The only miracle most Greek can see is how anyone could possibly believe that the current government's policies will bring anything other than economic stagnation and massive poverty.
Showing posts with label PASOK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PASOK. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Friday, 1 April 2011
Lack of trust in Greek government fuelling popular protests
Greek government radical new approach to economic growth pays off, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
With virtually every economic indicator in Greece showing an ever worsening situation the ruling PASOK administration and its supporters in the media have been desperately trying to convince Greeks that the worst is already over. With phrases such as the "light at the end of the tunnels" and the "first green shoots of recovery" prime minister Giorgos Papandreou has been embarking on a concerted campaign of turning around public perceptions.
With this in mind Athens has been announcing new measures to promote development on an almost daily basis with ministers hoping that people will be convinced to accept the massive cuts in spending that have crippled the economy not just in Greece but Ireland and Portugal as well.
However, the grandiose policies being promoted so assiduously in the media are as real as the phantom armies Hitler ordered to counter attack the Red Army as it surrounded Berlin. Hunkered down in his bunker the nazi leader sent units that existed only on paper to counter the Russian divisions closing in on the Reichstag.
Similarly, a beleagured Papandreou and cabinet members have been promising large scale projects for education, economic and ecological devlopment , yet for which the funding simply doesn't exist except on the pages of glossy PR handouts.Case in point being last month's ambitious life long learning project with an estimated 2.4 billion euro budget. This at a time when the country is being obliged to close or merge nearly 2000 schools and hundreds of others are without heating due to unpaid fuel bills.
As time goes on the gap between the reality of everyday life for most Greeks and the optimistic pronouncements of the government drift ever further apart.Just as the downgrading of Greece's credit rating by both Moodys and Standard and Poor's reveals the money markets lack of faith in Athens to deliver what it has been promising so Papandreou's lack of credibility at home is becoming ever moe apparent in the opinion poll figures that show support for his PASOK party at historically low levels.
A seemingly endless list of broken promises, botched polices and an ever present stench of corruption have made the vast majority of voter wary of any promise made by government officials. This lack of faith means that most negotiations between ministers and groups such as trade unions, business leaders and others become infinitely more difficult as few believe that the government will keep its word and whenever the country's creditors decide to impose yet more austerity measures any agreement will be void.
Such lack of faith is stiffening resistance to any kind of change proposed by officials leading many to believe that only a show of force in the form of strikes or street protests will stop PASOK from reneging on deals.
With this in mind Athens has been announcing new measures to promote development on an almost daily basis with ministers hoping that people will be convinced to accept the massive cuts in spending that have crippled the economy not just in Greece but Ireland and Portugal as well.
However, the grandiose policies being promoted so assiduously in the media are as real as the phantom armies Hitler ordered to counter attack the Red Army as it surrounded Berlin. Hunkered down in his bunker the nazi leader sent units that existed only on paper to counter the Russian divisions closing in on the Reichstag.
Similarly, a beleagured Papandreou and cabinet members have been promising large scale projects for education, economic and ecological devlopment , yet for which the funding simply doesn't exist except on the pages of glossy PR handouts.Case in point being last month's ambitious life long learning project with an estimated 2.4 billion euro budget. This at a time when the country is being obliged to close or merge nearly 2000 schools and hundreds of others are without heating due to unpaid fuel bills.
As time goes on the gap between the reality of everyday life for most Greeks and the optimistic pronouncements of the government drift ever further apart.Just as the downgrading of Greece's credit rating by both Moodys and Standard and Poor's reveals the money markets lack of faith in Athens to deliver what it has been promising so Papandreou's lack of credibility at home is becoming ever moe apparent in the opinion poll figures that show support for his PASOK party at historically low levels.
A seemingly endless list of broken promises, botched polices and an ever present stench of corruption have made the vast majority of voter wary of any promise made by government officials. This lack of faith means that most negotiations between ministers and groups such as trade unions, business leaders and others become infinitely more difficult as few believe that the government will keep its word and whenever the country's creditors decide to impose yet more austerity measures any agreement will be void.
Such lack of faith is stiffening resistance to any kind of change proposed by officials leading many to believe that only a show of force in the form of strikes or street protests will stop PASOK from reneging on deals.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Papandreou's credibility gap widens at home.
Today the Greek government started its plan to boost the local car market by encouraging motorists to take their old cars off the road in return for subsidies of up 6000 euros on the purchase of new vehicles. The plan is according to government designed to revive the country's ailing car market which has been hard hit by the current economic crisis.
Yet the idea of paying millions at a time of major financial readjustment seems odd, especially considering the Greece has virtually no automobile industry and the vast majority of the money will go abroad. Also the fact that subsidies are designed so that the larger the car the greater the money returned (in effect, a tax break for the better off) is particularly galling when poorer Greeks are being faced with public transport price rises of between 40% and 180%
Although prime minister Giorgos Papandreou likes to give the appearance of being more ecologically minded than his predecessors the policy of promoting more car sales whilst making bus and tram use much more expensive is hardly the greenest way forward. However, such contradictions are emblematic of the ruling PASOK party's often schizophrenic policies.
Last week junior minister for education Fofi Genimata announced that introduction of a new 2.2 billion euro package designed to promote life long learning yet at the same time lecturers in Greek polytechnics (TEI) were occupying campuses nationwide in protest over the fact that they have not been paid since November. Likewise angry parents demonstrated the decision by school bus drivers in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki to suspend work until they have been paid money owed .
Time and time again the government announces new programmes or introduces legislation without checking whether the funds are available in the vain hope that such policies will, at least in the short term divert voters attention from the fact that the economy is in free fall and no one, least of all politicians have the slightest idea how to fix the problem .
Whilst everyone agrees the answer to Greek woes is "development" the policies being promoted to encourage it are not working. Cuts in the public sector have reduced government spending but at the same time disrupted the national economy and lead to spiralling unemployment and the closure of hundreds of thousands of small businesses. Likewise falling wages are crippling Greek families who are also facing huge rises in costs of utility bills, transport and food. Even consumption of bread has been hit with bakers reporting drop in turn over of 30%.
Much has been made of the fact the Greek wages have outstripped rises in productivity over the last two decades but what foreign economist fail to realise is that the cost of living has steadily risen as well, especially after the introduction of the Euro which saw the price of goods and services double or triple. As a result higher salaries have not been translated into higher standard of living but rather greater profits for the cartels and monopolies that control much of the Greek economy. (In the case of bread the cost of loaf has risen from 50 drachmas (15 cents) to 80 cents, an increase far in excess of even the most generous pay rises)
The most blatant contradiction between Papandreou's stated aims and the government's day to day running concerns political corruption. Although the country has been rocked by revelation after revelation over the bribes paid to government ministers and other high level officials belonging to both PASOK and its main rival New Democracy not one MP has been charged nor spent a day in jail. On the other hand when faced with a campaign of civil disobedience over increases in bus fares and road tolls legislation was quickly passed that make such actions criminal offences.
