Αντί απάντησης στα τελευταία δημοσιεύματα για "αποκαλύψεις" 3 (μυστικών και προστατευμένων) μαρτύρων, που εμπλέκουν ακόμη και τον υπηρεσιακό πρωθυπουργό κ Πικραμένο, στο σκάνδαλο, η επιστολή παραίτησης της κ Ράικου. Η κ Ράικου, σε αντίθεση με την σημερινή τροπή της έρευνας για την διαφθορά στον χώρο του φαρμάκου, είχε εντοπίσει συγκεκριμένους λογαριασμούς και εμβάσματα που αποτελούσαν αποδείξεις δωροδοκίας και όχι ευφάνταστα σενάρια τυχοδιωκτών. Η σημερινή κυβέρνηση αποσιωπά και ακυρώνει όλα τα στοιχεία που θα μπορούσαν να χτυπήσουν την διαφθορά στην χώρα, ακριβώς όπως εναντιώθηκε στην μηχανογράφηση του συστήματος υγείας ή στην απελευθέρωση του επαγγέλματος των φαρμακοποιών (οι οποίοι πουλούσαν με νομοθετημένο περιθώριο κέρδους 15%).
Η σημερινή κυβέρνηση αδίστακτα χαλκεύει τις κατηγορίες εναντίων των πολιτικών της αντιπάλων. Θέλει να τους κάνει να σωπάσουν. Θέλει να σωπάσουν όλοι όσοι της ασκούν κριτική.
Συκοφαντεί, ψεύδεται αδίστακτα.
Χρησιμοποιεί όλα τα μέσα χωρίς αναστολές.
Καταπατά την διάκριση των εξουσιών.
Δηλώνει ανοιχτά ότι η εξουσία που έχει σαν κυβέρνηση (ένα μέρος της δηλαδή, τα άλλα δύο είναι στην Βουλή και την Δικαιοσύνη) δεν είναι αρκετή. Η δήλωση της είναι σύμφωνη με τις ολοκληρωτικές αντιλήψεις της Αριστεράς, τις οποίες έχει εφαρμόσει οπουδήποτε κυβέρνησε.
Η εκδίωξη της κας Ράικου από την θέση της ανακρίτριας για την διαφθορά μετά τις επιτυχίες της στην διαλεύκανση της υπόθεσης Novartis, είναι άλλη μια προσπάθεια για αυτό τον σκοπό.
Η κοινωνία εθίζεται σε τέτοιες πρακτικές.
Η αντοχές των προσώπων που αντιστέκονται δεν είναι απεριόριστες. Μπορεί να καμφθούν. Φάνηκε στην περίπτωση της κ Ράικου.
Δεν πρέπει να γίνει το ίδιο και με την νέα συνωμοσία. Σαν ένας νέος εμπρησμός του Ράιχσταγκ, η δολοπλοκία της Novartis, με τους "μυστικούς" μάρτυρες, και το "μεγαλύτερο σκάνδαλο μετά την μεταπολίτευση", η κυβέρνηση έρχεται να συγκαλύψει τους πραγματικούς ενόχους, να αποπροσανατολίσει τις έρευνες και να σπιλώσει τους αντιπάλους της. Οι πραγματικές της προθέσεις έχουν φανεί και είναι γνωστές. Ας θυμηθούμε μόνο τι έλεγε για τις λίστες Λαγκάρντ, Μπόργιανς, και τι έκανε, ποια είναι τα αποτελέσματα. Μηδαμινά έως ανύπαρκτα. Για το λαθρεμπόριο καυσίμων; Οι έλεγχοι δεν μπορούν να γίνουν λόγω ελλείψεων στις αρμόδιες υπηρεσίες. Για το λαθρεμπόριο τσιγάρων; Περιττά τα σχόλια...
Ακολουθεί η επιστολή της κα Ράικου με την οποία παραιτήθηκε.
"Τις τελευταίες ημέρες μετά από σειρά ερευνών και επίπονης προσπάθειας καταφέραμε να
συλλέξουμε και να επεξεργαστούμε τα πρώτα κρίσιμα και ουσιώδη στοιχεία που οδηγούν μετά
βεβαιότητας στο συμπέρασμα ότι μεγάλος αριθμός κρατικών αξιωματούχων (κυρίως ιατρών
δημόσιων νοσοκομείων ) δωροδοκούνταν απευθείας από λογαριασμό της εταιρείας Novartis
Ελβετίας, με εμβάσματα σημαντικών χρηματικών ποσών που κατετίθεντο στους προσωπικούς τους
λογαριασμούς.
