‘Greece’s worst crisis since World War II’ - 24 February, 2010
The crisis affecting Greece is the first of its kind since the end of World War II and can’t be tackled with “the logic of the past,” according to Bank of Greece Governor Giorgos Provopoulos.
“The current crisis in Greece is not similiar to anything we have seen in the past, at least in postwar history,” the country’s central bank chief said yesterday.
The country needs to take action on the reform front or otherwise prepare to pay a huge price, he added.
“This could be an opportunity to implement the needed reforms and not just talk about them, given that the cost of not implementing them would be huge.”
Under mounting pressure from markets and EU policymakers to slash its large debt and deficit, Greece must prove to Brussels by mid-March that it can meet its ambitious targets or be prepared to take further fiscal measures.
Provopoulos, also a member of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council, said the large debt and deficit were only partly due to the recession and mainly a result of chronic macroeconomic imbalances.
“The balance of payments deficit is not sustainable,” he said. “A policy mix which will remedy the macroeconomic and microeconomic balance and improve the economy’s competitiveness and productivity is needed to restore its sustainability.”
He said the economy needed a “complete restructuring,” both in terms of steady budget consolidation and reforms to boost competitiveness.
Greek anger at German reports
Parliament Speaker Filippos Petsalnikos yesterday condemned German press reports on Greece’s financial crisis that he said “surpassed all limits” and invited Germany’s ambassador to Greece, Wolfgang Schultheiss, to discuss the “offensive” coverage.
 Petsalnikos was responding to two articles – one in Stern magazine in the form of an open letter to Greeks from disgruntled German taxpayers, which also appeared in the February 19 issue of Athens Plus, and the other featured in an issue of Focus magazine whose front page depicts a statue of the Venus de Milo making an obscene gesture under the title “Greek cheats.” The House speaker condemned the two reports as “anything but objective” and containing “inaccuracies and false information.”
Petsalnikos accused Stern of offering an “oversimplified and populist take” on Greece’s financial crisis by lambasting Greeks for frittering away German taxpayers’ savings. In a letter sent to the magazine, Petsalnikos argued that Germany too had reaped benefits from European Union membership, stressing also that it was Greece’s main arms supplier. He noted that Germany was one of the countries that benefited most from EU membership, with more than 60 percent of its exports going to member states in 2007.
The provocative German press reports, and in particular the manipulated depiction of the Venus de Milo, prompted more angry comments from Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis. The mayor urged “men of culture across the world to protest” against the “shameful” front-page cover. He also called on Germany to pay Greece reparations for losses suffered by the country during World War II. “You owe us 70 billion euros for the ruins you left behind,” he said.
From: Kathimerini
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Reduced staff Samaria Gorge - 23 February, 2010
With five employees instead of 25, which operate under the Organization Management White Mountains, the Samaria Gorge is expected to open on 15 April to be welcoming more than 165,000 thousand visitors as last year, but with 12 employees instead of 30, should have been the proper operation!
These were identified during the visit by Mr SYRIZA of Heraklion prefecture, Michael Kritsotakis, at the Forestry Directorate of Chania, in Chrissopigi, where he met with the Head of the Division of Forestry Chania on matters relating to the environment and the functioning of the gorge of Samaria.
Indeed Mr Kritsotakis promised that next time will be eneterd on the agenda in the Parliament a series of queries about the problems facing the National Park of Samaria, like the issue of fire protection and early recruitment for the operation of the gorge.
Mr. Kritsotakis accompanied by members of SYRIZA in Hania yesterday held successive visits to services in the prefecture of Chania such as the employees of PPC in Xylokamara, the Federation of Craft-Professional and tourism stakeholders in E.V.E.CH , the vice president of Technical Union Navy, and employees in the construction company AKTER, the Labor Center. "We have seen serious problems such as the fact that the Forest Service is required to defend the environment in the prefecture of Chania, but at the time it has many problems and staffing problems because of state failure that can hit the regional offices. Nevertheless, the encouraging fact is that there is a patriotic uprisal of the Greeks against the indifference of the state, "said Mr. Kritsotakis. "We not only issue a question in parliament, but more, and we promise not to leave this issue without" stirring up the stagnant water' "he said.
