Griechenland News

German MEPs visited Greece over the past few days, Macedonian Utrinski Vesnik daily writes. The German politicians met with Greek officials. One of the issues discussed was the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia. The German MEPs proposed models for solution to the long-lasting argument. One of the proposals was to include a chapter in the Macedonia-EU negotiations on the issue or to become chapter in the neighbourly agreements.  In other words, the Macedonian newspaper comments, these moves can unblock the EU accession talks, while Macedonia can get additional criteria. 

In Griechenland kommt es zu erheblichen Behinderungen in der Küstenschifffahrt. Wegen eines 48-Stunden-Streiks der Seeleute sind am Montagmorgen die Fähren von Piräus zu den Ägäis-Inseln und nach Kreta nicht ausgelaufen. Dies teilte die Küstenwache mit. Probleme im Fährverkehr zwischen Italien und Griechenland gab es zunächst nicht. Die Seeleute protestieren gegen eine Neuregulierung am Arbeitsmarkt, bei der die zwischen den Reedern und der Seeleute-Gewerkschaft vereinbarten Tarifverträge umgangen werden können. Künftig werden Verträge zwischen einzelnen Seeleuten und den Reedereien erlaubt. Dies werde zu immer niedrigeren Löhnen führen, befürchtet die Seeleute-Gewerkschaft.

Die Fraktion der stärksten Oppositionspartei hat während einer hitzigen Debatte über weitere Reformen in Griechenland heute Nachmittag demonstrativ den Parlamentssaal in Athen verlassen. Das Präsidium des Hauses hatte zuvor einen Antrag des Bündnisses der radikalen Linken für ein Misstrauensvotum gegen den griechischen Finanzminister Ioannis Stournaras abgelehnt. Bereits im November 2013 hatte das Parlament einen solchen Schritt gegen die Regierung abgewiesen. Ein neuer Antrag könne der griechischen Verfassung zufolge erst nach sechs Monaten - also frühstens im Mai 2014 - wieder gestellt werden, hieß es zur Begründung. Nach dem Auszug der Fraktion des Bündnisses der radikalen Linken ging die Debatte über die umstrittenen Reformgesetze weiter. Die Abstimmung darüber sollte am späten Abend stattfinden. Den neuerlichen Antrag für das Misstrauensvotum hatte der Chef des linken Oppositionsbündnisses, Alexis Tsipras, gestellt. Er machte Stournaras verantwortlich für den finanziellen

Greece has more deaths by population related to flu than any other European country this year, according to the data of the European Center for Disease Prevention (ECDC) published in Greece by the Athens Medical Association, EurActiv reports. The data shows that in Greece, 106 people died by Saturday for nearly 11 million of population. In Spain, 155 people died after contracting flu, but it has a population of 46 million. There were only 4 deaths in Sweden, which has a comparable population to Greece. Britain reported no deaths from the flu virus, EurActiv notes. A poor vaccination rate has been pointed as the reason for the increased number of flu related deaths, compared to last year. Doctors of the World warned in December that Greece was very close to "tearing down the vaccination barrier". Thousands of children have not been vaccinated because their families have lost their health insurance, the NGO said. "Uninsured children who are unvaccinated

Greek media reporting on the New York meeting of the name dispute negotiators emphasize that there is no progress whatsoever in the positions of both Macedonian and Greek side, Telegraf.mk reports. The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) only presents Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis’ statement that they have used the meeting to see where they stand and that the UN mediator Mathew Nimetz promised to visit the region after the elections, most probably in June. They also write that Nimetz emphasized the need to constantly review the old ideas because they might find a new vitality in them until a solution is found. The Greek news portal In notes that the meeting resulted in no new ideas nor influenced the name dispute, citing the mediator Nimetz in saying that there was a sincere and dynamic discussion and both sides agreed to intensify the talks. It also informs about the possibility for a new meeting this May. The Protothema daily writes that for 22 years Nimet

Greek political party "To Potami" We stick our head in the sand and denying reality does not help us. Must seek solution without maximalist, composite name by which the neighboring country will clearly differ from Greek Macedonia. This is the view of the Greek political party “To Potami” in relation to the name issue of Macedonia that was announced in the call to citizens to vote in elections for the European Parliament when on May 25 will be selected 21 representatives from Greece. - The issue of Macedonia’s name lasts for decades, but without result for Greece, despite the determined stance. Greece initially managed ​​the neighboring country to be internationally recognized by temporary name. Today, however, many governments and organizations have recognized the country under its constitutional name. We stick your head in the sand and denying reality does not help. Even now, we must seek solution without maximalist, composite name which clearly distinguish the

