National Unity government to be formed in Greece / Greek General Elections

[Ephilant]

Poor planned out and obviously rushed out for some ridiculous reason...

As everything governmental?
Remember the old question, "Define a Camel?" Answer: "It's a horse designed by a Government committee"
The obvious reason for this is of course revenue. This system would tell them how many clients a doctor sees, ditto for the pharmacist, and thus how much they earn and can subsequently be screwed for. It would probably be used to check sick notes against,etc. etc. CONTROL is the only reason anything like this is ever done, they are obsessed with controlling peoples every move. "They" are not just our own government, but their masters in Brussels/Berlin as well.
And of course, it would also provide invaluable data for the of course unthinkable situation where you have a corrupt Pharmaceutical company paying a corrupt official to get data on what is or isn't being prescribed. Purely hypothetical situation of course...

[Ephilant]

September? Maybe not even...
Rumours abound today that Veni is NOT HAPPY and spoiling for a fight. Our new doormat for finance Yannis Stournaras (Veni's previous job) went to Europe to meet with the Troika and instead of putting the proposed amendments to the MoU to the Troika, he stated there was no point in doing anything before Greece complies with the conditions set out in the MoU.
Veni hit the roof, summoned Samaras and Yannis Stournaras and demanded to know why the government promise of renegotiating the MoU was scuppered by Yannis Stournaras?
He has now demanded that this is done on july 20th, or else...

[ang]

Threats of power cuts due to workers threatening strikes over privatisation plans has caused political outrage. So it begins......

[Ephilant]

This is a train rapidly getting out of control by the sound of things. Not only is Veni pissed, but the "Trustworthy people" in the government are not very happy with things either.
To everybody's surprise, Fotini Skopouli, Professor in Pathology-Immunology at the Harokopio University and junior minister for health, suddenly appeared on the Net TV morning current affairs program, stunning journalists and viewers alike. After all, the boss had issued a decree that no TV or Radio appearances were allowed without his explicit say so, because everybody had to work around the clock....
When asked why she was in the studio, the minister flatly responded that she had nothing to do at the ministry. Shock and Awe. Obviously the journalist wasn't going to let this pass by and started asking more questions. The minister stated live on air that it was about time the Greek people knew what was going on in government. She had not received any briefing on what her task as junior minister was or should be, she just got the appointment.

I came to your show, because I have nothing to do at the ministry,I have no responsibilities yet and it is good that the people know how the situation is,

She also revealed that after checking through the set up of the Ministry for Health she was shocked to find that the ministry had no data of its own on any drugs or medicine, but blindly accepted what the pharmaceutical companies told them!

Rumours abound of another resignation of the Government of National Unity and Responsibility. November? Nah, September if not earlier.

[fluffybiscuits]

This is a train rapidly getting out of control by the sound of things. Not only is Veni pissed, but the "Trustworthy people" in the government are not very happy with things either.
To everybody's surprise, Fotini Skopouli, Professor in Pathology-Immunology at the Harokopio University and junior minister for health, suddenly appeared on the Net TV morning current affairs program, stunning journalists and viewers alike. After all, the boss had issued a decree that no TV or Radio appearances were allowed without his explicit say so, because everybody had to work around the clock....
When asked why she was in the studio, the minister flatly responded that she had nothing to do at the ministry. Shock and Awe. Obviously the journalist wasn't going to let this pass by and started asking more questions. The minister stated live on air that it was about time the Greek people knew what was going on in government. She had not received any briefing on what her task as junior minister was or should be, she just got the appointment.


She also revealed that after checking through the set up of the Ministry for Health she was shocked to find that the ministry had no data of its own on any drugs or medicine, but blindly accepted what the pharmaceutical companies told them!

Rumours abound of another resignation of the Government of National Unity and Responsibility. November? Nah, September if not earlier.

She must be thick if that is the case. Whatever happened to people working unsupervised and taking responsibilty for their own actions? Why not ask teh people what they think the issue are in health care, hospitals, doctors etc. Hell she could have even read here and being brough quickly up to speed. Im astounded that such stupidity is live on air.

[Ephilant]

She must be thick if that is the case. Whatever happened to people working unsupervised and taking responsibilty for their own actions? Why not ask teh people what they think the issue are in health care, hospitals, doctors etc. Hell she could have even read here and being brough quickly up to speed. Im astounded that such stupidity is live on air.

A Samaras minister working unsupervised? Taking responsibility

You don't understand. Unless Antonis says so, you do nothing, you don't even think about doing something. When she was talking about the ministry not having any independent data but simplay accepting what the pharmaceutical companies say, she made it blatantly obvious that this "research", which involved opening a folder or 2, was met with severe disapproval because nobody had sanctioned the action....
We can't have people going off doing responsible things for the people of Greece. If on the other hand she would have come up with an idea on how to hand over more of the health budget to the banks, she probably would have been promoted instantly.

