http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/9/55229
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_29/04/2012_439866
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By Tom Ellis
The prospect of a fragmentation of Greek political forces and the gains of extremist opponents of the terms of Greece’s bailout by international creditors (the so-called “Memorandum”) in opinion polls in view of the May 6 elections, is reported to be causing concern to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the unhindered implementation of the Greek recovery program.
“The uncertainty is particularly heightened, not just regarding the short-term but, I would say, certainly much beyond the elections,” said Poul Thomsen, head of the IMF’s mission to Greece, commenting on the considerable fall in the nominal value of new Greek bonds following the haircut of the country’s debt earlier this year.
Speaking during the recent spring session of the organization, Thomsen argued that for Greece’s current efforts to bear fruit “there must be a significant restart of structural reforms, relative to what we have seen so far.”
“The pace of reforms we saw in 2011 leads to failure rather than success,” he noted.
Generally, IMF officials avoid public statements regarding Greek political developments, as they do not wish them to be possibly interpreted as “interventions.” In private, however, they appear strongly concerned about the danger of the lack of a strong government and its adverse repercussions on the Greek economy, when there is little room for missing the targets set.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde and Thomsen are said to have made it clear to Greek quarters that they view the formation of a broad coalition, both at political and social levels, as indispensible for the success of the program.
“The restructuring of the Greek political scene, in the sense that the two main parties have cooperated in supporting the program, is a major change in relation to the past. There is no doubt that the elections will test popular support for the program. It is, nevertheless, a very important change and we hope that, through it, Greece will reach the point where we shall have a significant restart of structural reforms,” Thomsen said recently.
http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/55231
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_29/04/2012_439866
Former minister threatens to expose foes
In a written statement issued a day after the detention of his wife Viki Stamati and two days after that of his daughter Areti, the ex-minister spoke of “a plan of annihilation aimed at breaking up my family,” noting that his five-year-old son had been left without his parents. The minister, who is accused of pocketing millions of euros in kickbacks from defense deals, suggested that he would expose others, noting that after a 40-year political career, “I know everything.” “The truth will shine and the lies will crumble, revealing who truly honored the public interest,” he said. |
IMF concerned about election result
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The prospect of a fragmentation of Greek political forces and the gains of extremist opponents of the terms of Greece’s bailout by international creditors (the so-called “Memorandum”) in opinion polls in view of the May 6 elections, is reported to be causing concern to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the unhindered implementation of the Greek recovery program.
“The uncertainty is particularly heightened, not just regarding the short-term but, I would say, certainly much beyond the elections,” said Poul Thomsen, head of the IMF’s mission to Greece, commenting on the considerable fall in the nominal value of new Greek bonds following the haircut of the country’s debt earlier this year.
Speaking during the recent spring session of the organization, Thomsen argued that for Greece’s current efforts to bear fruit “there must be a significant restart of structural reforms, relative to what we have seen so far.”
“The pace of reforms we saw in 2011 leads to failure rather than success,” he noted.
Generally, IMF officials avoid public statements regarding Greek political developments, as they do not wish them to be possibly interpreted as “interventions.” In private, however, they appear strongly concerned about the danger of the lack of a strong government and its adverse repercussions on the Greek economy, when there is little room for missing the targets set.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde and Thomsen are said to have made it clear to Greek quarters that they view the formation of a broad coalition, both at political and social levels, as indispensible for the success of the program.
“The restructuring of the Greek political scene, in the sense that the two main parties have cooperated in supporting the program, is a major change in relation to the past. There is no doubt that the elections will test popular support for the program. It is, nevertheless, a very important change and we hope that, through it, Greece will reach the point where we shall have a significant restart of structural reforms,” Thomsen said recently.
| In private discussions, other IMF circles privately argue in favor of parties that accept the necessity of the Memorandum -- including former Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis’s Democratic Alliance and Stefanos Manos’s Drasi -- joining forces. Drasi candidate Miranda Xafa, a former Greek representative to the IMF, attended the IMF’s spring session of the fund a few days ago. The IMF officials ascribe particular significance to the evaluation of the situation by the markets. “There is, evidently, some concern between investors as to whether Greece can make it,” Thomsen said. He argues that if we have a few years of steady progress and implementation of reforms, investors will be convinced and bond values will recover.
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| Greeks old and young united in disdain for ruling parties | |||
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Georgios Pasayannis was a Greek civil servant for 40 years, and the 73-year-old pensioner voted faithfully for New Democracy throughout, confident his future was safe in the hands of the conservative party.
