Financial Crisis in Greece

[Stojacanec]

I found this article enlightening.

I think the grkomanis may want to re-define themselves as Macedonians in order to give themselves a better opportunity to live in other European countries.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ju...tion-greece-uk




David Cameron 'prepared to halt immigration of Greeks into UK'

Prime minister says it would be in UK's interests to impose stringent border controls if Greece is forced to leave euro



David Cameron says he has the legal powers to impose such restrictions on Greek citizens.


David Cameron is prepared to override Britain's historic obligations under EU treaties and impose stringent border controls that would block Greek citizens from entering the United Kingdom, if Greece is forced out of the single currency.

The prime minister told MPs that ministers have examined legal powers that would allow Britain to deprive Greek citizens of their right to free movement across the EU, if the eurozone crisis leads to "stresses and strains".

In an appearance before senior MPs on the cross-party House of Commons liaison committee, the prime minister confirmed that ministers have drawn up contingency plans for "all sorts of different eventualities".

The worst-case scenario is understood to cover a Greek exit from the euro, which could trigger a near-collapse of the Greek economy and the flight of hundreds of thousands of its citizens who are currently entitled to settle in any EU country.

The prime minister said Britain is prepared to take measures to avoid a major influx of Greek citizens. "I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep our country safe, to keep our banking system strong, to keep our economy robust. At the end of the day, as prime minister, that is your first and foremost duty."

Asked by Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the House of Commons home affairs select committee, whether he would restrict the rights of Greek citizens to travel to Britain, the prime minister said he would be prepared to trigger such powers.

"I hope it wouldn't come to that," he said. "But, as I understand it, the legal powers are available if there are particular stresses and strains. You have to plan, you have to have contingencies, you have to be ready for anything – there is so much uncertainty in our world. But I hope those things don't become necessary."

Theresa May, the home secretary, confirmed last month that the government was examining contingency plans but indicated that she did not see any "increased movement". May told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 on 10 June: "So far ... we're not seeing any trends in any increased movements despite obviously the significant problems already economically in a number of eurozone countries. But I think it's right that as a government across the board, we look at the contingency arrangements that you know might be needed in these circumstances."

In his appearance before the committee, the prime minister also appeared to give the impression that he might abandon plans to publish the tax affairs of senior cabinet ministers. His remarks came after former Labour minister Margaret Hodge asked whether the government would publish details of so called "sweetheart" tax deals between the HMRC and large companies.

Cameron promised to write to Hodge after considering the matter. But he added: "The fact that we have taxpayer confidentiality is hugely important. Imagine the dangers of politicians fiddling around with each other's tax affairs. It just doesn't bear thinking about."

It is understood that the prime minister will publish limited tax details of a handful of senior cabinet ministers by the next general election in 2015. Cameron is understood to feel he has to follow the "Boris precedent" – the commitment by the London mayor in the recent election to publish his tax details – though it is expected that the prime minister will publish a redacted version of his tax return.

[damian]

Seems like a grease pattern: not showing up for the big game after blah blah.

[damian]

Oh grease are always make fools of themselves like this they are in hysteria all the time.

[damian]

Originally Posted by The LION will ROAR

Europe Agrees: Greece Is the Laziest, Most Incompetent Nation in the EU

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...B7GQ8.facebook
Greece is the hardest-working country in the EU! According to Greece. And only Greece.
According to Britain, Germany, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic, it's the laziest country in Europe.