It's hardly surprising given this background that the government faces an ever growing credibility gap with fewer and fewer people believing that those in charge have either the will or the ability to drag Greece out of its present slump.
Yet the idea of paying millions at a time of major financial readjustment seems odd, especially considering the Greece has virtually no automobile industry and the vast majority of the money will go abroad. Also the fact that subsidies are designed so that the larger the car the greater the money returned (in effect, a tax break for the better off) is particularly galling when poorer Greeks are being faced with public transport price rises of between 40% and 180%
Although prime minister Giorgos Papandreou likes to give the appearance of being more ecologically minded than his predecessors the policy of promoting more car sales whilst making bus and tram use much more expensive is hardly the greenest way forward. However, such contradictions are emblematic of the ruling PASOK party's often schizophrenic policies.
Last week junior minister for education Fofi Genimata announced that introduction of a new 2.2 billion euro package designed to promote life long learning yet at the same time lecturers in Greek polytechnics (TEI) were occupying campuses nationwide in protest over the fact that they have not been paid since November. Likewise angry parents demonstrated the decision by school bus drivers in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki to suspend work until they have been paid money owed .
Time and time again the government announces new programmes or introduces legislation without checking whether the funds are available in the vain hope that such policies will, at least in the short term divert voters attention from the fact that the economy is in free fall and no one, least of all politicians have the slightest idea how to fix the problem .
Whilst everyone agrees the answer to Greek woes is "development" the policies being promoted to encourage it are not working. Cuts in the public sector have reduced government spending but at the same time disrupted the national economy and lead to spiralling unemployment and the closure of hundreds of thousands of small businesses. Likewise falling wages are crippling Greek families who are also facing huge rises in costs of utility bills, transport and food. Even consumption of bread has been hit with bakers reporting drop in turn over of 30%.
Much has been made of the fact the Greek wages have outstripped rises in productivity over the last two decades but what foreign economist fail to realise is that the cost of living has steadily risen as well, especially after the introduction of the Euro which saw the price of goods and services double or triple. As a result higher salaries have not been translated into higher standard of living but rather greater profits for the cartels and monopolies that control much of the Greek economy. (In the case of bread the cost of loaf has risen from 50 drachmas (15 cents) to 80 cents, an increase far in excess of even the most generous pay rises)
The most blatant contradiction between Papandreou's stated aims and the government's day to day running concerns political corruption. Although the country has been rocked by revelation after revelation over the bribes paid to government ministers and other high level officials belonging to both PASOK and its main rival New Democracy not one MP has been charged nor spent a day in jail. On the other hand when faced with a campaign of civil disobedience over increases in bus fares and road tolls legislation was quickly passed that make such actions criminal offences.
It's hardly surprising given this background that the government faces an ever growing credibility gap with fewer and fewer people believing that those in charge have either the will or the ability to drag Greece out of its present slump.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Back to the future for Greece.
I suppose it is natural when faced with new and unsettling situations to turn to tried and tested solutions. This certainly seems to be the case with the Greek government who are in a historically retrospective frame of mind.
Recently, the ruling PASOK party decided that the private sector would be better suited to the job of collecting tax, an idea almost as old as civilisation itself. In Ottoman times it was named Iltizam with the state auctioning off taxation rights to the highest bidder (any connection between and the current greek system of road tolls is purely coincidental). A similiar set up known as the Ferme Générale was also used to great effect by Louis XVI, well, at least until outraged tax payers helped liberate the Sun King's head from the rest of his body during the French Revolution.
Also dating from this period the Greek government headed by the son of a political refugee and immigrant is in the process of restoring the18th century prison hulk for immigrants entering the country via Turkey. Αccording to the Vima newspaper 300,000 euros per year will be spent on renting a Dutch owned prison ship which will be anchored off the coast near the northern city of Alexandroupoli. The fact that such a vessel can be towed out to sea means that it is far away from such interfering busy bodies as the UNHCR and Amnesty International who have regularly condemned the conditions under which immigrants in detention are held.
As with the idea of privatised tax collection the prison ship has a long and glorious history which does it credit. Just ask the Nazis and Chile's Pinochet regime who made use of this wonderful innovation. Add a touch of malnutritian and a case or two of scurvy and the glory days of the 1800's are once again yours.
Those of a more modern turn of mind might be able to see similarities between Athens handling of public protests over the building of a landfill site in the Keratea region near Athens and those that followed the Japanese government's attempts to extend the Narita airport from the late 60's till the 70's. In both cases the government believed that the best way to promote devlopment was through the liberal apllication of riot police, tear gas and violence. In this case Giorgos Papandreou is no slouch and has employed the quasi - military MAT special police units with an elan that would make his fellow members (well, till last month) of the Socialist International Hosni Mubarak and Ben Ali green with envy.
Like the Narita example, villagers and local inhabitants of towns in the area have been fighting long and bitter battles with the authorities for other 70 days. While the government insists that the rubbish dump is necessary for the future of waste deposal in the capital the type of facilities it is promoting is due to be phased out in the EU within two years according a blog written by residents.
The reality of the situation is the current administration is clutching at straws, left staggering from a series of politically damaging gaffes and losing supporter at an ever increasing rate the PASOK leadership is desperately attempting to claw its way out of the hole which it has dug for itself by promoting even the most improbable of policies in the hope that voters will be convinced that it is doing something positive for the country.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Greek PM feigns shock over EU-IMF reform plans
On Friday the IMF, EU and ECB (known locally as the Troika) announced their joint proposals concerning the future of the Greek economy and actions needed to reduce the country's massive debt load which is set to exceed 150% of GDP this year. The most controversial element of the plan is the privatisation of 50 billion euros of public assets over the next three years and was protrayed in much of the media as a sell off of the family silver at bargain basement prices. Only the rabidly pro-PASOK Ethnos newspaper dared to present the news that troika representatives had issued an apology as a victory for the government.
In the face of such stiff opposition Greek Prime minister Giorgos Papandreou claimed to have blind sided by the EU-IMF saying that the press conference had given the impression that the Greek government was simply following the orders given it by the country's creditors.The reality of the situation is that the so-called argument is a rather crude PR trick designed to spin the fact that the ruling PASOK party have already agreed to carry out the measures demanded and is attempting to sell the public the idea that they are still in charge and not just acting as locally recruited management representatives.
The ploy has failed to convince even ardent government media supporters in the privately run SKAI channel who condemned it as a cheap theatrics. Indeed it is hard to believe that after months of negotiations the head of the Greek government was unaware of all the details of the EU-IMF strategy and was taken by surprise.
Actually, if you read Papandreou's actual complaint he was apparently not criticising the content of the Troika's press conference but the manner in which it was presented. Government minister for education Anna Diamantopoulou even went as far as to suggest that Troika representatives be banned from making public statements during a radio interview this morning.