With the approaching local elections in Greece, and began sniping at social networks among the candidates for mayor, with the inevitable topic – the name of Macedonia. Candidate for mayor of Thessaloniki of the “Civil Alliance” Makis Sterjiu through his Facebook page said to the current city leader Yiannis Butaris that “the inhabitants of Thessaloniki do not share his views on the name issue” and urged on creating “clear position” on issue. - The next day begins new round of negotiations for finding mutually acceptable solution. Thessaloniki mayor should have clear position on the name of Skopje. Not to wink to the neighboring state as their citizens find him an ally in the effort to change the historical truth. Mr. Butaris should stop flirting with Skopje, wrote Sterjiu. He called Thessaloniki mayor “in the remaining days of his tenure to resist irredentist practices of the neighboring country and not insult the history of the city and the institution he represents.

11 Prozent der EU-Bürger hatten schon mal mit Schwarzarbeit zu tun. Am höchsten ist die Quote in Griechenland, am niedrigsten in Polen. Luxemburg liegt bei 14 Prozent. Schätzungen zufolge beläuft sich das Volumen der Schwarzarbeit in der EU (2013) auf rund 2,1 Billionen Euro. Laut einer Umfrage der EU-Kommission hatte mehr als jeder zehnte EU-Bürger bereits mit Schwarzarbeit zu tun. Demnach gaben 11 Prozent der EU-Bürger zu, schon mal Schwarzarbeit in Anspruch genommen zu haben. Über die Dunkelziffer ist nichts bekannt. Diese ausgenommen, erstreckt sich die Bandbreite je nach Region von 5 bis 30 Prozent. Luxemburg liegt mit 14 Prozent über dem EU-Durchschnitt. Polen top – Griechenland flop Auf den hinteren Rängen – Länder mit hohem Anteil an Schwarzarbeit – liegen Griechenland (30 Prozent), gefolgt von den Niederlanden (29 Prozent), Lettland (28 Prozent), Malta und Dänemark (beide jeweils 23). Am anderen Ende der Skala platzieren sich Länder mit recht geringer Schw

Die Griechen erzeugen durchschnittlich etwas mehr Abfall als andere EU-Staaten. Das geht aus einer jüngsten Studie der europäischen Statistikbehörde ELSTAT hervor. Pro Person entstehen in Griechenland 503 Kilo Müll im Jahr. Der EU-Durchschnitt der 28 Mitglieder liegt geringfügig darunter (492 Kilo). Den meisten Müll verursachen dieser Erhebung zufolge die Dänen (668 Kilo), es folgen die Zyprer (663) und die Luxemburger (662 Kilo). Die Deutschen kommen mit 611 Kilo auf Platz vier. Während in Griechenland die meisten der Abfälle (82 %) noch auf Mülldeponien landen, liegt der EU-Durchschnitt mit 34 % in diesem Punkt deutlich darunter. In Griechenland werden lediglich 16 % recycelt (EU-Durchschnitt: 27 %) und 2 % kompostiert (EU-Durchschnitt: 15%). Europameister beim Recyceln und Kompostieren sind die Deutschen (65 %). Es folgen die Österreicher (62 %), die Belgier (57 %) und die Holländer (50 %). Die von Eurostat veröffentlichten Daten beziehen sich auf das Jahr 2012. (Griechenland Zeitu

Griechenlands kranke Reformen  Ärzte fehlen, die Versorgung kollabiert. Es gibt mehr HIV-Fälle, Selbstmorde und Totgeburten. Wenn Erika Pitsikali die Terrassentür öffnet, schaut sie auf ein Postkarten-Panorama: Vor ihr schwingt sich in einem weiten Bogen die Westküste der beliebten Urlaubsinsel Santorin. Vor 35 Jahren ist die Oberösterreicherin in das Küstendorf Oia gezogen. Mit ihrem griechischen Mann hat sie hier jahrhundertealte Wohnhöhlen restauriert, die sie nun an Urlauber vermieten. Der pittoreske Meerblick entschädigt für einiges. Gesundmachen kann er nicht. "Seit ich hier lebe, war die medizinische Versorgung noch nie so schlecht", sagt Pitsikali. Wer krank ist und Hilfe braucht, muss dafür zahlen. "Mein Sohn hatte eine schwere Bronchitis", erzählt Pitsikali. "Das Röntgen und die Behandlungen beim privaten Lungenfacharzt haben uns 150 Euro in bar gekostet. Obwohl wir daneben ohnehin für eine sündteure Sozialversicherung zahlen müssen. "