Επιπλέον, διαπιστώθηκε ότι αντίστοιχα εμβάσματα εισέρχονταν από τον ίδιο λογαριασμό,
επίσης απευθείας, σε λογαριασμούς νομικών προσώπων, τα οποία πιθανολογούνται ότι
χρησίμευαν ως οχήματα προκειμένου να διοχετευθούν ως «δώρο» στους τελικούς αποδέκτες
τους, προφανώς αξιωματούχους. Αυτό σήμανε αμέσως συναγερμό στην υπηρεσία μας, γιατί
προμήνυε πιθανή ύπαρξη παρόμοιων εμβασμάτων και σε άλλους εμπλεκόμενους, ενδεχομένως και
πολιτικούς, δεδομένου ότι δεν έχει περιέλθει το σύνολο των αιτηθέντων στοιχείων στην
υπηρεσία μας. Το συνολικό ποσό που κατευθύνθηκε στους παραπάνω ανέρχεται με τα μέχρι
σήμερα στοιχεία σε περίπου 28 εκατομμύρια ευρώ.
Και ενώ τα πράγματα είχαν έτσι και η υπηρεσία μας είχε εστιάσει όλες τις προσπάθειες και
τις δυνάμεις της στη σημαντικότατη αυτή υπόθεση, η οποία αποτελεί την κορωνίδα της
διαφθοράς στη χώρα μας, όπως έχει τονιστεί κατ´ επανάληψη από όλους τους θεσμικούς
παράγοντες, έγινα αντικείμενο στοχοποίησης από συγκεκριμένη εβδομαδιαία εφημερίδα.
Συγκεκριμένα όλως «τυχαίως και συμπτωματικώς», όταν πλέον ήταν κοινό μυστικό ότι έχουμε
τα πρώτα σημαντικά στοιχεία στην κατοχή μας που αποδείκνυαν περίτρανα τη μεγάλη διαφθορά,
αλλά και τον μηχανισμό με τον οποίο δωροδοκούνταν οι ως άνω κρατικοί λειτουργοί σε
διαφημιστικό βίντεο στα ΜΜΕ προβαλλόταν το πρωτοσέλιδο της εφημερίδας ΝΤΟΚΟΥΜΕΝΤΟ με
τίτλο «Αποκάλυψη: Ανακρίτρια κατηγορεί γνωστή εισαγγελέα για απόκρυψη στοιχείων σε
δικογραφίες για Γιάννο Παπαντωνίου και Θωμά Λιακουνάκο».
Το ανυπόστατο του δημοσιεύματος, που είναι άκρως συκοφαντικό και υποβολιμαίο, προκύπτει
από πλήθος εγγράφων στοιχείων, τα οποία θέτω στη διάθεσή σας. Αρκεί μόνο τούτο, ότι ο
Θωμάς Λιακουνάκος προφυλακίστηκε και θα δικαστεί μετά από τεκμηριωμένη ποινική δίωξη του
γραφείου μας, εκκρεμούν, δε, σε βάρος του ακόμα τρεις ποινικές διώξεις που έχουν ασκηθεί
επίσης από το γραφείο μας. Όσον αφορά τον Γιάννο Παπαντωνίου, ήδη έχουν αποσταλεί επίσης
από την υπηρεσία μας στη Βουλή πλήρη αντίγραφα όλων των παραπάνω δικογραφιών και μάλιστα
ταυτόχρονα με την άσκηση της ποινικής δίωξης και τη διαβίβαση των σχετικών δικογραφιών
στον κύριο διευθύνοντα το Πρωτοδικείο Αθηνών. Επιπλέον, εκκρεμεί απάντηση επί αιτήματος
μας δικαστικής συνδρομής προς τις ελβετικές αρχές από όπου και αναμένουμε σημαντικά
ευρήματα.
Εκτός δε, αυτού, έχει ασκηθεί από εμένα προσωπικά σε βάρος του ποινική δίωξη για παράβαση
του νόμου για το πόθεν έσχες.