Many Greek journalists and commentators have derided the plan to raise the 50 billion as impractical given the depressed state of the economy and the Greek state's abysmal record in selling off public assets. For example more than seven years after hosting the Olympic games in 2004 much of the expensive facilities built are falling apart, forgotten and neglected despite the billion dollar price tag.
Another fear is that given the deeply corrupt nature of Greek politics much of the assets will be sold off in sweet heart deals to friends and supporters of the government and so the sacrifices made by the Greek people will be wasted as little of the money will actually make it into public offers. These concerns are no just limited to a few crackpots but are daily reinforced as scandal after scandal involving officials from both of the largest political parties are swept under the carpet. Only last week charges against those involved in the massive Vatopedi monastery land swap scandal were dropped despite the fact that the case resulted in the Greek state losing hundreds of millions in lost revenue.Likewise revelations in Der Spiegel last year that members of the ruling PASOK party including an ex - minister of defence took bribes in return for buying German submarines have resulted in no official reaction of behalf of the country's justice system.
Given the inability of the political system to police itself the idea of politicians handling billions of dollars in real estate and public property is an invitation to corruption on a scale not seen since the debacle that followed the fall of the Soviet Union when massive fortunes were made by ruthless “businessmen” who used bribes and threats to amass fortunes by taking control of state owned industries.
Monday, 7 February 2011
Is Greece the next Egypt?
It seems that Greek farmers are getting ready to protest following the break down of talks with the government. If this does take place then they will become yet another group that has decided that the only way Athens will listen to their demands is to take action and in the case of the farmers this usually means blocking highways.
More and more employees are refusing to buckle down and accept the bitter medicine prescribed by the IMF, European Central Bank and the EU. Doctors are currently on strike and have been occupying the Ministry Of Health offices, public transport employees in Athens are continuing their strikes, teachers and chemists are also following the same route. Whilst the protest movement against massive price hikes in road tolls and bus ticket prices grows ever stronger and despite villification in the mainstream press remain popular.
On the other hand the ruling PASOK party has been reduced to fighting this growing tide of civil disobedience with a mixture of police crackdowns and slurs which are dutifully repeated and amplified by pro - government TV stations in their news bulletins. The reality, however, is that support for Giorgos Papandreou is at an all time low and the loathing that ordinary Greeks feel for their politicans is so intense that PASOK cabinet members travel only under conditions of strictest security whereby itineries are often not announced till the last minute and public apperances are almost impossible unless those present are carefully vetted. Even then they are accompanied by hundreds of the quasi - military riot squad, known as the MAT in Greek.
While both PASOK and New Democracy parties have once more swept the Siemens and Vatpoedi corruption scandals under the carpet they insist that many of the protests are illegal and that the law should be applied. One can't be helpthink that if that were the case a large portion of Parliament would either be in prison or in exile with Tunisia's Ben Ali.
There is such a huge disconnect between rulers and ruled in Greece that I wouldn't rule out Egyptian style mass demonstrations before the year is out. In both cases corruption, nepotism and incompetence can no longer be tolerated by people whose living standards are being depressed by those who live in the lap of luxury. It is a bitter irony that Greek MPs whose income is often more than 10,000 euros a month are demanding those who do not earn that in a year make sacrifices in the name of competiveness.How long this massive inequalities can be sustained is a matter of debate and given the intense feeling of anger and disappointment it is very hard not to see Greece as parched forest in which just one spark will set off a wildfire which will quickly rage out of control..
Thursday, 27 January 2011
ΚΑΡΤΑ ΜΕΛΟΥΣ ΖΙΜΕΝΣ - PASOK/Siemens Party membership card
ΚΑΡΤΑ ΜΕΛΟΥΣ ΖΙΜΕΝΣ - PASOK/Siemens Party membership card, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
More photoshop parody of those involved in the Siemens scandal in Greece during which 100 million euros was paid to politicians in return for contracts for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. Despite the fact that this has cost the Greek people over 2 billion euros in added costs not one minister or MP has been charged, let alone been convicted of any crime so far. I guess membership (of parliament) really does have its privilieges.
Monday, 24 January 2011
"ΤΑ ΦΑΓΑΜΕ ΜΑΖΙ" - "WE'RE ALL TO BLAME"
The report of the Siemens bribery scandal was released today and as expected Greek parliamentarians are working hard to make sure that even the most outrageous abuses of political power are swept under the carpet.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Δεκάδες Ελληνες υπουργοί συνιστούν την Siemens - Dozens of Greek ministers recommend Siemens
Δεκάδες Ελληνες υπουργοί συνιστούν την Siemens - Dozens of Greek minister recommend Siemens, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
ξέπλυμα χρήματος μέχρι και στο μισό χρόνο.
Αυτόματη αναγνώριση όλων των κομμάτων
Launder your money in half the time or less!
Automatic recognition of all parties.
Yet another political scandal gets swept under the carpet by the Greek parliament. Today it was the Siemens corruption case involving accusations that the company spent millions in bribes to PASOK and New Democracy party officials in return for contracts for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Αυτόματη αναγνώριση όλων των κομμάτων
Launder your money in half the time or less!
Automatic recognition of all parties.
Yet another political scandal gets swept under the carpet by the Greek parliament. Today it was the Siemens corruption case involving accusations that the company spent millions in bribes to PASOK and New Democracy party officials in return for contracts for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Greek politician, Theodoros Pangalos makes a new statement concerning civil servants - Νέα δήλωση του Πάγκαλου για τους δημοσίους υπαλλήλους
New statement by Theodoros Pangalos (the Greek PM's right hand man and party enforcer) concerning civil servants. Pangalos has managed to infuriate many Greeks with his explosive statements which have included announcements that public sector workers are a bunch of mongrels, voters corrupted politicians and that everyone is responsible for the current economic crisis since all Greeks had a hand in racking up the country's record debt load.
Translation of the cartoon caption
"But why so many?"
"Participation was on a voluntary basis."
"But why so many?"
"Participation was on a voluntary basis."
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Greek politicians shun public appearances without police protection
Mayor of Thessaloniki attending education conference under watchful eye of Greek riot police, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
It's perhaps a stark indication of how threatened Greek politicians feel that Anna Diamantopoulou's (minister for education) presence on the future of university education required the attendence of nearly 100 police officer and secret service members.
Despite press announcements that the conference woud be open to the public, the authorities refused entry to anyone without an invitaion, including university students who wished to take part in the discussions about their future.
Despite press announcements that the conference woud be open to the public, the authorities refused entry to anyone without an invitaion, including university students who wished to take part in the discussions about their future.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Fire next time - Greece on the edge
With 2011 underway there seems little in the way of good news to cheer most Greeks. Repeated increases in VAT, road tolls, ulitility and fuel bills, public transport combined with spiralling unemployment and shrinking wages have made people both angry and weary. The list of social and economic changes being pushed through parliament by the ruling PASOK government has left voters dazed.
Yet as anyone who has ever lived here knows the difference between the political leadership announcing policy changes and those actually being implemented is often huge and in many cases such reforms end up being ignored. On the other hand the massive increases in indirect taxation on basic goods and services are having a real effect on lower income groups who are being pummelled financially to such a degree that many are no longer able to pay basic bills such as electricity and phone.
