Roll call vote in Greek Parliament regarding the unified tax on landed property and other provisions

A roll call is being carried out in the Greek Parliament at the moment on a new (one more…) unified tax on landed property. According to news reports  Vyron Polydoras, majority MP, has voted against the law. He had already announced his intention.

Mr. Polydoras has been ousted from the New Democracy Parliamentary Group and thus the government majority reaches the crucial number of 153 from 154. On the other hand no one can be certain that Mr. Polydoras will oppose any other government laws.

The law was approved with 152 votes for.

A mixed bag of news, thoughts and arguments

Today is the first really cloudy, autumn like day in Athens. News is rampant from all sides and citizens go about their business with their heads lowered and lost in their thoughts.

The prevalent mood is despair and insecurity. While the government announces that we are on the “road to development” the Troika talks about new taxes and austerity measures.

The neo –nazi formation of Golden Dawn is officially accused of being a criminal organization and its leader is in prison. According to news reports the Greek Parliament will tonight discuss and vote on removing the immunity of three Golden Dawn MPs so that they can be prosecuted. At the same time the Metsovion Polytechnic School staff is staging a concert in memory of the 32 year old anti-fascist rapper murdered by Golden Dawn thugs.

The news broadcasts are dominated by long and detailed reports on Golden Dawn acts: attacks against immigrants, actors, and speeches during which leading members of the fascist organization openly threatened democracy!! To the viewers the reporters’ “surprise” at the Golden Dawn doings is to say the least insulting since it is obvious that they knew the activities and just chose to keep silent.

Three out of eight Greek universities have submitted the names of their administrative staff that can be laid off. The European Commission has given the green light to the takeover of Olympic air (the private company that “bought” the state run Olympic airways) by Aegean air. In this way a state monopoly is replaced by a private monopoly system. In a press statement SYRIZA, major opposition party, underlines the fact that this constitutes a threat to the country’s cohesion.

On the other hand, .there are still people struggling to keep their spirits up and safeguard their livelihoods against all attacks. In Chalkidiki, in Macedonia, in Aghios Panteleimonas in Athens and so on. It is an unfair battle but let us hope that justice and right will prevail over greed and might.

 

Tragi-comedy in Greek Parliament

More tragicomic events are enfolding during the Lagarde list investigation committee’s meeting today.

The sessions of this committee are steadily becoming better than any serial on the greek television.

One of the main stars of the show is, once again, Mr. Ilias Kassidiaris, Golden Dawn spokesman. According to reports, during the deposition of Mr. Evangelos Venizelos, PASOK Chairman, Mr. Kassidiaris used vulgar language and left after throwing a glass of water (I could not understand against whom) and breaking a microphone. The dialogue between Ms.Zoe Konstantopoulou, SYRIZA MP and Mr. Venizelos was  more civilised but not less aggressive. Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, New Democracy MP, did not miss the opportunity to attack Ms Konstantopoulou with very biting remarks.

Mr. Venizelos’deposition is in progress and the question that arises is whether Mr. George Papandreou, former PM, will come to answer the MPs’questions or will make a written statement.

It is very disconcerting to have to watch such behaviour when Greek society is faced with tragic developments and the Greek Parliament spends a day “At the circus” with Marx Brothers.

Samaras agrees on austerity measures – pending the approval of his government partners

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras agreed yesterday with the proposals made by his advisors on how to find the 13,2 billion Euros to “save” Greece once again. The gradual increase of the amount from 11.5 billion to 13,2 in less than two weeks is indicative of the uncertainty and fear Greek public experiences daily.
The decision is not final since it needs the approval of Mr. Samaras government partners: PASOK and DIMAR. While PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos keeps a low profile, Fotis Kouvelis of Democratic Left has recently stated that “our party should not be taken as granted”. DIMAR members of Parliament and well-known executives of the party have differentiated their position and discuss voting against the measures in Parliament.
The government wants to pass the austerity measures through parliament by the beginning of October. This will facilitate discussion of the Greek issue during the October 8 Eurogroup meeting.

Today’s strike, coming on top of all the pressure imposed on the populace, is very significant. The size and spirit of the demonstration could be decisive

New Greek government of unknown composition

It has finally been decided that a Greek government can be appointed since three of the political parties have agreed to support it. Right wing New Democracy, Social democratic PASOK and left wing Democratic Left have met and now the discussion has moved to its composition.

Mr. Fotis Kouvelis, leader of the Democratic Left has just left Mr. Samaras office in Parliament and stated that his party’s participation in the new government was decided by the large majority of the Parliamentary group and that their main concern now is the kind of policies to be implemented and not the government’s composition.

On the PASOK front, Mr. Venizelos’proposal for a technocrats’ government has not met with enthousiasm in the party’s Parliamentary group. According to journalists’ reports well known MPs have argued against the leader’s proposal.
Discussions are in progress.
These developments have left a bitter taste to the citizens since the denial of the same parties to form a government after the last elections has not been fully justified.