Κυρία εισαγγελέα, ζητώ την αντικατάστασή μου γιατί αρνούμαι να μετατραπώ σε Ιφιγένεια
στο βωμό των συμφερόντων των διεφθαρμένων κρατικών λειτουργών και των μεγάλων συμφερόντων στο χώρο του φαρμάκου, οι οποίοι ενόψει των αποκαλύψεων που προφανώς διέρρευσαν και οποίες με βεβαιότητα θα τους οδηγούσαν να λογοδοτήσουν στη δικαιοσύνη και ίσως κάποιους από αυτούς στη φυλακή δεν δίστασαν να σχεδιάσουν την ηθική μου εξόντωση έτσι ώστε να
είναι δυνατή η αποδόμηση της έρευνάς μας.
Με αστειότητες και εκμεταλλευόμενοι την τουλάχιστον ανεξήγητη ενέργεια συγκεκριμένης
ανακρίτριας έστησαν μία πρωτοφανή ιστορία συκοφάντησής μου. Επειδή έχω στοχοποιηθεί από
παράκεντρα εξουσίας και διαφθοράς που σκοπό έχουν τη μία και μόνη συγκάλυψη των
διεφθαρμένων κρατικών λειτουργών που αποκομίζουν διαχρονικά εκατομμύρια ευρώ και
επιζητούν μανιωδώς την ακύρωση του έργου μου και την παρεμπόδιση της παραπάνω έρευνας και
όχι μόνο , και επειδή δεν αισθάνομαι ότι απολαμβάνω της θεσμικής προστασίας που
δικαιούμαι, ζητώ την αντικατάστασή μου."
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
Tankers Keep Greece Top
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/tankers-keep-greece-top#gs.ZTl5u5g
BY MAREX 2018-02-03 16:42:44
Greece has topped the world fleet values ranking by VesselsValue, with an owned fleet worth just under $100 billion, followed closely by Japan and China, worth $89 and $84 billion respectively. The top 10 global fleets are worth an estimated $516 billion.
Greek owners remain the dominant force in global shipping. The value of the Greek fleet is concentrated in the tanker ($36 billion), bulker ($35.75 billion), and LNG ($13.5 billion) vessel types. Hellenic control of these markets stands at about 19 percent of the total worth of the fleets.
The strong commitment of Greek owners to the global shipping markets looks unlikely to change as others, such as Germany, are liquidating assets, says VesselsValue. However, the trend in Chinese ownership is rising, as state owned companies are consolidating and placing new orders, a reminder that there are always new challengers for the top spot. Greek owners, with their sharp focus on commercial results, should continue to lead the pack for the foreseeable future.
Greeks rally in Athens to protest use of the name Macedonia
The Washington Post
By Elena Becatoros | AP February 4 at 2:02 PM
ATHENS, Greece — Well over 100,000 protesters from across Greece converged Sunday on Athens’ main square to protest a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.
Hundreds of chartered buses brought protesters in from around the country to the Greek capital, while more people arrived on ferries from the islands. Traffic was blocked throughout the city center and three major subway stops were closed.
Chanting “Hands off Macedonia!” and “Macedonia belongs to Greece!” the protesters converged on Syntagma Square in front of parliament, many waving flags bearing the Star of Vergina, the emblem of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia.
Police officials estimated the attendance at 140,000. Organizers, who claimed 1.5 million were at the rally, used a crane to raise a massive Greek flag over the square.
By Elena Becatoros | AP February 4 at 2:02 PM
ATHENS, Greece — Well over 100,000 protesters from across Greece converged Sunday on Athens’ main square to protest a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.
Hundreds of chartered buses brought protesters in from around the country to the Greek capital, while more people arrived on ferries from the islands. Traffic was blocked throughout the city center and three major subway stops were closed.
Chanting “Hands off Macedonia!” and “Macedonia belongs to Greece!” the protesters converged on Syntagma Square in front of parliament, many waving flags bearing the Star of Vergina, the emblem of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia.
Police officials estimated the attendance at 140,000. Organizers, who claimed 1.5 million were at the rally, used a crane to raise a massive Greek flag over the square.
Greeks rally in Athens over Macedonia name row
FEBRUARY 4, 2018 / 7:22 PM / UPDATED 15 HOURS AGO
Lefteris Papadimas, Vassilis Triandafyllou
4 MIN READ
ATHENS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row.
The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbor to join NATO and the European Union.
Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country.
Lefteris Papadimas, Vassilis Triandafyllou
4 MIN READ
ATHENS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row.
The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbor to join NATO and the European Union.
Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
The Greek Position on the naming issue of FYROM (and a critique from the other side).
The matter at hand is a controversial one. There are two sides. Most Greeks pick their side.
Apart from the ownership of the name.