The Chairman of the Management Agency Gorge National Park, Mr Peter Lyberakis, stressed that it is necessary to recruit staff in the National Forest Management Agency.
At the same time he stressed the urgency of the procedures for specific environmental study that is now made.
"The staff, which is a large number of people necessary to run the National Park of Samaria -pillar of the economy of the island- not deal, as every year, as seasonal staff or grumbling about the procedures they will recruited. There should be a permanent solution to this problem, we know that each year in early April we should have seasonal employees to operate the gorge, "he said.
"For Management Agency that is urgent is to complete the procedures for specific environmental study, which is now made, as soon as possible should be passed at the Presidential Decree, as required by law to also be the legal instrument with which the Agency to perform its duties "he said.
SHORTCOMINGS
About the staff shortages faced by the Management Body of White Mountains Mr Lyberakis stressed that: "The Agency Management is not just the Samaria Gorge, but the mountain in general. If we are correct that the relevant organization chart, the Agency should have around 25 people and currently has 5 employees and those with 'odd' employment status.
Also, the Forest Service has their respective shortcomings. The canyon theoretically needs to employ more than 20 to 30 people.
In a question of "CH.N." on when to open the Samaria Gorge and when it will be ready, he replied: "Attempts are being made to open April 15. Everything will be as ready as possible if weather conditions permit and if there has not been great damage in the gorge. For staff, this year we will do everything we can, even without authorization. But we want the issue to be resolved and the time is not right for fixing this problem.
"We try to prepare the National Park on 15 April. But we do not promise anything. The gorge opens officially on May 1. [...]
Translated from: Haniotika Nea
Olympic Air, Aegean agree to merge
Conditions bring together two largest players; deal subject to OK from competition authorities
Greece’s two largest airlines, Olympic Air and rival Aegean, have agreed to join forces in a bid to survive the country’s economic downturn and increased competition in the aviation industry, they said yesterday.
The main shareholders of Olympic Air, Marfin Investment Group (MIG), and Aegean, the Vassilakis group, have agreed on the merger to create an airline servicing 106 domestic and international routes, employing 5,850 staff members and operating a fleet of 64 planes. The new company will carry the Olympic Air name.
“The prevailing conditions in the Greek economy as well as in the aviation sector dictate the combination of forces in order to maintain competitive customer prices, protect levels of employment and increase our competitiveness at a European level,” said Andreas Vgenopoulos, chairman of Olympic Air.
The Vassilakis group and MIG will each hold an equal stake in the newly formed venture, the two companies said in a joint statement which did not provide any financial details.
The two airlines surprised the market in mid-February when they announced that they were in talks to create a single company that will have annual sales in excess of 1 billion euros.
Despite initial investor interest in the possible deal, shares in the two companies have underperformed gains of 4.85 percent in the broader Athens market in the last seven days.
Shares in MIG added 3.35 percent while stocks in Aegean Airline slipped 1.72 percent.
Stocks in the newly formed venture will be listed on the Athens stock exchange.
The agreement between the two airlines, which jointly control 95 percent of Greece’s air travel market, is subject to approval by European Union competition authorities.
From: Kathimerini
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Athens gets a taste of the Sahara - 22 February, 2010
A cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert made the atmosphere in Athens murky on Saturday. The dust, which is normal for this time of year, was blown in by southerly winds. Doctors advised old people to stay at home and those suffering from breathing problems to avoid working outdoors and to breathe through their noses rather than their mouths. A change of wind direction helped clear the city’s atmosphere yesterday.
From: Kathimerini
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The weather - 20 February, 2010
Warm weather is forecast across the country, with patches of cloud and fog in the morning. However showers are likely to develop in the northern Ionian and Epirus. Winds will be southerly at speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort in the Ionian and 3 to 5 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures will range from 5C (41F) to 20C (68F) in the north, 6C (43F) to 23C (73F) in central parts and from 10C (50F) to 27C (81F) in the southern regions.