I predict however, that in the next few months the sense of numbness and helplessness that Greeks feel at the speed and scope of the changes wears off there is going to be a massive groundswell of resistance against the government. Already the first signs are apparent, it is estimated that 20% of road users are now refusing to pay motorway tolls and despite government officials promises to clamp down that figure is set to rise as non-payment becomes more widely percieved as an act of resistance rather than just a way of saving money.
Indeed the threats by PASOK officials to come down hard to offenders is another sign of the weakness the government has in putting into action promises made to the country's creditors. It's almost a law of nature that whenever Athens announces the latest harsh punishment for tax evasionand other violations the amount of revenue collected drops. In the absence of a reliable tax system politicians are reduced to making ever more grandiose threats of punishment, knowing full well that the are likely to be ignored.
In its quest for tax euros the Greek state has been forced to adopt tactics that sound like a page out of the Sheriff of Nottingham's playbook. Grab whatever you can from whoever you can. In such a chaotic situation non-payment of tax and other obligations makes everyone feel a little like Robin Hood rather than an errant knave.
Which support for government at an all - time low Athens is using the police force more and more to deal with the fallout from its reforms, a policy that is fraught with risk and the potential for re-igniting the large scale violence that Greece witnessed in December 2008 when a 15 year old was shot by a police officer. Already the Keratea region in Attica has been the centre of widespread and violent clashes between inhabitants and police for over three weeks. Villagers in Ovriokastro have fought standing battles, blocked roads,beseiged the local police station and set fire to patrol cars in an effort to block the construction of a rubbish dump in the area. In reply riot police units have repeatedly employed tear gas, plastic bullets and water canon in an attempt to allow building to go ahead.
It is just a matter of time before another such clash between protesters and police in another, more urban part of Greece acts as a spark to set off wider confrontations between Greeks at the end of their tether and the authorities. Unlike 2008 though the spectrum of those unhappy with the status quo is much wider and the stakes much greater. The issues are no longer better wages and jobs but survival as money starts running out for whole families and those without work become ever more desperate.
Prime minister Giorgos Papandreou may cut a convincing figure on the international stage while in Brussels, Washington or Berlin but his ability to convince fellow countrymen to accept painful changes is dropping rapidy and he is faced with a hostile population that would quite happily lynch many member of the government given half a chance. The savage beating by marchers of ex-minister Kostas Hatzikdakis before Christmas was widely seen as an attack of the whole political set up rather than just a single politicians. With the social contract in tatters and the authorities relying more on force to get things done the potential for serious social disruption is growing exponentially.
Unlike the monetarist policies implemented by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the early 80's there is no widespread support from any sector of Greek society for the changes which are seen as unfair and deeply destructive. Whereas Thatcher could rely upon electoral support of Southern England and large sections of the working class, disgruntled with the Labour party Giorgos Papandreou's PASOK has no such mandate and has alienated virtually all the party's natural allies since taking power in 2009. What is left is spin which is propagated by a suppine local media and blunt police force, a recipe for instability as at some point neither will be sufficient to contain the growing sense of unjustice over what is happening to the Greek economy.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis announced that authorities plan to build a fence along Greece’s 206-kilometer land border with Turkey
Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis announced that authorities plan to build a fence along Greece’s 206-kilometer land border with Turkey, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
"Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis announced that authorities plan to build a fence along Greece’s 206-kilometer land border with Turkey, similar to the US-Mexico frontier, in an effort to curb a seemingly endless influx of illegal immigrants.
In comments made to the Athens News Agency on Saturday, Papoutsis said the government was determined to harden its stance. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the contribution of other European Union countries in the fight to curb illegal immigration despite the mobilization of dozens of guards from the EU’s border monitoring agency Frontex along the Greek-Turkish border in November."
Greece has repeatedly been criticed by Amnesty International, the United Nations. the EU and many other European states over its failure to abide by treaty obligations concerning refugees and maltreatment of immigrants by police and border officials.
In comments made to the Athens News Agency on Saturday, Papoutsis said the government was determined to harden its stance. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the contribution of other European Union countries in the fight to curb illegal immigration despite the mobilization of dozens of guards from the EU’s border monitoring agency Frontex along the Greek-Turkish border in November."
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Merry Christmas Mr Papandreou
As I write this Greece is getting ready to celebrate the Christmas season and as might be expected the central shopping areas are full of stores sporting decorations. Yet behind the festive fascade the reality of the situation is that this is going to be one of the worst Christmases in decades. With over 2 million Greeks (in a nation of 11 million) living below the poverty line and unemployment rising remorselessly many have little to feel merry about.
To make things even worse the current package of austerity measures has yet to take full effect, promising to make 2011 even more difficult than the year about to end and in this climate of uncertainty people feel angry and afraid. They are deeply outraged with their political rulers who once again have led the country into crisis, though in this case on a scale unprecedented in modern greek history.
Ex - government minister Kostis Hatzidakis was on the receiving end of popular outrage during last week's demonstration outside parliament and was beaten by an enraged mob who pursued him and his police guards lashing out with a level of violence not witnessed in decades.
However, as many Greek commentators have argued the target of the mob's rage was not Hatzidakis himself but rather the political system in general which is currently in a state of crisis, a victim of the massive economic cuts being imposed by Greece's creditors in return for the 110 billion euro bailout package.
Following prime minister's Giorgos Papandreou's second policy u - turn since gaining power in Septemer 2009 voters are feeling betrayed by their leaders who swore in pre - election campaigns that there would be no further cuts in wages and then within weeks slashed pay and lowered the mimimum wage.
Greeks have long since ceased to believe the endless stream of statements from government spokesmen talking up suggestions that the economy will round a corner in the coming year as they have been lied to far too often for such ideas to be given much credence. Giorgos Papandreou has burnt through virtually all his political capital in less than 14 months, a feat unprecedented even in Greek politics and all that is left are a series of PR moves that convince an ever dwindling segment of the electorate.
Last night the Greek parliament passed the 2011 budget which will see swingeing cuts in public spending and promises little or no help to the country's poor. For them the coming year is set to be a bare knuckle fight for survival in which many will be given no assistance at all by the state. Already here in Thessaloniki the signs of the coming social crisis are evident with pensioners rooting through rubbish bins and every set of traffic lights manned by beggers. On the other hand coaches full of riot police are now a permanent fixture in the centre, a vivid reminder of the threat of a resurgence of the violence that swept the nation in 2008.
The danger is that with a political system so compromised by its rich history of corruption and incompetence Greeks will turn their back on the present set up and seek solutions elsewhere. Already many MP's, especially members of the ruling socialist PASOK party are worried aout the reception they will receive back in their constituencies over the Christmas break.
The fact that despite days of intense political confrontation within PASOK over the budget not one of their MPs voted against it is likely to lower even further voters opinion of their parliamentary representatives and raise questions about just how democratic a country Greece is.
