greek government

One day the government urges pensioners to file applications for back pay, and the next, realising that its pledges are unfeasible, it hastens to bring them back to reality.

'There is also the case of a government minister who claimed that in order for the ruling party to win the next general election, some people must be put in prison.'

A large number of retirees are suing for the reinstatement of holiday bonuses that were abolished In addition, those who retired after May, 2016, whose pensions were cut a priori under the terms of a law tabled by the labour minister Yorgos Katrougalos, are suing to reverse the measure.

Individuals in the prosecutor’s circle speak of the constant interventions of a minister, who is described as 'Rasputin', and who 'with the demeanour of a pimp dictates how cases should be handled'.

The episodic 16 October cabinet meeting highlighted not only divergent strategies, but also the concealed discord and clashes that are unbefitting a coalition that determines the fate of the country.

It is impossible for a society that is economically pressured and a market that is bedeviled by over-taxation to lead the economy to a growth path. Without growth, it is impossible to create new jobs. In other words, the numbers prosper, even though the unemployment queues are endless.

The various institutions linked to the independent judiciary, which has been turned into a tool by ministers and MPs, usually tolerate and remain silent about the provocations to which they are subjected.

Rapes of women and suicide attempts by children are happening in Greece, the host country that has 60,000-70,000 migrants on its territory, and has received 1.6bn euros to manage refugee flows.

It is inconceivable for a minister whose portfolio is unrelated to foreign affairs to set a foreign policy different than that of the government, or to issue invitations and hand over cities to become foreign bases.

European mechanisms which check and monitor banks with particularly tight oversight have created a mutually acceptable plan for reducing NPLs, and have concluded that it is adequate and viable, but the markets show with their stance that they do not trust it.

The situation was aggravated when the government showed in every way possible that it is more motivated by its electoral pursuits and political aims than by anything else.

The problem- is not simply the fact that this government uses the state as a partisan fiefdom, as previous governments had done the same. It is the fact that ministers behave like feudal lords, often in direct competition, or even in open war warfare with each other.

The return to normalcy in the banking system is a decisive factor in stabilising the economy and giving it the necessary breathing space to meet fiscal and development goals.

The images revealed by investigative reporting at the Moria refugee camp, on the island of Lesvos, are not only shameful. They are images of horror.

The government treats an issue such as pension cuts as if it concerns mainly its own political survival, rather than the lives of senior citizens.

Greeks and foreigners who have experience with camps and refugee reception centres, say that they have never encountered such a situation as exists in the Moria refugee and migrant camp, on the island of Lesvos.

It is impermissible for government cadres to imply or clearly state that the cancellation of pension cuts is essentially a given, when in fact there has been no tangible result from talks with creditors

Certainly, electoral planning is part of the political game, but not when everything is sacrificed on the altar of elections

As those who are aware of the obligations of the government explain, there is no way not to implement the commitments enshrined in the post-bailout programme

According to official data of the Regulatory Authority for Energy, published by Ta Nea, the number of households where electricity was cut off rose by 313 percent over the last three years

A state that does not rush to offer relief to citizens who have suffered a tragedy, is neither slow nor bureaucratic. It is simply callous

The last thing that the government must do is shut itself in its own microcosm – of cabinet reshuffles and of the announcement of fiscal measures at the Thessaloniki International Fair

The agenda includes promises to civil servants, talk of a suspension of pension cuts, a hike in the minimum wage, and a distribution of part of the large primary surplus

The basic question, of why 96 lives were lost, remains unanswered. The undisputable responsibilities are waiting to be linked to those who bore them

Every time governments were in decline and their influence was reduced, they discovered or manufactured internal enemies, and so it is now