[Ephilant]

The boys are not going to have a good night's sleep for a while. And I don't think the Berlin gang is going to be very happy with this either. After all, they wanted a pro-austerity government that could at least pretend to have some sort of support from the voters and hang on for at least 2 years.
There is a rapidly increasing dissatisfaction with specifically Samaras. In the latest poll, released today, a whopping 73% of ND voters have made it perfectly clear that they took Samaras on his word and now expect him to renegotiate the MoU. Something he is very unwilling to do, because the boss has already said "Nein".
There is an increasing sentiment, also around 73% of all voters, who believe that this renegotiation must be started NOW, even if it carries the risk of the EU and/or Eurozone dissolving. The mood is quite simple "They don't care, why should we?"
There are also more and more rumours of a serious split between the 3 government parties, especially since the TROIKA insists on the re-introduction of the emergency property tax via the electricity bills. Despite the country's constitutional court ruling this illegal. Kouvelis has said no to this, outright. Self appointed God Veni is thinking about it, but as the poll figures will give him a serious kick up his quite considerable backside, I think he doesn't want to do too much thinking here. Pasok has dropped to a 6.5% share of the vote. Quite spectacular for a party that commanded 44%+ 2 years ago...

[C. Flower]

The boys are not going to have a good night's sleep for a while. And I don't think the Berlin gang is going to be very happy with this either. After all, they wanted a pro-austerity government that could at least pretend to have some sort of support from the voters and hang on for at least 2 years.
There is a rapidly increasing dissatisfaction with specifically Samaras. In the latest poll, released today, a whopping 73% of ND voters have made it perfectly clear that they took Samaras on his word and now expect him to renegotiate the MoU. Something he is very unwilling to do, because the boss has already said "Nein".
There is an increasing sentiment, also around 73% of all voters, who believe that this renegotiation must be started NOW, even if it carries the risk of the EU and/or Eurozone dissolving. The mood is quite simple "They don't care, why should we?"
There are also more and more rumours of a serious split between the 3 government parties, especially since the TROIKA insists on the re-introduction of the emergency property tax via the electricity bills. Despite the country's constitutional court ruling this illegal. Kouvelis has said no to this, outright. Self appointed God Veni is thinking about it, but as the poll figures will give him a serious kick up his quite considerable backside, I think he doesn't want to do too much thinking here. Pasok has dropped to a 6.5% share of the vote. Quite spectacular for a party that commanded 44%+ 2 years ago...

Thanks for this rolling saga of government dysfunction.

Have people given up on street protests at this stage?

What is Syriza doing, as opposition ? and the KKE ?

[Ephilant]

Have people given up on street protests at this stage?

Protests are happening, but there is no need for riot police. The sun does the job for them. It's just too hot, 43C today, and those who know say tomorrow will be the hottest day yet...

I am also convinced this is the quiet before the storm. The episode with regarding patients in psychiatric institutions hasn't hit home yet, neither have a few others like this one

Joint military excercises between Greek and Israeli Navy, while they threaten to rob defenceless, sick people of their pension to assist the "ailing health ministry"...

KKE is probably navel staring. Tsipras is on the offensive, but mainstream press is obviously engaged in a effort to report as little as possible on what he and SYRIZA are doing. Here's the latest

[C. Flower]

Protests are happening, but there is no need for riot police. The sun does the job for them. It's just too hot, 43C today, and those who know say tomorrow will be the hottest day yet...

I am also convinced this is the quiet before the storm. The episode with regarding patients in psychiatric institutions hasn't hit home yet, neither have a few others like this one

Joint military excercises between Greek and Israeli Navy, while they threaten to rob defenceless, sick people of their pension to assist the "ailing health ministry"...

KKE is probably navel staring. Tsipras is on the offensive, but mainstream press is obviously engaged in a effort to report as little as possible on what he and SYRIZA are doing. Here's the latest

This needs to be said in Ireland too.

Tsipras said the accelerated program of privatization that Samaras promised would not work and would sell off Greece’s assets cheaply and lose them forever in a one-time write-down of debt. “The program just doesn’t compute, the equation has no solution and that means that if at the end of the next two years this government has consented to all the unreasonable demands of our creditors, then our already weakened and bankrupt country will voluntarily have to beg to exit the Eurozone,” he said.

He earlier warned that would-be buyers of state property might lose all their money and face criminal proceedings because he believed the privatization was unlawful. He has proposed a moratorium on the payment of the country’s $460 billion debt until the country returns to growth and said SYRIZA will soon lead Greece because he believes the coalition will fall, which most Greeks agreed with in a new poll, although they thought New Democracy would win if a new election was held.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012...quit-the-euro/

[Ephilant]

This needs to be said in Ireland too.

He earlier warned that would-be buyers of state property might lose all their money and face criminal proceedings because he believed the privatization was unlawful.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012...quit-the-euro/

Which explains why mainstream press is in silent mode when it comes to Tsypras. Can't allow that man to spoil the sales-party...

[disability student]

Saw a programme on Greece crisis by BBC2 as it was interesting to see the other side of it that the media don't publish it.

Recall that Greece were admitted into the EZ back with rules bent down and also cooked their books as well. Who was the givernment at that time as it seems to me that greek people may have short memories??