When the party leadsership can ride roughshod over backbenchers and introduce legislation that the vast majority of voters do not support then what exactly is the role of parliament in representing the popular will?
However, in Greece, more than most European countries the political arena is not just limited to parliament and passing a law is not the same as making it a reality.
To make things even worse the current package of austerity measures has yet to take full effect, promising to make 2011 even more difficult than the year about to end and in this climate of uncertainty people feel angry and afraid. They are deeply outraged with their political rulers who once again have led the country into crisis, though in this case on a scale unprecedented in modern greek history.
Ex - government minister Kostis Hatzidakis was on the receiving end of popular outrage during last week's demonstration outside parliament and was beaten by an enraged mob who pursued him and his police guards lashing out with a level of violence not witnessed in decades.
However, as many Greek commentators have argued the target of the mob's rage was not Hatzidakis himself but rather the political system in general which is currently in a state of crisis, a victim of the massive economic cuts being imposed by Greece's creditors in return for the 110 billion euro bailout package.
Following prime minister's Giorgos Papandreou's second policy u - turn since gaining power in Septemer 2009 voters are feeling betrayed by their leaders who swore in pre - election campaigns that there would be no further cuts in wages and then within weeks slashed pay and lowered the mimimum wage.
Greeks have long since ceased to believe the endless stream of statements from government spokesmen talking up suggestions that the economy will round a corner in the coming year as they have been lied to far too often for such ideas to be given much credence. Giorgos Papandreou has burnt through virtually all his political capital in less than 14 months, a feat unprecedented even in Greek politics and all that is left are a series of PR moves that convince an ever dwindling segment of the electorate.
Last night the Greek parliament passed the 2011 budget which will see swingeing cuts in public spending and promises little or no help to the country's poor. For them the coming year is set to be a bare knuckle fight for survival in which many will be given no assistance at all by the state. Already here in Thessaloniki the signs of the coming social crisis are evident with pensioners rooting through rubbish bins and every set of traffic lights manned by beggers. On the other hand coaches full of riot police are now a permanent fixture in the centre, a vivid reminder of the threat of a resurgence of the violence that swept the nation in 2008.
The danger is that with a political system so compromised by its rich history of corruption and incompetence Greeks will turn their back on the present set up and seek solutions elsewhere. Already many MP's, especially members of the ruling socialist PASOK party are worried aout the reception they will receive back in their constituencies over the Christmas break.
The fact that despite days of intense political confrontation within PASOK over the budget not one of their MPs voted against it is likely to lower even further voters opinion of their parliamentary representatives and raise questions about just how democratic a country Greece is.
When the party leadsership can ride roughshod over backbenchers and introduce legislation that the vast majority of voters do not support then what exactly is the role of parliament in representing the popular will?
However, in Greece, more than most European countries the political arena is not just limited to parliament and passing a law is not the same as making it a reality.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
ΠΑΣΟΚ - ΔΝΤ: I love you.
Το σήμα "PASOK" είναι εμπορικό σήμα της "International Monetary Fund" (εφεξής "ΔΝΤ").Μην χρησιμοποιείτε κανένα εμπορικό σήμα του PASOK κατά κανέναν τρόπο που εκφράζει ή υπονοεί σχέση με την εταιρεία Panhellenic Socialist Movement Greece, χορηγία, υποστήριξη, πιστοποίηση ή έγκριση. Μην χρησιμοποιείτε κανένα Panhellenic Socialist Movement Greece εμπορικό σήμα του κατά τρόπον που υποδηλώνει ότι η εταιρεία συνδέεται νομικά με την εταιρεία σας. Πρέπει να προβάλλετε της εταιρική σας επωνυμία πιο έντονα από οποιοδήποτε εμπορικό σήμα του PASOK σε όλα τα υλικά.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
The Machine is dead. Long live the Machine. Is it the end of business as usual in Greek politics?
For the best part of four decades the two major parties in Greece have relied upon their ability to provide jobs in the public sector as a means of winning public support and elections. For many “a place in the sun” as a civil service job is called in Greece has been a powerful motivator since such positions offer far more security, better pay and conditions than in the private sector where low wages and flagrant abuse of labour legislation are now the norm.
In the past when the economy was growing at rates that made Athens the toast of the European Union Greek governments were happy to ignore such abuses as employees could easily find work elsewhere and the State could easily fund the ever growing number of people on the public payroll. However, with access to cheap credit seemingly at an end and the IMF and EU breathing down its neck for cuts the country is about to undergo radical changes that will not only alter the nature of its economy but also the relationship between rulers and ruled.
Greece's creditors are insisting on a massive reduction in the size of the state and in particular has demanded that for every new hiring, five public sector workers leave. Given the size of the civil service in relation to the rest of the economy this involves a severe jolt to the labour market and is likely to lead to even higher unemployment as the private sector is also shrinking at an unprecedented rate and will not be able to absorb the tens of thousands of new job seekers. This, in turn will push down wages and purchasing power for those employed so further worsening the government's economic position as more businesses close and tax revenues plummet.
In the long term the inability of the ruling party to offer incentives to its supporters in the form of jobs will lead to a breakdown in the network of patron – client relations which is the lifeblood of the modern Greek political system. Whether nominally socialist or conservative the two largest parties, PASOK and New Democracy which have dominated parliament since 1974 have regularly used power to reward followers with state jobs.
While the leader of the right wing New Democracy, Kostas Karamanlis may have promised to reform the state and cut public spending his party followed the internal logic of the system and added employees to the public payroll on an unprecedented scale.
Similarly, while the socialist PASOK vowed to improve public services the reality was that while those working in the education and health rose steadily the quality of services offered dropped to the point that whilst the country had one of the worst school systems in Europe it employs four times the number of educators working in Finland, home to the world's highest ranking schools .
At first glance such moves may seem contradictory but they fit in perfectly with the logic of a political caste that despite marching under different ideological flags differ little in terms of day to day policy. The job of the ruler is to stay in power and once you understand that and leave aside political lablels everything else starts to make sense. If you cannot reward followers then the well oiled party machinery that can deliver votes quickly starts to break down.
The problem is that there are no longer jobs or contracts to hand out. The insistence of the IMF/EU/ECB troika has seen to that by standing tough despite Papandreou's claims that the new austerity measures will not lead to more civil service job losses. However, this hasn't stopped PASOK, state run TV channels and the government's supporters in the media in general from pushing the line that some will still be hired.
In the recent vote the PASOK candidate for the position of Mayor in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city committed himself to creating 50,000 new jobs. This at a time when Papandreou has been forced to cut 40,000 places. Even then the government NET news spoke of 8,000 new openings but failed to mention that any “new” positions created will, in fact be filled by people transferring from other sectors of the civil service.