OUTLOOK: Occasional showers are forecast for tomorrow in the west and possibly in Macedonia, the islands of the eastern Aegean, Dodecanese and Crete. Scattered clouds elsewhere, with southwesterly winds at 5 to 7 Beaufort and unseasonably high temperatures, especially in central and southern parts. Occasional showers and rainstorms are expected on Sunday in western and northern Greece, the islands of the eastern Aegean, Dodecanese and possibly Crete. Winds will gradually turn west-northwesterly and temperatures will drop.
From: Kathimerini  IN CRETE
The weather went crazy!
While we are in mid-February date, according to meteorologists, the temperature will range in Crete at high levels for the time and it reaches 28 to 30 degrees Celsius! So I expected yesterday a large turnout at beaches.
By the afternoon, however, occured sporadic rains that swept away large quantities of African dust resulting in mud.
In the night, strong winds will blow on the seas (up to 9 Beaufort) and is probably bound to keep ships in port.
According to meteorologist Manolis Lekkas "in Crete southerly winds will prevail and will affect more the east of the island. This is combined with African dust transport from the coast of Africa.
On Saturday morning the weather will be good initially with high temperatures for the time, and will range from 16 degrees to the 28 to 30 degrees.
From noon to Saturday afternoon (after 6 pm), may occur transient rainfall on Crete to lure large quantities of African dust resulting in mud streams.
The winds will blow from southwest at 5 to 6 Beaufort, while in the evening focused on the west, strengthening to 7 to 8 Beaufort and 9 Beaufort locally. That is why it is very likely to be prohibit ships from sailing.
According to him the unexpected rise in temperature will not occur in all areas of the island. "In the south the mercury will range up to 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, while in the north 28 to 30 degrees. In Chania, the temperature is likely to range up to 27 degrees, in Rethymnon up to 28 degrees and Heraklion to 30 degrees Celsius.
The occasional rain this afternoon will result in a gradual drop in temperature of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
"On Sunday during the day clouds will prevail and west of Chania showers may occur of transient rain.
The winds will blow stronger from the west at 7 to 8 Beaufort "he said. The western stream will "cleanse" the atmosphere and will put away the concentration of African dust to the east.
On Monday, in general it will be good weather with the winds weakened and the temperature ranging at reasonable levels for the season.
Translated from: Haniotika Nea
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Wind farms bill stirs up conservationists - 19 February, 2010
The objections of 174 conservation groups against a draft bill facilitating the construction of wind farms were aired at a press conference in Athens yesterday.
The proposed reform is “well-intentioned” but will pave the way for unchecked construction in precious ecosystems, environmentalists charge. “If this bill passes in its current form, we will see wind parks in national parks,” said Martinos Gaetlich of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage. The society says the draft bill does not consider the fact that the country’s islands have very sensitive ecosystems. Those opposed to the bill are also concerned about infrastructure – roads, power lines etc – that would accompany the construction of wind farms. “If we want to turn our mountains into factories, then we can forget about biodiversity,” said Stavros Xirouhakis of the Natural History Museum of Crete.
 A tourist takes in an Athens demonstration
A tourist on a sightseeing bus looks on as former employees of the newly privatized Olympic Air demonstrate outside the Finance Ministry in central Athens yesterday. Protests against the government’s austerity measures are due to intensify over the next week. Customs officers, who concluded a 48-hour strike yesterday, have announced rolling strikes through next Wednesday when they are to join the main labor union GSEE in a 24-hour walkout.
From: Kathimerini
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Greece resisting EU pressure - 17 February, 2010
Union’s finance ministers give Athens 30-day deadline; Papaconstantinou is cool on further cuts
European Union finance ministers yesterday gave Greece a month to prove that it is able to get its public finances back on track, as Athens insisted it is up to the job and will not need to take any additional measures.