Is there a real danger for Greece coming from this tiny country? Can a tiny country undermine and win territory from a stronger country?
Well, history says it can. That's how Greece freed most of what is our country today. Arguments of the type "how can you claim that this little country threat your territories?" just ignore the fact that Greece gained territory from the Ottoman Empire, when under any measure, Greece was tiny and the Ottoman Empire was great.
So the answer to the matter at hand is that the size is one thing, the existence of a threat is quite another.
Are they threatening Greece? Well they say so...
Does Greece have the right to defend its territory? Yes, Greece has this right, and the means are also a legitimate choice.
I think that the material below will enlighten both sides of the story.
Apart from the ownership of the name.
Is there a real danger for Greece coming from this tiny country? Can a tiny country undermine and win territory from a stronger country?
Well, history says it can. That's how Greece freed most of what is our country today. Arguments of the type "how can you claim that this little country threat your territories?" just ignore the fact that Greece gained territory from the Ottoman Empire, when under any measure, Greece was tiny and the Ottoman Empire was great.
So the answer to the matter at hand is that the size is one thing, the existence of a threat is quite another.
Are they threatening Greece? Well they say so...
Does Greece have the right to defend its territory? Yes, Greece has this right, and the means are also a legitimate choice.
I think that the material below will enlighten both sides of the story.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Investors Welcome Greece Back Out of the Naughty Corner: Gadfly
The Washington Post
By Mark Gilbert | Bloomberg January 25
As the global elite gathers in Davos for the World Economic Forum, the European Union has been applauded for its political and economic progress in the past year. And nowhere is the bloc’s newfound cohesion more evident than in Greece.
The country has been the main beneficiary of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s 2012 pledge to do “whatever it takes” to save the common-currency project -- even if the nation’s debt doesn’t qualify for the central bank’s bond-buying program.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Hedge Fund Sees Juice in Greek Rally as Yields Hit 2006 Low
By Todd White and Sid Verma
9 Ιανουαρίου 2018, 3:59 μ.μ. EET Updated on 9 Ιανουαρίου 2018, 6:43 μ.μ. EET
Convergence trade remains favorite of Algebris Investments
Borrowing costs drop as traders eye recovery, end of bailout
One of Western Europe’s most dramatic bond-convergence trades this decade -- Greece over Germany -- looks like it will reward investors yet again in 2018.
London hedge fund Algebris Investments is among those betting economic momentum will take the country’s borrowing costs even closer to Germany’s after the Mediterranean country’s 10-year yield spread narrowed by about 44 basis points this month alone. Algebris says it may shrink by as much as 75 basis points.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Καλλιεργούν το μίσος ως αρετή
Μυρτώ Λιαλιούτη | ΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ: 17/05/2017 23:24 |
Συνέντευξη της Σώτης Τριανταφύλλου στα ΝΕΑ
Η αιτία μηνύσεων όπως αυτή που ασκήθηκε εναντίον μου είναι η εκκαθάριση της κοινωνίας από τον ενοχλητικό δημόσιο λόγο σύμφωνα με κάποια αυταρχικά κριτήρια που παρουσιάζονται ως ανθρωπιστικά. Από τότε που ο μαρξισμός καθαγίασε το κοινωνικό μίσος, οι διάφοροι σωτήρες και προστάτες των αδυνάτων το καλλιεργούν ως κοινωνική αρετή. Οσο για τη δική μου δίωξη πρόκειται για αποτέλεσμα τακτικής λιντσαρίσματος η οποία σήμερα έχει αντικείμενο εμένα, αύριο θα έχει κάποιον άλλον. Οποιος ενοχλεί την αριστερά και τους καλοθελητές των δήθεν ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων πρέπει να σωπάσει. Ας πάρουμε σειρά ένας-ένας...
Συνέντευξη της Σώτης Τριανταφύλλου στα ΝΕΑ
Η αιτία μηνύσεων όπως αυτή που ασκήθηκε εναντίον μου είναι η εκκαθάριση της κοινωνίας από τον ενοχλητικό δημόσιο λόγο σύμφωνα με κάποια αυταρχικά κριτήρια που παρουσιάζονται ως ανθρωπιστικά. Από τότε που ο μαρξισμός καθαγίασε το κοινωνικό μίσος, οι διάφοροι σωτήρες και προστάτες των αδυνάτων το καλλιεργούν ως κοινωνική αρετή. Οσο για τη δική μου δίωξη πρόκειται για αποτέλεσμα τακτικής λιντσαρίσματος η οποία σήμερα έχει αντικείμενο εμένα, αύριο θα έχει κάποιον άλλον. Οποιος ενοχλεί την αριστερά και τους καλοθελητές των δήθεν ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων πρέπει να σωπάσει. Ας πάρουμε σειρά ένας-ένας...