Griechenland vor der Staatspleite zu bewahren, das ist das Ziel der EU seit fast vier Jahren. Infrastruktur- und Umweltprojekte im Wert von dreistelligen Millionenbeträgen sollen das Land nach vorne bringen. Doch die ARD-Reportage "Griechisches Roulette" zeigt das Gegenteil und belegt mit drastischen Beispielen die Verschwendung von Steuermillionen. Die Politiker in Athen und Europa verbreiten stets Optimismus und verweisen auf minimale Erfolge und ein erwartetes Wachstum nach vier Jahre tiefer Rezession. Die Realität hinter solchen Botschaften sieht jedoch anders aus. Die ARD-Dokumentation "Griechisches Roulette" ist mit Hilfe griechischer Kollegen der Frage nachgegangen, warum die von der EU geforderten Strukturreformen nur schleppend vorankommen ARTIKEL GANZ LESEN Wo ist es denn hin? Das Geld der Europäer...

- Greece has already lost in the case of the name issue. Ninety – five percent of the countries in the world accept the name Macedonia, and we continue to discuss this, said Nikos Dimou, a member of the Greek political party “Potami” (River) when guesting the show on Sky television. Dimou, a renowned Greek writer with more than 60 published books , said he supports a solution based on a composite name with a geographical qualifier, but added that he agrees that Macedonia can be called whatever they want “Macedonia as well”. - The name issue was mismanaged by the Greek government from the very beginning. It is a question for which we have already lost, Dimou said. As MIA reports from Athens, he added that it is his personal view and not the party’s, as he said, ” it has not established a position on this issue”. Dimou’s statement met with strong reactions by some Greek media. The electronic edition of “Hellene Elisis” commented that “the new party discovered their g

A few weeks after Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov’s visit to Moscow, where he met with the His Holiness Cyril, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, the Greek media still comment on statements by HH Cyril, MIA reports. - Friends, friends, but when the Russians find an opportunity, especially in the Skopje issue, do not miss the chance to land a blow, commented “Paron”, recalling the statement of the Moscow Patriarch that “Macedonian territory is spiritual Jerusalem of the Slavs” and that “the Russian Empire always defend the Macedonian people”. “But what really caused a negative impression is that the Russian Patriarch said that the position of Russia from the beginning of the twentieth century was to avoid separation of Macedonia”, the newspaper added. “Paron” in this context calls upon the Greek government that “the Patriarchate in Moscow must explained this statement of the patriarch, though he is loved and respected in Athens, this statement does not help the c

Before announcing “red carpet” for foreign investors, Antonis Samaras seriously needs to consider offering what the Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski offers, said in an analysis of the “Efimerida” titled “We offer “red carpet” – the neighbors a package with offers”, Netpress reports. As Netpress correspondent from Athens reports, the newspaper emphasized that because of the benefits that Gruevski offers to foreign investors, the Greek Prime Minister is not their first choice. “The Greek struggle on fiscal and structural level, which aims to spread ‘red carpet’ to foreign investors, was honored by Antonis Samaras half a month ago in Brussels. But it seems that the Greek Prime Minister’s red carpet is still in second place”, the newspaper said. “Tangible evidence is the Government’s ad of neighboring Macedonia (which continues to call itself so, but also made more and more people on the planet to accept it as Macedonia) on the last page of “The Economist”. “With