Following the Ecofin meeting in Brussels, the ministers said in a statement that Greece must show by March 16 it is on its way to cutting its public deficit by 4 percent of gross domestic product this year. Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou said that progress is already being made. “It’s a matter of credibility for the country,” he told reporters. “The execution of the Greek budget for the month of January, based on preliminary figures, is going quite well. We actually have a surplus.”
Papaconstantinou refused to be drawn on whether any additional measures may include cutting one of the extra two monthly salaries paid to public servants each year. “The government will do whatever it can to protect the incomes of Greek workers,” the minister said in response to questions about this issue.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister George Papandreou was in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who offered words of encouragement as Greece attempts to reduce its debt.
“As we all know, the global economic crisis did not start in Greece or Russia or in Europe,” he said. “It came to us from across the ocean,” Putin added in a clear reference to the United States.
Greek and Russian officials denied that there had been any discussion of Moscow offering Athens financial aid to help it out of the economic crisis. In fact, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who Papandreou also met, advised the Greek premier to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund. [...]
The weather
Scattered clouds are forecast for western, central and northern Greece and the islands of the eastern Aegean, with showers and rainstorms predicted in the northwest and snowfall on the mountains in the north. Winds will be southeasterly at 5 to 7 Beaufort, gradually turning west-southwesterly at 4 to 6 Beaufort. Temperatures from 3C (37F) to 16C (61F) in the north, 6C (43F) to 19C (66F) in central parts and 9C (48F) to 24C (75F) in the south.
OUTLOOK: Scattered clouds are forecast tomorrow across the country, with sporadic showers in the west and possibly in northern parts of the country as well as the islands of the eastern Aegean. Winds will be southwesterly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and temperatures will remain unchanged. Scattered clouds are expected on Thursday in western and northern Greece and the islands of the eastern Aegean, with westerly winds at 3 to 5 Beaufort turning southerly at 4 to 6 Beaufort overnight. Temperatures are expected to rise further.
From: Kathimerini
_____________  Kiteflyers chase the breeze on Clean Monday - 16 February, 2010
Athenians of all ages celebrated Clean Monday, the first day of Lent, with the traditional pastime of kiteflying on Philopappou Hill yesterday. The spring-like temperatures prompted a large public turnout at the capital’s parks and squares, with thousands more packing seaside cafes and tavernas.
From: Kathimerini
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Advice to consumers in view of Lent - 15 February, 2010
The Veterinary Directorate of Chania "as the sole competent authority for food of animal origin" states the following to the general public regarding the Lenten shopping list:
Attention should be paid to information provided by the manufacturer to the indications of standard products. Pay attention to any change in the usual characteristics of food (odor, color, composition, etc.).
Buy from officially controlled market parties. Buying food from street vendors or casual or anonymous outlets should be avoided because they are a source of uncontrolled disposal of food that may mislead consumers and cause little or big problems in health.
The frozen must be kept in a refrigerator at points of sale - a freezer with a temperature of -18 and check all elements of the packaging manufacturer, which is the code number of the EU approval, the special conditions of maintenance and use and the date of freezing and closing. If consumed unpacked fish, the above information should be available to consumers (transport and placement of signs in a refrigerator box sale).
Recommended the purchase of bulk fish catches be limited to sheltered or not in individual packages and be done with great care.
Product Features
- Cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish, Illex, etc.).
We see on the market as fresh or as frozen.
For fresh we should be careful of the following:
The smell: It must be the smell of the sea and not ammonia or any smell other than the product.
Body surface: It should be wet and shiny.
The tentacles - suckers: They should be resistant to pulling.
Flesh: Should be firm, smooth and glossy.
Eyes: Should be bright, shiny and without blemishes.
The squid have two triangular flaps that cover 2 / 3 of their body, while in the Illex (short-finned squid) lateral triangular flaps covering 1 / 3 of the body.
Generally we know that the pink color of the surface of the flesh is the most frequent alteration and the stale smell bad and pulling the tentacles are cut easily.