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Greece’s Olive Oil Industry Offers a Lesson on Economic Hurdles
The country is a major producer of ‘green gold,’ but sells much of it in bulk
The Wall Street Journal
By Nektaria Stamouli | Photographs by Andrea DiCenzo for The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 18, 2017 5:30 a.m. ET
106 COMMENTS
STREFI, Greece—Workers at Yiannis Skiadas ’ mountainside mill pressed prized Kalamata olives on a recent day to extract the thick, fragrant oil known regionally as “green gold”—most of which would get shipped abroad in bulk and blended into Italian olive oil.
Mr. Skiadas could earn almost three times as much by branding his oil and selling it himself. But that would require investing in every step from cultivation to marketing, and quick cash from Italian customers is appealing after a decade of economic pain in Greece.
“Thank God for the Italians,” he said.
Greek olive oil should be a shining example of the country’s export sector. Instead, it offers a lesson in why Greece remains deeply uncompetitive despite years of pressure to fix its economy.Greece has what should be significant competitive advantages, including a climate that is favorable for agriculture and a 22% drop in labor costs since 2010, around the start of the Greek debt crisis.
But the country has been unable to leverage its low cost base to pull itself out of economic malaise. The value of Greek exports fell last year, despite years of efforts aimed at promoting export-led growth. Just 2.5% of Greek enterprises are involved in export activity, according to a recent survey by Ernst & Young.
Bank lending is scarce in a country mired in debt. And Greece’s notoriously inefficient bureaucracy makes it time-consuming to secure health and safety approvals and export paperwork, according to Greek exporters.
Similar problems affect other Greek agricultural products from peaches to wine. Exports of textiles and household appliances have also slipped in recent years.
The failure of Greece’s olive-oil makers to break into the international market for branded oil is especially painful. Greece is the world’s No. 3 producer of olive oil, according to Eurostat, but just 4% of branded olive oil sold world-wide is Greek, according to a 2015 report by the National Bank of Greece .
The reason: Greek olive-oil producers have mostly stuck to making bulk oil, unable or unwilling to invest in making the branded product that can command lofty prices in foreign markets. Only 27% of Greek olive oil is exported as a branded product, compared with 50% from Spain and 80% from Italy.
“Greece hasn’t invested to create a brand name, as have Italy and Spain,” says Christina Sakellaridi, who heads the Greek Exporters Association. “Now it’s difficult to compete with them.”
By sticking with bulk oil rather than branded oil, Greece is forgoing about €250 million ($294 million) in revenue each year, according to the National Bank of Greece report, money the capital-starved country desperately needs.
Many Greek olive farms and mills are family-operated and have fewer than 10 employees, according to olive-growers’ associations. Their small size leaves them with little of the money and management skill needed to upgrade their products and establish a brand name.
For those who do invest, the payoff can be significant. Before the crisis, Georgios Skarpalezos sank money into new machinery for his mill. Now he makes extra virgin olive oil that he sells in, among other places, London’s Harrods department store. He makes as much as €4 a liter, while a middleman, usually an oil-mill owner, might make as little as 10 to 20 euro cents a liter on bulk oil.
“I cannot produce huge quantities, because I have to focus on the quality of the product,” said Mr. Skarpalezos, showing dark glass bottles designed to safeguard the oil.
Olive-oil producers also often need to import products such as Mr. Skarpalezos’ glass bottles and plastic caps.
The Wall Street Journal
By Nektaria Stamouli | Photographs by Andrea DiCenzo for The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 18, 2017 5:30 a.m. ET
106 COMMENTS
STREFI, Greece—Workers at Yiannis Skiadas ’ mountainside mill pressed prized Kalamata olives on a recent day to extract the thick, fragrant oil known regionally as “green gold”—most of which would get shipped abroad in bulk and blended into Italian olive oil.
Mr. Skiadas could earn almost three times as much by branding his oil and selling it himself. But that would require investing in every step from cultivation to marketing, and quick cash from Italian customers is appealing after a decade of economic pain in Greece.
“Thank God for the Italians,” he said.