Now he says he will never cast his vote again for "those crooks" or their coalition partners, the centre-left Pasok party, since they cut his 1,500 euro per month pension by a third while pushing through tax increases.
Their mismanagement of Greece has turned the twilight of his life into a grinding struggle. Pasayannis, who worked for the defence ministry, says he plans to get revenge at the May 6 national elections.
"We pay and pay, but we have nothing for it," said the man who had hoped for a carefree retirement in the seaside village of Marathon, 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Athens. "They cheated us and lied to us for years. They're a bunch of crooks."
Greeks are in a fractious mood ahead of the election, and much of their anger is directed at the two parties that have long dominated the political landscape.
Their discontent can be felt across the Mediterranean nation of 11 million, and it is especially palpable in Marathon, a dusty farming town of 8,000 that gave the world a synonym for endurance. Senior citizens like Pasayannis, whose pensions were cut as part of the government's austerity drive, swing between shock and rage.
Mass defections from the ruling parties by the elderly, once their most loyal voters, will lead to a crumbling of support on May 6, pollsters say. About 30 percent of Greece's 9.85 million strong electorate - 2.8 million - is over 65.
At the other end of the spectrum, legions of young voters are also turning their back on the two parties that have taken turns ruling Greece for the last four decades. About 15 percent of the electorate - 1.4 million - is 18 to 29.
The unemployment rate for Greeks under the age of 25 tops 50 percent. Hordes of young Greeks who have seen their career hopes destroyed by the economic implosion are also expected to turn their backs on ND and Pasok, pollsters say.
Opinion polls show gains for small parties that oppose the steep wage and pension cuts imposed on Greece by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in return for aid.
ANGER IN MARATHON
In Marathon, where an ancient burial mound marks the famous battle in 490 BC when outnumbered Greeks defeated the Persians, the odds are stacked against the young.
Vicki Karabela, 24, is luckier than most. She works for the post office, but too many friends and relatives are without jobs as Greece's recession enters its fifth year.
"Nobody is going to vote for the ruling parties because they're a bunch of liars," Karabela said, her eyes blazing. "No one believes a word these politicians say any more. I voted for them last time, but never again."
She said if she does vote it will be for one of several smaller parties that pollsters say could win enough support to deny a majority to the two ruling parties, which won a combined 77 percent in the last election in 2009 but could fall short of 40 percent this time.
"Young people are suffering the most because of these clowns," she said. "For young people in Greece now there is no job, no hope, no nothing."
Though they express similar angry disillusion, the young and old are not expected to vote alike, say pollsters.
Seniors will likely stick to their left or right voting habits but shift to the smaller parties, while voters under 25 are more unpredictable.
"Old voters, over 55, vote more traditionally. The young have completely different criteria. It's like two different worlds," said Ilias Nikolakopoulos from Opinion Group.
FEELING CHEATED
Antonis Papas will not vote for Pasok again. Sitting inside his kiosk on Marathon's main street with plenty of time on his hands, he said business has collapsed since the crisis hit.
Nowadays he is lucky to have daily sales of 10 to 20 euros, with his take-home earnings perhaps a third of that. Three years ago he was selling 150 to 200 euros' worth of drinks, sweets, newspapers, magazines and tobacco each day.
"My life used to be good," said the 58-year-old through his flowing beard. "Now I'm nothing. The government is treating old people like dirt."
The election will be the first since the debt crisis blew up in 2009, plunging the country into its worst economic downturn since World War Two.
The human cost of the deal can be felt everywhere. Younger voters like George Triantis, 27, considers himself fortunate because he has a job in his family's fishing line company.
But he said he will definitely not vote for ND or Pasok this time. The two parties have wreaked such havoc in Greece that they do not deserve another chance, he said.
"They didn't tell us the truth about the situation, even though everyone knew what was happening," he said. "People my age and younger feel cheated by the two big parties."
Greeks have always loved talking politics, and this election is no different. Spiros Stefanopoulos, a 25-year-old who just graduated from university, worries his degree in electrical engineering will be of no help.
"I'm trying to find a job, but it's extremely hard at the moment because no one is hiring, everyone is laying people off."
He and his friend Christos Spulas, 25, broke out in laughter when asked if they would vote for ND or Pasok.
