economy. In fact, as any moderately well informed person knows, competitiveness depends almost exclusively on investment, mostly directed at modernization of the producing apparatus and the adoption of state of the art technology. Only when capital stock is up to standard and modern technology is being used, can cutting production costs be a competitiveness tool. In other words, while the debtor's countries problem is mostly structural, the amazingly stupid EU, Germany and "troika" impose conjunctural measures which cannot produce the desired results. Cutting salaries may work in Germany, it will not work in Greece or Portugal. But that's too fine a point for Frau Merkel to understand...

It is true that ultimately what is good for Greece is good for the rest of the EU. What you, nor the Eurocrats you criticize understand however, is that best for Greece is to go bankrupt, stick a big middle finger to those Eurocrats, leave the Eurozone and go back to the Drachme and find any other reliable non-EU source of credit to rebuild Greece. It is all too obvious almost.. but the deluded current leftwing Greek gvt insists solving it within the EU which is beyond stupid. I can only explain this Greek idiocy as a political move of the leftwing gvt to gain political popularity, feeding on the anti-EU and especially anti-German sentiments that pay them big time. I know you have emotional reasons not to accept this reality and prefer the Greek to give Germans a good black pair of eyes, but in the end Greece will loose.