Greek olive oil should be a shining example of the country’s export sector. Instead, it offers a lesson in why Greece remains deeply uncompetitive despite years of pressure to fix its economy.Greece has what should be significant competitive advantages, including a climate that is favorable for agriculture and a 22% drop in labor costs since 2010, around the start of the Greek debt crisis.
But the country has been unable to leverage its low cost base to pull itself out of economic malaise. The value of Greek exports fell last year, despite years of efforts aimed at promoting export-led growth. Just 2.5% of Greek enterprises are involved in export activity, according to a recent survey by Ernst & Young.
Bank lending is scarce in a country mired in debt. And Greece’s notoriously inefficient bureaucracy makes it time-consuming to secure health and safety approvals and export paperwork, according to Greek exporters.
Similar problems affect other Greek agricultural products from peaches to wine. Exports of textiles and household appliances have also slipped in recent years.
The failure of Greece’s olive-oil makers to break into the international market for branded oil is especially painful. Greece is the world’s No. 3 producer of olive oil, according to Eurostat, but just 4% of branded olive oil sold world-wide is Greek, according to a 2015 report by the National Bank of Greece .
The reason: Greek olive-oil producers have mostly stuck to making bulk oil, unable or unwilling to invest in making the branded product that can command lofty prices in foreign markets. Only 27% of Greek olive oil is exported as a branded product, compared with 50% from Spain and 80% from Italy.
“Greece hasn’t invested to create a brand name, as have Italy and Spain,” says Christina Sakellaridi, who heads the Greek Exporters Association. “Now it’s difficult to compete with them.”
By sticking with bulk oil rather than branded oil, Greece is forgoing about €250 million ($294 million) in revenue each year, according to the National Bank of Greece report, money the capital-starved country desperately needs.
Many Greek olive farms and mills are family-operated and have fewer than 10 employees, according to olive-growers’ associations. Their small size leaves them with little of the money and management skill needed to upgrade their products and establish a brand name.
For those who do invest, the payoff can be significant. Before the crisis, Georgios Skarpalezos sank money into new machinery for his mill. Now he makes extra virgin olive oil that he sells in, among other places, London’s Harrods department store. He makes as much as €4 a liter, while a middleman, usually an oil-mill owner, might make as little as 10 to 20 euro cents a liter on bulk oil.
“I cannot produce huge quantities, because I have to focus on the quality of the product,” said Mr. Skarpalezos, showing dark glass bottles designed to safeguard the oil.
Olive-oil producers also often need to import products such as Mr. Skarpalezos’ glass bottles and plastic caps.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Turkey's 11% Economic Growth Fuels Expectations of Rate Hike
By Selcan Hacaoglu
11 Δεκεμβρίου 2017, 9:29 π.μ. EET Updated on 11 Δεκεμβρίου 2017, 1:45 μ.μ. EET
Turkey’s economy grew faster in the third quarter than any other of the world’s 20 biggest economies as household spending and exports surged, stoking expectations that the central bank will increase borrowing costs to curb inflation.
Gross domestic product expanded 11.1 percent in the three months to Sept. 30 from a year earlier, the fastest pace in more than six years, according to official data released on Monday. The median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey was 8.5 percent.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Turkish president Erdoğan to make landmark visit to Greece
Huge security operation will protect increasingly confrontational premier on rare foray to a European country
The Guardian
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan begins a landmark visit to Greece on Thursday, a rare foray to a European country for the increasingly confrontational leader.
In addition to his retinue of 200 bodyguards, Greek police are also to deploy 2,800 officers to take part in a US presidential-level security operation to guard Erdoğan.
“We are taking every precaution,” the Greek public order minister Nikos Toskas told the Guardian. “The security will be on a level similar to that of Barack Obama’s visit. Every detail has been covered and planned.”
The Guardian
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan begins a landmark visit to Greece on Thursday, a rare foray to a European country for the increasingly confrontational leader.
In addition to his retinue of 200 bodyguards, Greek police are also to deploy 2,800 officers to take part in a US presidential-level security operation to guard Erdoğan.
“We are taking every precaution,” the Greek public order minister Nikos Toskas told the Guardian. “The security will be on a level similar to that of Barack Obama’s visit. Every detail has been covered and planned.”
Friday, November 10, 2017
Lamda says new obstacles emerge over Hellenikon resort
NOVEMBER 10, 2017 / 12:02 PM / UPDATED 22 MINUTES AGO
Reuters Staff
2 MIN READ
ATHENS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Greek property developer Lamda said on Friday new obstacles had appeared in its plans to develop the disused Hellenikon airport site, one of the largest projects on the country’s privatisation agenda.