As the reality of the situation filters down you are likely to see a fragmentation of the party political scene as party members and functionaries jump ship either to join other parties or quit politics all together. The record low turn out in the latest local elections is just a symptom of this sea change in public life and is likely to intensify as the crisis worsens as Athens sits by on the sidelines unable to influence an economic policy decided upon in Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington.
Already Dora Bakoyianni, who was until last year a contender for the leadership of New Democracy has created a new party with the aim of challenging her former colleagues for the centre right vote. Such moves are likely to be replicated in PASOK if MPs and cabinet ministers fall out with the leadership or see that the party is doomed at the polls.
Does this means that the political scene is about to change for good? Probably not in the short term if the tactics and strategies displayed during November's local elections are anything to go by. Too many of the major parties' nomenclature are wedded to the present sysytem which has brought them power and personal wealth for decades to give it up without a fight. Instead they will keep on down the same road but with fewer and fewer resources to back up their promises. In the place of a corrupt, mismanaged political system which costs hundreds of billions you will have a corrupt, mismanged one that runs on far less money.
In the past when the economy was growing at rates that made Athens the toast of the European Union Greek governments were happy to ignore such abuses as employees could easily find work elsewhere and the State could easily fund the ever growing number of people on the public payroll. However, with access to cheap credit seemingly at an end and the IMF and EU breathing down its neck for cuts the country is about to undergo radical changes that will not only alter the nature of its economy but also the relationship between rulers and ruled.
Greece's creditors are insisting on a massive reduction in the size of the state and in particular has demanded that for every new hiring, five public sector workers leave. Given the size of the civil service in relation to the rest of the economy this involves a severe jolt to the labour market and is likely to lead to even higher unemployment as the private sector is also shrinking at an unprecedented rate and will not be able to absorb the tens of thousands of new job seekers. This, in turn will push down wages and purchasing power for those employed so further worsening the government's economic position as more businesses close and tax revenues plummet.
In the long term the inability of the ruling party to offer incentives to its supporters in the form of jobs will lead to a breakdown in the network of patron – client relations which is the lifeblood of the modern Greek political system. Whether nominally socialist or conservative the two largest parties, PASOK and New Democracy which have dominated parliament since 1974 have regularly used power to reward followers with state jobs.
While the leader of the right wing New Democracy, Kostas Karamanlis may have promised to reform the state and cut public spending his party followed the internal logic of the system and added employees to the public payroll on an unprecedented scale.
Similarly, while the socialist PASOK vowed to improve public services the reality was that while those working in the education and health rose steadily the quality of services offered dropped to the point that whilst the country had one of the worst school systems in Europe it employs four times the number of educators working in Finland, home to the world's highest ranking schools .
At first glance such moves may seem contradictory but they fit in perfectly with the logic of a political caste that despite marching under different ideological flags differ little in terms of day to day policy. The job of the ruler is to stay in power and once you understand that and leave aside political lablels everything else starts to make sense. If you cannot reward followers then the well oiled party machinery that can deliver votes quickly starts to break down.
The problem is that there are no longer jobs or contracts to hand out. The insistence of the IMF/EU/ECB troika has seen to that by standing tough despite Papandreou's claims that the new austerity measures will not lead to more civil service job losses. However, this hasn't stopped PASOK, state run TV channels and the government's supporters in the media in general from pushing the line that some will still be hired.
In the recent vote the PASOK candidate for the position of Mayor in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city committed himself to creating 50,000 new jobs. This at a time when Papandreou has been forced to cut 40,000 places. Even then the government NET news spoke of 8,000 new openings but failed to mention that any “new” positions created will, in fact be filled by people transferring from other sectors of the civil service.
As the reality of the situation filters down you are likely to see a fragmentation of the party political scene as party members and functionaries jump ship either to join other parties or quit politics all together. The record low turn out in the latest local elections is just a symptom of this sea change in public life and is likely to intensify as the crisis worsens as Athens sits by on the sidelines unable to influence an economic policy decided upon in Brussels, Frankfurt and Washington.
Already Dora Bakoyianni, who was until last year a contender for the leadership of New Democracy has created a new party with the aim of challenging her former colleagues for the centre right vote. Such moves are likely to be replicated in PASOK if MPs and cabinet ministers fall out with the leadership or see that the party is doomed at the polls.
Does this means that the political scene is about to change for good? Probably not in the short term if the tactics and strategies displayed during November's local elections are anything to go by. Too many of the major parties' nomenclature are wedded to the present sysytem which has brought them power and personal wealth for decades to give it up without a fight. Instead they will keep on down the same road but with fewer and fewer resources to back up their promises. In the place of a corrupt, mismanaged political system which costs hundreds of billions you will have a corrupt, mismanged one that runs on far less money.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Financial crisis and the media: The failure of the Fourth Estate in Greece
It hardly comes as a surprise that the Greek media is less than impartial and that each part has its own line when it comes to political and financial issues. In the UK the fact that the Telegraph is a strong supporter of the Conservatives or the The Guardian has a left wing bent comes as a surprise to no one. Indeed this is one of the reasons readers choose one rather than the other. Here in Greece the same holds for TV stations as well as newspapers, though sometimes in less obvious ways as the nightly news bulletins aspire to respectability through trying to appear objective in their presentation of the day's events.
However, this veneer of objectivity has started to wear even thinner as the effects of Greece's economic crisis grow ever more apparent and the authorities desperately try to balance the demands of the country's creditors for cuts and reforms with a population deeply unhappy with the current state of affairs. This is most easily seen in the state run channels such as NET, ET1 and ET3 which nightly have a running commentary which is virtually indistinguishable from the official party line and like South Korea's “sunshine policy” attempts to avoid confrontation with government officials and present their policies in the best possible light. In other words spinning the administration's spin still further till the resulting story resembles something drafted by a Soviet era Pravda editorial team.
Case in point has been the visit to Athens by the IMF, EU, ECB trioka in order to negotiate the terms of Greece's next installment of the country's bailout package. The fact that the payment had been delayed was initially attributed by both the ERT news agency and the government to technical difficulties, which clashed with stories running in both Associated Press and Deutsche Welle that reported that the delay had been caused by the Austrian finance minister, Josef Proell threat to withhold his country's contribution to the bailout fund if Greece did not fulfill its obligation to raise more tax revenues. Other Greek media outlets did mention the news once it came out in the international press but even today there is no mention of Austria's role in the current negotiations in the state run ERT online news service .
In addition the recent government split between prime minister Giorgos Papandreou and employment minister Louka Katseli over whether Greece should accept the Trioka's demands for more flexible employment legislation and the abolition of industry wide contracts has been either underplayed or ignored. The disagreement between the minister and creditor's has threatened to derail talks over the terms and conditions of the multi – billion loan, yet today ERT top domestic news story is that foreign minister, Dimitris Droutsas has warned Turkey that failure to remove troops from Northern Cyprus will affect it EU application bid.