"No way," said Spulas. "They're all the same, and none of these parties are good for Greece. I'm not going to vote for anyone. It's a very hard time to be looking for a job in Greece. It doesn't matter if you have a degree in engineering or economics. We're all unemployed." (Reuters)
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http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/55231
| Press watch, April 29 | |||||
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The election banter continues unchecked, with everyone stressing about the fact that despite all the talking and the –somewhat more lowkey- swaggering, voters are still not collectively agreeing on a side, thus making the possibility of a second electional clash a much meatier possibility than ever before.
To Vima is worrying about exactly that, running a “Rage Poll” main headline, with a tag that reads “The scene is still unclear – parties on edge”. Just below that, is a rather skeptical looking Venizelos who says that the country needs a “clear choice to stay in the euro”.
Ethnos shouts about the nightmare of a clear government set up not rising up from the results of May 6 and is in a bit of a gambling mood with a subtitle that reads “the 50% bet for Pasok – New Democracy”.
In effect it all points to a rather unconvincing charade on the part fo Greece’s two main parties and makes their feuding seem all the more comical. Only a fool would see one of them surviving without the other, their post May 6 coalition more a question of how, not one of “if”.
To Arthro takes it a bit further and refers to the “Secret plan of Venizelos and Samaras”, with a highly interesting tag just above it that says that the debate “shipwreck” between New Democracy and Pasok was one that they had previously agreed on. It really isn’t that surprising.
The age old enemies (if anyone one could ever truly call them that) are facing similar foes. New Democracy faces vote-sapping, far-right and extreme-right tear ways, while similarly Pasok can do very little to stop the assault from the left, with its combined force tearing chunks out of Greece’s once all-powerful party. There are no two ways about it. The only ally they have is each other. Which I’m sure they’ve accepted quite a while back.
Real News is in a bit of a romantic mood today, and runs a quote from Sona Leontopoulou, who informs us that “Akis was in love and wanted to impress Vicky”. Bless his cotton socks, all he was, was a love struck puppy. Too bad he had to fleece the country he was voted to serve to do it. I’d go once step further and offer that age old line about men and their brains, but this is a respectable publication, so I won’t. Not that Real News has taken the elections off the burner mind you, quite the opposite. Their main story, which runs with the headline “What I will do on the 7th of May”, puts five main points to all the electional gladiators and collects their answers. Those five points include a possible coalition, Greece’s EU loan, new taxes, the immigration issue and a possible investigation as to the circumstances that brought about the memorandum. So quite a spread there, should feed just about everyone. Although Kamenos is in the mix and I’m guessing he puts quite a bit away, being a growing boy and all.
H Vradini is in a highly humorous mood and starts off with a tag that reads “the dynamic strategy for governing the country”, before dropping the letter bomb which says “The Samaras plan for the middle class and pensioners”. This is all polished off with a wonderful picture of Samaras wearing his best I’m-going-to-be-prime-minister-and-it’s-going-to-feel-groovy, just in case we had any doubts. About their main story being in fact, a bit of a joke.
Proto Thema attempts to juggle quite a few balls on its front page, with its main story concerning the panic inducing polls and how the luck of a definite voting direction could leave the country in a state of political limbo, surrounded by a trio of election stories. Off to the left (not by chance I’m sure) a story that runs under a “All to the left- just not together” header, concerning the parties from the left and their inability to form any sort of cohesive unit, while more to the centre, a rather strange Samaras quote. It reads “I can turn things around very quickly”, then follows that up with a subtitle quote that says “If faced with a non stand-alone government result I’ll choose another set of elections”. So he’ll turn things around quickly. But not that quickly. Right then.
The killer story of the three though, is the one just below the Poll Panic main story and centers on Ourania Mihaloliakou, the daughter of Hitler enthusiast and Golden Dawn leader Nikos Mihalioliakos. Posing proudly in all her double chinned glory, the 24 year old says she’s proud of her dad and his party. Well of course she is.
I have to ask this, because otherwise its going to ruin my day. A group of nazi-loving thugs, who clearly believe in that whole Aryan race tripe, led by a guy who is hardly the embodiment of Aryan perfection, whose child is also about as far from said embodiment of perfection as Rosanne Barr.
Is that something the Golden Dawn boys have caught on to, or does Mihaloliakos and his brood get a free you-can-be-short-and-tubby-and-we’ll-still-love-you card?
Because if so, I thought those cards went out of style with Weight Watchers.
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