It was interesting to see few Greek politicans resigning or refuse to take up as a govt minister, which was so unlike here. Hence moral bankruptcy here as Irish politicans don't give a fig here. It's the hallmarks of a failed state? Why should the EU continue their funding to us as a failed state just like the Greeks?

Germans/French axis are seeking two speed Europe as we would be better off without them by reverting to our own currencies, which enables us to devalue our currencies. Iceland is an example of this as they have the guts to do it.

[Ephilant]

Saw a programme on Greece crisis by BBC2 as it was interesting to see the other side of it that the media don't publish it.

Recall that Greece were admitted into the EZ back with rules bent down and also cooked their books as well. Who was the givernment at that time as it seems to me that greek people may have short memories??

It was interesting to see few Greek politicans resigning or refuse to take up as a govt minister, which was so unlike here. Hence moral bankruptcy here as Irish politicans don't give a fig here. It's the hallmarks of a failed state? Why should the EU continue their funding to us as a failed state just like the Greeks?

Germans/French axis are seeking two speed Europe as we would be better off without them by reverting to our own currencies, which enables us to devalue our currencies. Iceland is an example of this as they have the guts to do it.

The prime minister who "led" Greece into the Euro was Costas Simitis, the leader of the PanHellenic Socialist Movement, also knows as PASOK. There were indeed a lot of questions about the Greek economy and it's ability to adapt to "strict" Euro rules (Maastricht, which at that time had been thouroughly disregarded by both Germany and France), and after refusal to become member of the club in 1999, evaluation of it's "economic performance" during 1999 resulted in permission to join in 2000 and effective membership in 2001.
Simitis initiated massive infrastructural reforms in Greece, but is also credited with establishing an even more widespread system of corruption and cronyism than already excisted. He refused to consider a ND proposed law that would curb these practices. When his government was replaced by the Karamanlis led ND government, they too refused to implement their own proposals...
Lots of speculation about Goldman Sachs, but whatever they did, they would have covered their tracks well. What is known is that the incredibly massive Greek military budget was most definitely subject to "creative accounting" resulting in subsequent government retrospectively landing each other with much larger deficits than they had declared, much to the joy of the EU. When the EU penny finally dropped as to what was happening, we were already in the middle of the world wide "first financial difficulties" in 2006-2007, leading to the Lehmans episode, which in turn proved to be a prelude to the mess we are in now.

As for people resigning and not taking up posts, it would be wise to look past the glossy surface of these "noble" acts, and see what the real purpose could be. You will usually find the answer in what accepting a post, or staying there, would do to the political career of the person involved. I'll bet my last Euro it has absolutely nothing to do with being the "honest politician"! Look at things like safeguarding pension, lights at end of tunnels being on-coming trains, ownership of offshore companies, etc.

As for short memories, I don't think Greeks are any different from anybody else. I vaguely remember 12 years of Bertie PM after 8 years of Bertie FM... And wasn't there a certain Mr. Blair in the UK, a certain Mr. Bush in the Us? If the place begins to look like ****, and somebody promises to make it smell like roses, people generally don't think further than the roses. Be they Greek, Irish, British, American, etc. Germans excepted of course. They don't seem to know what roses smell like...

[Ephilant]

Now, here's a Freudian slip of some magnitude.
Our President, Karolos Papoulias, has just announced that as a result of the economic crisis he has cancelled the celebrations planned for the "Restoration of Democracy".
We, the people of Greece, would agree that this is the correct thing to do. Let's restore democracy first, before we go celebrating...

[disability student]

[quote]

The prime minister who "led" Greece into the Euro was Costas Simitis, the leader of the PanHellenic Socialist Movement, also knows as PASOK. There were indeed a lot of questions about the Greek economy and it's ability to adapt to "strict" Euro rules (Maastricht, which at that time had been thouroughly disregarded by both Germany and France), and after refusal to become member of the club in 1999, evaluation of it's "economic performance" during 1999 resulted in permission to join in 2000 and effective membership in 2001.

Simitis initiated massive infrastructural reforms in Greece, but is also credited with establishing an even more widespread system of corruption and cronyism than already excisted. He refused to consider a ND proposed law that would curb these practices. When his government was replaced by the Karamanlis led ND government, they too refused to implement their own proposals...
Lots of speculation about Goldman Sachs, but whatever they did, they would have covered their tracks well. What is known is that the incredibly massive Greek military budget was most definitely subject to "creative accounting" resulting in subsequent government retrospectively landing each other with much larger deficits than they had declared, much to the joy of the EU. When the EU penny finally dropped as to what was happening, we were already in the middle of the world wide "first financial difficulties" in 2006-2007, leading to the Lehmans episode, which in turn proved to be a prelude to the mess we are in now.

I wonder why some people still vote for that party now, which was incomprehensible in terms of corruption.

As for people resigning and not taking up posts, it would be wise to look past the glossy surface of these "noble" acts, and see what the real purpose could be. You will usually find the answer in what accepting a post, or staying there, would do to the political career of the person involved. I'll bet my last Euro it has absolutely nothing to do with being the "honest politician"! Look at things like safeguarding pension, lights at end of tunnels being on-coming trains, ownership of offshore companies, etc.

+1 same applies here as well when it comes to directorships.