Meanwhile, Germany is the most respected EU country, according to the Pew Global report, European Unity on the Rocks. And Greece appears to be living in a bizarro universe where 78% of its respondents held negative views of Germany. Three in five Greeks said their country had Europe's hardest working citizens. Half of the rest of the respondents from the other seven nations said Greece had the laziest workforce in Europe.
This chart is somewhat hilarious, and also somewhat tragic, but it needn't be damning. Stereotypes exist is fully functioning monetary unions, too! Take, for example, the monetary union I live in. As everybody in New York knows, New Jersey has more tan lines than working neurons. As everybody in New Jersey knows, New Yorkers are smarmy soulless jerks. And, as everybody in New York and New Jersey can agree, Mississippi is full of illiterate bumpkins, who are probably all racist.
Europe's problem isn't stereotypes. It's institutions. Or, more accurately, it's the continent's dearth of working, supranational institutions that can transcend international stereotypes and politics. In the U.S., we don't debate "permanent bailouts" to poor people in Mississippi and New York, no matter how racist or smarmy they are. We just keep sending them money because modern Medicaid is an established institution that is bigger than the month-to-month political squabbles and stereotypes that can bog down decision-making at the federal level (note to future readers: This sentence's veracity might have changed somewhat under a Romney/Ryan administration). Europe's stereotypes aren't good. But they wouldn't put the European Union at risk unless the institutional bedrock of that Union was flawed to begin with. And it is. Oh, how it is.

The grease just make things up as they go along anything that suits their immature delusionary mentality.

[damian]

Its about time they confronted the bipolar pill popper hell-ass I think people were getting tired of their shinnanigans. Its not surprising in a country(?) that has almost no standards.

[Louis]

There is no legal basis for Cameron's populist promise.
By George Eaton

While the eyes of the media were on Barclays, David Cameron casually suggested that the UK would block Greek people from entering Britain if their country left the euro. He told the Commons liaison committee:

As I understand it, the legal powers are available if there are particular stresses and strains. You have to plan, you have to have contingencies, you have to be ready for anything – there is so much uncertainty in our world. But I hope those things don't become necessary.

Leaving aside Cameron's cynical populism, what "legal powers" is he referring to? The free movement of people, along with the free movement of goods, capital and services, is one of the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union. While member states have legally limited immigration from new EU countries (as we currently do in the case of Bulgaria and Romania), no country has ever restricted migration from established members. Even "in the event of war", EU law states, "Member States shall consult each other with a view to taking together the steps needed to prevent the functioning of the internal market being affected".

There is little prospect of the EU allowing Britain to unilaterally suspend migration from Greece, a member state of 31 years' standing. It was as recently as April that the EU Commission warned the UK to fully comply with European law on the free movement of people or face an EU court case. In addition, as the excellent Free Movement blog notes, since Article 18 prohibits discrimination based on nationality, any restrictions on Greek immigration would need to apply to all EU citizens.Would Cameron really be willing to see free movement suspended for UK citizens? (An event that would have deleterious consequences for his net migration target.)

Worse than the Prime Minister's feeble understanding of EU law, however, was his sinister suggestion that Greek people represent a threat to our economy. He told MPs: "I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep our country safe, to keep our banking system strong, to keep our economy robust. At the end of the day, as prime minister, that is your first and foremost duty." So, the biggest threat to our "robust" (recession-plagued) economy and our "strong" (crooked) banking system is posed by our fellow Europeans. Until yesterday, no country, including those that share a border with Greece, had suggested pulling up the drawbridge and abandoning the principle of free movement. How shameful that it is the UK that is the first to do so.

[damian]

Originally Posted by Louis

There is no legal basis for Cameron's populist promise.
By George Eaton

While the eyes of the media were on Barclays, David Cameron casually suggested that the UK would block Greek people from entering Britain if their country left the euro. He told the Commons liaison committee:

As I understand it, the legal powers are available if there are particular stresses and strains. You have to plan, you have to have contingencies, you have to be ready for anything – there is so much uncertainty in our world. But I hope those things don't become necessary.

Leaving aside Cameron's cynical populism, what "legal powers" is he referring to? The free movement of people, along with the free movement of goods, capital and services, is one of the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union. While member states have legally limited immigration from new EU countries (as we currently do in the case of Bulgaria and Romania), no country has ever restricted migration from established members. Even "in the event of war", EU law states, "Member States shall consult each other with a view to taking together the steps needed to prevent the functioning of the internal market being affected".