For frozen we should be aware that they are sold without distortion of the content and with a soft layer of ice. When thawing the content must show the color and smell of fresh.
- Bivalve shellfish (mussels, clams, glossy shells, oysters, carpet shells, scallops).
Once sold, under the shell they should be alive.
The shell should be closed and opened with great difficulty and it is partially open with minimum pressure on the shell should be tightly closed by themselves.
Content: must be wet, clean and odorless.
The flesh: it must be liquid, adhering to the shell (body contraction with pin prick or lemon drops).
The mussels are also sold frozen in shell or shelled, packed. Top packaging must bear the health mark with the seal installation, the type of fish, packing date and the end product.
- Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crabs).
We find on the market as fresh or as frozen. For fresh must be:
The smell is pleasant (sea).
The feet are solidly attached to the body and hard.
The chest film is taut, resilient and transparent.
The buds to fill the niche of the eyes.
The head and thorax are light colored, not black in color and have black spots. The shells of crustaceans in the stale and dry slimy.
To have reflexive movements of the eyes, the antennae and legs when they are alive.
Generally we know that fresh shrimp slip easily from the hand and create a sense of the defective heat when we immerse his hand in the box that contains them. For those that are frozen and fresh.
- Sea urchins.
The urchins in the market should be alive.
- Canned seafood.
For canned seafood kept in the refrigerator or freezer outside, consumers should be careful for the cans not to be inflated, have no external rust, there is no leakage of liquid contents, to read carefully the information pack, especially the date and observe if the name of the manufacturer and the approval code number of the company are there.
You should also pay special attention to the normal color of a wall of cans and smell the contents.
- Fish.
Fish in general are highly sensitive and perishable. The consumption should be made as soon as possible after purchase.
Features that help us to judge their suitability are:
- Odor: light, pleasant odor. Characteristic of the sea (unlike the stale fish have unpleasant odor and often smell of ammonia).
Outside view: surface wet, shiny, with bright color (as opposed to stale fish surface of the body is very slimy and fish slip from our hands).
Body: the body is flaccid in stale fish, and keep fingerprints fingers when palpated (characteristic is the decline of the fish when we maintain an upright position).
The skin is tense and without wrinkles on fresh fish and breaks easily (especially in the abdomen) in stale.
Abdomen: often inflated in stale fish, and can be eliminated and fluids.
Scales: very firmly attached to the fresh fish, which are hardly detached during cleaning.
Eyes: The fresh fish is transparent, clear and lively, while the stale coffee is covered by mucus and have unpleasant odor.
Gills: color to red and wet in fresh fish, while the stale coffee is covered by mucus and have unpleasant odor.
For the salted cod, the tuna and tonolakerda the alteration shown by the reddish color and smell.
For smoked seafood, the alteration shown by the smell and the slimy flesh.
- Preserved fish roe.
The preserved fish roe should be uniform in color, its composition soft and not bitter or with a sour taste. For roe the decay is shown by mold, drying out and rancidity.
Translated from: Haniotika Nea
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Safe lifted - 13 February, 2010
Unidentified robbers early yesterday drove a truck through the glass front of a supermarket in the village of Aghioi Apostoloi, in the Cretan prefecture of Hania, and removed a safe containing some 20,000 euros, police said. The safe had been located near the entrance of the store, according to the supermarket’s management. The intruders did not touch an ATM machine on the premises of the store. Dozens of cash machines have been yanked out of walls in Crete in recent years.
From: Kathimerini
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Taxi strike - 11 February, 2010
No cabs today as drivers stage protest at tax reforms
There will be no taxis serving the capital today following a decision by the Association of Attica Taxi Drivers (SATA) to stage a 24-hour strike from 5 a.m. Cabbies in other cities are expected to follow suit, joining the protest against the impact of new tax reforms announced by the government. A written statement by SATA denounced the proposed measures, saying that they they “would create a series of new problems and make our occupation more difficult, if not impossible.” Taxi drivers are considering further strike action next week.
From: Kathimerini
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