Unable to hide the fact that negotiations with the EU and IMF are not going as planned the government and it supporters in the media are attempting to divert attention elsewhere, preferably towards an external “enemy” in order to look tough on national issues. The reality is that such smoke and mirrors cannot hide the fact the Papandreou will almost certainly be forced to backtrack on pre -election promises not to implement further austerity measures further undermining his standing within the ruling PASOK party and the electorate in general.
It's also measure of how much the troika – Katseli affair has spooked the government and their media allies that the pro – government Skai TV channel news commentators were frantically demanding the minister return to the back benches and not disrupt talks that threaten to shipwreck the country. Such partisan statements in news bulletins means that even the pretense of neutrality is being dumped in a last ditch attempt to persuade viewers that Athens is in charge of the situation and not attempting to play a terrible hand of poker with all its cards on show.
Far away from the glare of the TV studio lights the majority of Greeks have written off both the media and the government convinced that neither can be trusted and that vital decisions concerning the future are no longer in the hands of their elected officials. With businesses closing at an ever faster rate and yet more VAT and tax hikes the reality of the situation is that Greece's future is grim and this can no longer be hidden. Despite almost Orwellian attempts by the seven state run outlets to call wage cuts, “readjustments” and the crisis an “opportunity” people are no longer listening to this daily diet of spin, evasion and PR hot air.
There is, however, still much to be learned from ERT (Greece's answer to the BBC) presentation of the news if one looks deep enough. Like sovietologists of old poring over the latest copy of Pravda there is a lot to be gleaned in the choice and order of news items. The first few items often give an insight into what PR line is being promoted which in turn allows the careful observer to understand what the authorities are most worried about. Hence last weeks triumphant headlines that Greece had secured the third tranche of cash from the EU was an indicator that there were doubts that over if the money would indeed be paid.
Similarly today's revanchist statements by the foreign minister is a fairly strong indicator that Papandreou's government is in deep trouble and is looking to create a diversion. Not that we will find out this from NET, ET1 etc but most likely from a TV station or newspaper supported by the opposition or more plausibly foreign media such as the BBC or Reuters.
However, this veneer of objectivity has started to wear even thinner as the effects of Greece's economic crisis grow ever more apparent and the authorities desperately try to balance the demands of the country's creditors for cuts and reforms with a population deeply unhappy with the current state of affairs. This is most easily seen in the state run channels such as NET, ET1 and ET3 which nightly have a running commentary which is virtually indistinguishable from the official party line and like South Korea's “sunshine policy” attempts to avoid confrontation with government officials and present their policies in the best possible light. In other words spinning the administration's spin still further till the resulting story resembles something drafted by a Soviet era Pravda editorial team.
Case in point has been the visit to Athens by the IMF, EU, ECB trioka in order to negotiate the terms of Greece's next installment of the country's bailout package. The fact that the payment had been delayed was initially attributed by both the ERT news agency and the government to technical difficulties, which clashed with stories running in both Associated Press and Deutsche Welle that reported that the delay had been caused by the Austrian finance minister, Josef Proell threat to withhold his country's contribution to the bailout fund if Greece did not fulfill its obligation to raise more tax revenues. Other Greek media outlets did mention the news once it came out in the international press but even today there is no mention of Austria's role in the current negotiations in the state run ERT online news service .
In addition the recent government split between prime minister Giorgos Papandreou and employment minister Louka Katseli over whether Greece should accept the Trioka's demands for more flexible employment legislation and the abolition of industry wide contracts has been either underplayed or ignored. The disagreement between the minister and creditor's has threatened to derail talks over the terms and conditions of the multi – billion loan, yet today ERT top domestic news story is that foreign minister, Dimitris Droutsas has warned Turkey that failure to remove troops from Northern Cyprus will affect it EU application bid.
Unable to hide the fact that negotiations with the EU and IMF are not going as planned the government and it supporters in the media are attempting to divert attention elsewhere, preferably towards an external “enemy” in order to look tough on national issues. The reality is that such smoke and mirrors cannot hide the fact the Papandreou will almost certainly be forced to backtrack on pre -election promises not to implement further austerity measures further undermining his standing within the ruling PASOK party and the electorate in general.
It's also measure of how much the troika – Katseli affair has spooked the government and their media allies that the pro – government Skai TV channel news commentators were frantically demanding the minister return to the back benches and not disrupt talks that threaten to shipwreck the country. Such partisan statements in news bulletins means that even the pretense of neutrality is being dumped in a last ditch attempt to persuade viewers that Athens is in charge of the situation and not attempting to play a terrible hand of poker with all its cards on show.
Far away from the glare of the TV studio lights the majority of Greeks have written off both the media and the government convinced that neither can be trusted and that vital decisions concerning the future are no longer in the hands of their elected officials. With businesses closing at an ever faster rate and yet more VAT and tax hikes the reality of the situation is that Greece's future is grim and this can no longer be hidden. Despite almost Orwellian attempts by the seven state run outlets to call wage cuts, “readjustments” and the crisis an “opportunity” people are no longer listening to this daily diet of spin, evasion and PR hot air.
There is, however, still much to be learned from ERT (Greece's answer to the BBC) presentation of the news if one looks deep enough. Like sovietologists of old poring over the latest copy of Pravda there is a lot to be gleaned in the choice and order of news items. The first few items often give an insight into what PR line is being promoted which in turn allows the careful observer to understand what the authorities are most worried about. Hence last weeks triumphant headlines that Greece had secured the third tranche of cash from the EU was an indicator that there were doubts that over if the money would indeed be paid.
Similarly today's revanchist statements by the foreign minister is a fairly strong indicator that Papandreou's government is in deep trouble and is looking to create a diversion. Not that we will find out this from NET, ET1 etc but most likely from a TV station or newspaper supported by the opposition or more plausibly foreign media such as the BBC or Reuters.
To understand why the local media is so bad and getting to the truth you have to understand the close, almost incestuous relationship between journalists and politicians. For the media news IS party politics, sometimes to the exclusion of virtually everything else and that access to sources is worth all kinds of compromises. This is not just a Greek phenomenon but the fact the mainstream political parties are able to reward the "right kind" of coverage with lucrative positions as "consultants" or even candidates in local and national elections means that many reporters do not bite the hand that feeds them.
Nor is the situation in the private sector much better as TV stations and other news outlets are owned by very rich men who use them as a way of gaining leverage with the state by supporting or criticising politicians and parties in order to win lucrative state contracts or to derail legislation not in their interest. In such an environment the Fourth Estate is simply a tool to be used to sway public opinion and so apply pressure when needed.
Nor is the situation in the private sector much better as TV stations and other news outlets are owned by very rich men who use them as a way of gaining leverage with the state by supporting or criticising politicians and parties in order to win lucrative state contracts or to derail legislation not in their interest. In such an environment the Fourth Estate is simply a tool to be used to sway public opinion and so apply pressure when needed.