Lamda said Greece’s culture ministry had declared a new archaeological area over parts of the airport compound and imposed other restrictions, a move it said was an ‘unexpected change in the contractual agreed terms’.
Reuters Staff
2 MIN READ
ATHENS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Greek property developer Lamda said on Friday new obstacles had appeared in its plans to develop the disused Hellenikon airport site, one of the largest projects on the country’s privatisation agenda.
Lamda said Greece’s culture ministry had declared a new archaeological area over parts of the airport compound and imposed other restrictions, a move it said was an ‘unexpected change in the contractual agreed terms’.
Greece's Eurobank close to deal to sell Romanian assets to Banca Transilvania
NOVEMBER 10, 2017 / 10:47 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Reuters Staff
1 MIN READ
Reuters
ATHENS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Greece’s Eurobank said it is close to finalising a deal to sell its Romanian subsidiaries to Banca Transilvania.
The potential sale is part of a restructuring plan agreed by Greece’s third largest lender with European Union authorities, and includes Romanian units Bancpost, ERB Retail Servces IFN and ERB Leasing IFN.
Reuters Staff
1 MIN READ
Reuters
ATHENS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Greece’s Eurobank said it is close to finalising a deal to sell its Romanian subsidiaries to Banca Transilvania.
The potential sale is part of a restructuring plan agreed by Greece’s third largest lender with European Union authorities, and includes Romanian units Bancpost, ERB Retail Servces IFN and ERB Leasing IFN.
Public debt, unemployment, big NPL pile weigh on Greece: central bank governor
NOVEMBER 10, 2017 / 11:57 AM / UPDATED 16 MINUTES AGO
Reuters Staff
2 MIN READ
Reuters
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece’s banks have shown progress in tackling a stockpile of non-performing loans, Bank of Greece governor Yiannis Stournaras said on Friday, but said it would remain a challenge for the country.
Greek banks are saddled with 103 billion euros in bad loans, equal to almost 60 percent of the economy, after years of financial crisis and crippling recession. The European Central Bank wants that reduced by 38 billion euros by the end of 2019.
Reuters Staff
2 MIN READ
Reuters
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece’s banks have shown progress in tackling a stockpile of non-performing loans, Bank of Greece governor Yiannis Stournaras said on Friday, but said it would remain a challenge for the country.
Greek banks are saddled with 103 billion euros in bad loans, equal to almost 60 percent of the economy, after years of financial crisis and crippling recession. The European Central Bank wants that reduced by 38 billion euros by the end of 2019.
Monday, November 6, 2017
A Turning Point for Greece
By Marcus Ashworth
Bloomberg
Nov 6, 2017 1:00 AM EST
Greece is taking a step closer to get the respect it deserves from Europe.Yields on the country's government bonds, which have already taken great strides lower this year, hit a new low last week on news the government is preparing a major debt swap. The exercise, first reported by Bloomberg News, should allow Greece to sell bonds in future -- and help end its dependence on the largess of its main creditors.
Bloomberg
Nov 6, 2017 1:00 AM EST
Greece is taking a step closer to get the respect it deserves from Europe.Yields on the country's government bonds, which have already taken great strides lower this year, hit a new low last week on news the government is preparing a major debt swap. The exercise, first reported by Bloomberg News, should allow Greece to sell bonds in future -- and help end its dependence on the largess of its main creditors.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Refugees in Greece demand transfer to Germany, start hunger strike
NOVEMBER 1, 2017 / 3:35 PM / UPDATED 18 HOURS AGO
Karolina Tagaris, Deborah Kyvrikosaios
3 MIN READ
ATHENS (Reuters) - A group of mainly Syrian women and children who have been stranded in Greece pitched tents opposite parliament in Athens on Wednesday in a protest against delays in reuniting with relatives in Germany.
Some of the refugees, who say they have been in Greece for over a year, said they had begun a hunger strike.
“Our family ties our stronger than your illegal agreements,” read a banner held up by one woman, referring to deals on refugees between European Union nations.
Karolina Tagaris, Deborah Kyvrikosaios
3 MIN READ
ATHENS (Reuters) - A group of mainly Syrian women and children who have been stranded in Greece pitched tents opposite parliament in Athens on Wednesday in a protest against delays in reuniting with relatives in Germany.