Macedonia and Greece are friendly countries, investing joint efforts to preserve cultural heritage. Cooperation between the two countries could be further boosted, says Athanasios Nakasis, President of the Hellenic National Committee on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS, Dnevnik daily reports. Nakasis attended a Regional Symposium on Protection of Cultural Heritage, held in Skopje on March 9. The Symposium gathered experts from Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo, who shared their experiences in this field. This is Nakasis' second visit to Macedonia. He underlines that he does not mind discussing any topic related to the neighboring countries. Nakasis first came to Macedonia in 2002 and says he has noticed many changes, especially in Skopje's downtown area. "The changes are apparent. Some have voiced negative, others have shared their positive opinions. However, I need to acknowledge the efforts to make a change. The city has changed a lot. I thin

A criminal organization trafficking migrants to other European countries, was dismantled by the Greek police. A total of 13 members of the organization were arrested in Thessaloniki, Greece, including the 33 year-old kingpin of the racket, 11 foreigners and a 31 year-old woman. Altogether, 103 people were taken to the police station.  Five other people were arrested during the operation for other offences such as drug trafficking, while another twenty-one immigrants were detained pending deportation. The investigation showed that the criminal organization, which was formed in June 2013, had an internal hierarchical structure with a specific methodology, mainly characterized by their activity in sending illegal migrants from Greece to other European countries through Macedonia and Serbia. The members were also involved in kidnappings of foreigners to cover the costs of trafficking. Some 14.6 grams of cocaine, 15.5 grams of cannabis, EUR 4,500, several mobile phones an

A recently released Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) briefing document - which advises Australian diplomats on how to deal with representatives of foreign states - gives a unique insight into the Australian government's policies on dealings with Republic of Macedonia and Cyprus. First brought to the public's attention by The Australian newspaper after being released through the Freedom of Information Act, the official guide to diplomacy sets out the path of contact to be followed by Australian diplomats when in contact with representatives of foreign states, political entities and organizations where 'special considerations' are involved, Neos Kosmos reports. The guidelines - dealing with the world's most sensitive geopolitical affairs - make reference to issues that are of particular interest to the Greek Diaspora in recent decades, namely Macedonia and the occupied territories of Cyprus. The guidance laid down makes interesting reading.

- Greece has already lost in the case of the name issue. Ninety – five percent of the countries in the world accept the name Macedonia, and we continue to discuss this, said Nikos Dimou, a member of the Greek political party “Potami” (River) when guesting the show on Sky television. Dimou, a renowned Greek writer with more than 60 published books , said he supports a solution based on a composite name with a geographical qualifier, but added that he agrees that Macedonia can be called whatever they want “Macedonia as well”. - The name issue was mismanaged by the Greek government from the very beginning. It is a question for which we have already lost, Dimou said. As MIA reports from Athens, he added that it is his personal view and not the party’s, as he said, ” it has not established a position on this issue”. Dimou’s statement met with strong reactions by some Greek media. The electronic edition of “Hellene Elisis” commented that “the new party discover

Official Athens, at the meeting between EU foreign ministers in Thessaloniki, will probably announce that it will organize areferendum on thename issue withMacedonia, reads Greek Newspaper of Editors. The daily underlines that “Samaras is looking for a way to avoid international pressure and is considering a referendum”. “Having in mind that Skopje holds early parliamentary elections and presidential run-off on 27 April,Antonis Samaras is gathering information to implement a plan, according to which Athens would need to organize a referendum and thus approve any kind of agreement on the naming row,” the newspaper says. Explaining the reasons for the early elections in Macedonia, the newspaper says that “VMRO-DPMNE and DUI will probably win the elections, which furthermore diminishes the changes to reach an agreement with Greece”. “According to some information, Antonis Samaras, considered an ‘unyielding nationalist’ in Skopje, probably deems that Greece cannot allow i

Official Athens, at the meeting between EU foreign ministers in Thessaloniki, will probably announce that it will organize a referendum on the name issue with Macedonia, reads Greek Newspaper of Editors. The daily underlines that “Samaras is looking for a way to avoid international pressure and is considering a referendum”. “Having in mind that Skopje holds early parliamentary elections and presidential run-off on 27 April, Antonis Samaras is gathering information to implement a plan, according to which Athens would need to organize a referendum and thus approve any kind of agreement on the naming row,” the newspaper says. Explaining the reasons for the early elections in Macedonia, the newspaper says that “VMRO-DPMNE and DUI will probably win the elections, which furthermore diminishes the changes to reach an agreement with Greece”. “According to some information, Antonis Samaras, considered an ‘unyielding nationalist’ in Skopje, probably deems that Greece cannot all