On rare occasions where journalists do show integrity the cost is their livelihood as documentary film maker Stelios Koulaglou found out to his cost when he aired a documentary on the state run NET channel on unemployment critical of the then ruling New Democracy government. The result was his instant dismissal and the end of a well respected TV series Reportage Horis Synora (Reporting Without Borders), which had been running since 1996 and had four times been awarded Best news Programme of the Year.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Video from this morning's clashes between PASOK youth wing and other students on campus of Aristotelion University Thessaloniki, Greece
Student supporters of the ruling PASOK party clashed with other factions during a wreath laying ceremony this morining in the Aristotelion university of Thessaloniki. Wearing helmets and armed with clubs, rocks and batteries the PASOK students entered the university campus and fought with other students during a wreath laying ceremony to honour those who lost their lives in 1973 during the Rule of the Colonels.
Today is the 37th anniversary of the Athens Polyechnic uprising which was violently surpressed by the country's military rulers. The event eventaully led to the over throw of the Junta and restoration of democracy.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Greek authorities take no chances on the eve of Polytechniou Day
Riot police break up protest march in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
It seems that the Greek nation has finally accepted the inevitable and got on board with the austerity package demanded by the country's creditors. It must be true since the prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou said so during his speech after the results of Sundays local elections. So did IMF head Dominique Strauss Kahn in an interview on French radio when he said that the victory of the ruling PASOk party showed that Greek had understood the need for change.
What both leaders choose to ignore was the enormous drop in turnout by Greek voters, in some cases 50% less than in previous elections in 2006 and the growing dislocation between the country's ruled and rulers. While both major parties made some gains the overall trend is one of ever intensifying disenchantment with the current political system. Less an endorsment of the country's politicians than an understanding that the country no longer controls its destiny, no matter which party is nominally in charge.
Tomorrow marks the 37th anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising which set in motion a chain of events that led to the overthrow of the military dictatorship that had siezed power in 1967. Every year students and others march in Greece's major cities in commemoration of those who died to restore freedom and democracy. The day is often used as a platform by political groups to demonstrate against unpopular government policies. This year's anniversary is likely to repeat this tradition and the presence of 7000 additional police officers in the centre of the capital is testiment to how worried the government is about the marches turning into something more violent.
Already there have been clashes in Athens between youths and the police around the university of Athens campus the scene of many of the violent confrontations during the 2008 uprising which caused billions of euros worth of damage.
Polytechniou day as it is known in Greece will prove to be an acid test over whether young Greeks in particular have accepted the massive cuts in public spending and job losses proposed by the European Union, European Central Bank and IMF.
Given the anger and frustration felt by much of the population over the continued economic crisis there is a very real possibility that a miscalculation by the authorities could have drastic consequences.
What both leaders choose to ignore was the enormous drop in turnout by Greek voters, in some cases 50% less than in previous elections in 2006 and the growing dislocation between the country's ruled and rulers. While both major parties made some gains the overall trend is one of ever intensifying disenchantment with the current political system. Less an endorsment of the country's politicians than an understanding that the country no longer controls its destiny, no matter which party is nominally in charge.
Tomorrow marks the 37th anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising which set in motion a chain of events that led to the overthrow of the military dictatorship that had siezed power in 1967. Every year students and others march in Greece's major cities in commemoration of those who died to restore freedom and democracy. The day is often used as a platform by political groups to demonstrate against unpopular government policies. This year's anniversary is likely to repeat this tradition and the presence of 7000 additional police officers in the centre of the capital is testiment to how worried the government is about the marches turning into something more violent.
Already there have been clashes in Athens between youths and the police around the university of Athens campus the scene of many of the violent confrontations during the 2008 uprising which caused billions of euros worth of damage.
Polytechniou day as it is known in Greece will prove to be an acid test over whether young Greeks in particular have accepted the massive cuts in public spending and job losses proposed by the European Union, European Central Bank and IMF.
Given the anger and frustration felt by much of the population over the continued economic crisis there is a very real possibility that a miscalculation by the authorities could have drastic consequences.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Greeks cast a vote of no confidence in present political system
At first glance embattled Greek government must have much to celebrate concerning the results of yesterday's second round of local elections. Despite predictions of an electoral meltdown (by me as well as others) the ruling PASOK party mananged to elect mayors in both the Athens and Thessaloniki, the country's second largest city and in both cases decades of rule by conservative candidates has come to an end. Boosted by these victories prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou went on national TV to declare that the results were a vote of confidence in the government's handling of the current financial crisis.
However, Papandreou's address was not aimed at the Greek electorate who decided not to vote in unprecedented numbers but the world's international money markets and in particular the IMF/EU/ECB troika who arrived this morning in Athens to discuss the terms of the nexrt stage of Greece's bailout package and the revised Eurostat figures for government deficits in 2009. Instead of 13.6% the deficit has now been estimated at 15.4% and uch a large readjustment coupled with falling tax revenues means that there is little chance will reach the goals set for the reduction of state debt in 2011.
On the one hand Papandreou has staked what remains of his political capital on promises that there will be no new austerity measures for pensioners and wage earners, yet with the numbers coming up and the prospect of Ireland set to seek EU money the odds are that the the leaders are likely to be in no mood to let Greek leaders off the hook as far as commitments to reduced spending are concerned. If new measures are introduced they will fatally wound Papandreou's standing in PASOK and confirm in the eyes of many Greeks the fact that he has lied to them repeatedly over the causes and consequences of the financial debacle Athens finds itself in.
Behind the initial good news (for PASOK at least) lies another story which threatens to put an end to business as usual for Greek political system as yesterday's vote saw an unprecedented low turnout which when coupled with the number of spoilt votes means that those elected across the country garnered less than a quarter of the popular vote. Whilst such low turnouts are par for the course in many European countries they represent a new phenomenon in Greece where voting figures have been traditionally high. For many media commentators the causes of the lack of voter interest reflect the breakdown of the complex web of patron client relationships which the two main parties, the left of centre, PASOK and the centre right New Democracy have used to retain power both on the national and local level.
With the pork barrels empty mainstream politicians have little to tempt voters apart from extravagant promises which are now being viewed with contempt by the public, convinced that in the current economic crisis the parties can offer nothing in the way of jobs or career advancement for themselves and their families. The claim by PASOK backed candidate for the head of Thessaloniki county council Markos Bolaris that he would create 50,000 new jobs in the city was just one of a plethora of widely optimistic campaign pledges that left the electorate indifferent knowing that instead of creating new positions the state in all likelihood will be forced to fire even more public sector employees.
In some districts such as in the Greater Athens area turnout was a mere 30%, meaning that most voters did not care who won the elections or believed that the winner would make no difference. This means that not just Papandreou but also Antonis Samaras the leader of the main opposition party, are failing to convince the bulk of the Greek population that they can change the country for the better. In the light of such a damning indictment of the current political system talk of victory and popular support of either party is just PR hot air designed to placate the party faithful. The reality is that Greece's semi - permanent political caste are being faced with an unprecedented vote of confidence which they are rapidly losing. In the absence of convincing mainstream political answers the road opens for groups and parties offering more extreme solutions to the nation's seemingly intractable problems.
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