The Golden Dawn has signalled a dark sundown

Greek police is still seeking Ilias Kassidiaris, one of the extreme right MPs recently elected with the Golden Dawn ballot, for assaulting two female left wing MPs during a television panel.

“Kalimera Ellada” – Good morning Greece, is a very popular early morning information show of a conservative channel (Antenna) hosted by George Papadakis, an experienced and popular newsman. The discussion seemed to be developing normally when Rena Dourou, SYRIZA MP, mentioned Mr.Kassidiaris’pending trial for assault and armed robbery.  Mr. Kassidiaris’reaction was to throw a glassfull of water on Ms.Dourou. When Liana Kanelli, Communist Party MP and respected journalist, reacted by throwing a newspaper across the table the enraged neo-nazi MP slapped her across the face and tried to hit her again while Mr. Papadakis tried in vain to restrain him.

During the evening news the channel explained how Ilias Kassidiaris managed to escape breaking a door and threatening the personnel that he would be back with a hundred people.

An arrest warrant has been issued by the prosecutor’s office and Mr. Kassidiaris is in hiding until this moment.

from tvxs – a picture of shame

 

 

Threat du jour (like plat du jour…)

I borrow the very apt title of an article by Stelios Kouloglou on his info site Tvxs (in Greek it means television without frontiers) to try and give you the atmosphere on Greek mass media and television in particular.http://tvxs.gr/news/omada-tvxs/oi-apeiles-tis-imeras-kai-oi-ntopioi-empneystes-toys-toy-stelioy-koylogloy

The effort to disorientate the Greek citizens on the eve of elections is reaching hysteria proportions. Everyday there is a new catastrophe that will befall the country if the responsible proponents of adherence to the rules of the loan agreement are not elected: instead of learning what the parties propose their representatives explain most graphically what will happen if SYRIZA is elected. The “return to the drachma” is the most popular scenario with the immigration issue a close second.

While all parties agree that a “renegotiation”of the loan agreement terms is imperative they cannot agree on the method of this “renegotiation”.

In the meantime, Golden Dawn is left alone to “enforce the law” against immigrants (irrespective of whether they are legal or not)in neighbourhoods with real problems thus earning the reputation of the protector of the weak!! Greek society does not seem to realise that this political formation is a neo-nazi organisation and they are viewed as a mixture of psychotic, problematic youth and nationalist bravado.

 

New elections in Greece within 21 days

Today’s meeting of the political leaders of all parties represented in the Greek Parliament except Aleca Papariga, Secretary General of the Communist Party who refused to attend and Mr. Mihaloliakos of the nationalist socialist (NAZI) Golden Dawn who was not invited. It was apparent from previous statements that the State President’s proposal for a government of personalities would be rejected.

The statements of the various parties after the meeting made it clear that while the formation of a government was possible with the participation of New Democracy, PASOK and Democratic Left this was not achieved. The reasons given were not very convincing but it appears that they all blame it on the refusal of SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) to be part of it too.

Opinion polls give SYRIZA a much higher percentage if new elections are held and this could be the reason the old guard want to either include them in the government or discredit them for not participating.

 

 

Wanted: Prime Minister for Greece – no reward

The Greek citizens have been waiting for three days – yes, three whole days – for the bi-party leaderships to agree on what? On forming a government and appointing a new Prime Minister!!

This feat has not yet been achieved. While waiting, the Greek people have been living with the fear of new taxes and cuts being imposed.

The European Union leadership, on the other hand, is concerned only with the payment of the debt. It is worth wondering whether European leaders realize that they were elected to serve their people and not their banks and corporations.

Presently, the Greek public is still waiting for PASOK and New Democracy to form a government and nominate a Prime Minister. In the meantime both parties have agreed on the date of the elections.

The argument of the left wing parties, which is echoed by the “enraged” movement, is that the present government is illegal. They ask for elections in order to have a government that will represent the present relation of power in the Parliament.

At the moment, the Council of Ministers is meeting and we are expecting developments any moment.

 

Greek MP launches a new genre: science fiction tragedy

I have refrained from posting any news recently fearing that I would be proven wrong. Contradicting reports follow contradicting reports. You write an analysis and  before posting events reverse all your suppositions. The only journalists who can do their job are the tv journalists.

Therefore, let me just tell you that Parliament is in session and this evening there will be a vote of confidence for the Papandreou government. The amount of votes required depends on the parliamentarians present at the moment of the vote and that is a big  question mark since the PASOK MPs refuse to say what they will do, the New Democracy refrain from being explicit while I have not seen any representatives of the left wing parties this morning.

At the same time there is a call by the Unions to hold a rally in Syntagma Square during the voting procedure.