There is little prospect of the EU allowing Britain to unilaterally suspend migration from Greece, a member state of 31 years' standing. It was as recently as April that the EU Commission warned the UK to fully comply with European law on the free movement of people or face an EU court case. In addition, as the excellent Free Movement blog notes, since Article 18 prohibits discrimination based on nationality, any restrictions on Greek immigration would need to apply to all EU citizens.Would Cameron really be willing to see free movement suspended for UK citizens? (An event that would have deleterious consequences for his net migration target.)

Worse than the Prime Minister's feeble understanding of EU law, however, was his sinister suggestion that Greek people represent a threat to our economy. He told MPs: "I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep our country safe, to keep our banking system strong, to keep our economy robust. At the end of the day, as prime minister, that is your first and foremost duty." So, the biggest threat to our "robust" (recession-plagued) economy and our "strong" (crooked) banking system is posed by our fellow Europeans. Until yesterday, no country, including those that share a border with Greece, had suggested pulling up the drawbridge and abandoning the principle of free movement. How shameful that it is the UK that is the first to do so.

Why should anyone accept Greek economic refugees in the UK?

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Niko777

Now, Greece failing to afford athletes for London Olympics 2012

lol!!!

Greece will eventually send a team of about 105 athletes in the Olympic Games. This is the smallest team of the latest Olympic Games, smaller than 2008, 2000 and even slightly smaller that the 1996 team.
Some of our teams failed to qualify, most notably men-basketball and amazingly women-water polo (a team that won the World Cup 12 months ago!). Men-water polo will be the only team sport Greece will participate.

Let’s see if they’ll bring any medals. Greece’s rank in Olympics was:
46th (1988), 26th (1992), 16th (1996), 17th (2000), 15th (2004, host), 58th (2008)

[George S.]

Oh No: Greeks Can No Longer Afford to Pay Expensive Bribes
Wednesday, 01 August 2012
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/21571/46/
Greeks, whose country is facing bankruptcy, can no longer afford the expensive customary cash-filled "fakelaki" or "little envelope" bribes paid to public sector workers, according to an official.

Greece, solely dependent on international aid to remain solvent, has struggled for decades with rampant corruption that has hampered efforts to raise taxes and reform its stricken economy.

The health sector and the tax authorities topped the country's corruption rankings for 2011, said a report by Leandros Rakintzis, tasked with uncovering wrongdoing in the public sector.

"While the crisis has not reduced corruption itself, it has reduced the price of corruption," Rakintzis told Skai TV after publishing his annual report.

"They (civil servants) have lowered their price," he added.

Greeks have suffered steep cuts to pensions and wages as part of austerity measures demanded by the EU and International Monetary Fund in exchange for aid.

The country's worst economic crisis since World War Two has helped push the economy into a fifth year of recession and forced thousands of businesses to close, putting one in five Greeks out of a job.

As the crisis deepens, more and more Greeks find themselves no longer able to pay expensive bribes, Rakintzis said.

"There are no longer serious corruption offences. There is no money for major wrongdoings," he was quoted as saying by Proto Thema newspaper.

Out of 1,403 corruption cases examined, 393 were referred to prosecutors. The worst offenders were officials working at the tax authority as well as high ranking civil servants with many years of work experience, the report found.

In one incident, a tax office official gave her fiancé proof of tax clearance even though he never submitted his tax return and had arrears amounting to 178,863 euros.

In another example, a Foreign Ministry official issued visas without carrying out necessary checks.

Overhauling its tax system and improving its public sector are among a long list of reforms Greece's foreign lenders have long demanded the country push through.

"The struggle (against corruption) is not easy but long, difficult and painful and demands persistent political will because it faces many hurdles," Rakintzis wrote in the report, citing red tape and lawsuits filed by the accused.

[Risto the Great]

The Greeks are so Balkan, no matter what kind of European clothing they steal and conceal themselves in.