Some of the refugees, who say they have been in Greece for over a year, said they had begun a hunger strike.
“Our family ties our stronger than your illegal agreements,” read a banner held up by one woman, referring to deals on refugees between European Union nations.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Papadopoulos Claimed Trump Campaign Approved Russia Meeting
By Greg Farrell , David Voreacos , and Henry Meyer
1 Νοεμβρίου 2017, 12:29 π.μ. EET Updated on 1 Νοεμβρίου 2017, 3:45 π.μ. EET
Plan to include top aides ‘approved by our side,’ he wrote
Ex-adviser’s claim unsubstantiated; no sign meeting took place
Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos made a significant claim in an email: Top Trump campaign officials agreed to a pre-election meeting with representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
1 Νοεμβρίου 2017, 12:29 π.μ. EET Updated on 1 Νοεμβρίου 2017, 3:45 π.μ. EET
Plan to include top aides ‘approved by our side,’ he wrote
Ex-adviser’s claim unsubstantiated; no sign meeting took place
Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos made a significant claim in an email: Top Trump campaign officials agreed to a pre-election meeting with representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Divided and Conquered, Catalonia Weighs the Damage
It might look over, but the Spanish region’s independence bid has long-lasting repercussions.
By Charles Penty , Manuel Baigorri , and Esteban Duarte
Bloomberg
The drama in Catalonia may have reached its epilogue, but the economic and political consequences are still to emerge for a region Spain could never afford to let go.For now, the separatist leadership has been deposed, a would-be European republic snuffed out and a potential bank run avoided.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has gone from lame duck premier dogged by a party corruption scandal to the country's unlikely savior. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont painted himself on Tuesday as a victim of the vengeful state after fleeing to Brussels to avoid arrest.
Yet that winner-and-loser narrative masks a delicate balance. Catalonia's 7.5 million people remain as torn as ever in the stop-start push for their own state since the death of General Francisco Franco four decades ago. A tumultuous month started with an illegal independence referendum on Oct. 1 that police tried to forcibly extinguish. It culminated with a loss of autonomy that’s cherished even by those who want to remain part of Spain.
Five Argentines among 8 dead in New York City terror attack
By Renae Merle, Devlin Barrett, Wesley Lowery, Rachel Siegel and Samantha Schmidt November 1 at 12:19 AM
The Washington Post
NEW YORK — A 29-year-old man driving a rental truck plowed down people on a Manhattan bike path Tuesday in what authorities described as a terrorist attack that killed eight and injured 11 before the suspect was shot and arrested by police.
A sunny fall day along the Hudson River erupted in chaos just around the time students were getting out from nearby Stuyvesant High School, when a rented Home Depot truck turned on to the bike path along the West Side Highway.
The Washington Post
NEW YORK — A 29-year-old man driving a rental truck plowed down people on a Manhattan bike path Tuesday in what authorities described as a terrorist attack that killed eight and injured 11 before the suspect was shot and arrested by police.
A sunny fall day along the Hudson River erupted in chaos just around the time students were getting out from nearby Stuyvesant High School, when a rented Home Depot truck turned on to the bike path along the West Side Highway.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Don't blame others for your problems, Germany's Schaeuble tells Greece
OCTOBER 25, 2017 / 12:03 AM / UPDATED 14 HOURS AGO
Reuters Staff
3 MIN READ
REUTERS
ATHENS (Reuters) - Outgoing German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged debt-wracked Greece to stop blaming others for its financial woes and stick to a reform agenda instead of relying on debt relief.
Schaeuble, a leading advocate of Greece’s tough austerity programs and one of Germany’s most powerful politicians, was elected speaker of its lower house of parliament on Tuesday.
The 75-year-old lawyer, whose no-nonsense approach on austerity made him a popular hate figure among Greeks, told Greek Skai TV that Athens must take responsibility for its fiscal difficulties and act on them.
Reuters Staff
3 MIN READ
REUTERS
ATHENS (Reuters) - Outgoing German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged debt-wracked Greece to stop blaming others for its financial woes and stick to a reform agenda instead of relying on debt relief.
Schaeuble, a leading advocate of Greece’s tough austerity programs and one of Germany’s most powerful politicians, was elected speaker of its lower house of parliament on Tuesday.
The 75-year-old lawyer, whose no-nonsense approach on austerity made him a popular hate figure among Greeks, told Greek Skai TV that Athens must take responsibility for its fiscal difficulties and act on them.
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