Latest Greek Corona virus lock down regulations

Greece has imposed a form of curfew in order to curb the spread of  Covid19. From yesterday those outdoors need to have some reason for travelling and some form ID (passport/police ID etc). Those who are travelling to or from work need to fill in a Type A form from the Greek government site which they have to fill in. That form has to signed and their employer needs to stamp the paper There is a fine of 150 euros for those not heeding the news rules.

Type A form can be downloaded in English  here.

For reasons other than work, people need a Type B form which can be downloaded in English here.

Alternatively, you can send a free SMS to 13033 in the way.
X (number listed below-space-name&address

eg 3 Giannis Papadopoulos 4 Agiou Dimitriou, Thessaloniki

1 Pharmacy/doctor
2 Supermarket etc
3 Banks
4 Giving help to member of a vulnerable group e.g shopping for an elderly neighbour.
5 Traveling to a ceremony
6 Physical exercise or exercising/feeding pet

Finally, you can write out a handwritten version of this ahead of your journey. This must contain the following information:

Full Name
Home Address
Reason for moving within the above permitted categories and destination address
Date, Time, Signature

NOTE: Greek banks are no longer accepting payments in cash in branches and putting limits of the amount of money that can be withdrawn per day.via ATMs.

For more info and latest development check out the Keep Talking Greece blog.

Wood, winter and wishful thinking

Nowadays it's now known as fuel poverty, but to older generations it is huddling in cold, damp rooms round an inadequate fire hoping that either the weather will get better or that you'll have enough money to see out the cold spell. With temperatures in Greece dropping below zero in the mountainous northern regions, one of  the government's most hated tax measures is starting to take effect. The decision by Athens to raise heating oil taxation by 40% seems to have backfired as millions decided not to turn on their oil fired central heating and turned to other sources, most notably, wood burning stoves, leaving the government with 790 million euro shortfall.

In the northern region of Kozani heating oil whole sellers reported an 85% drop in demand in comparison  with last year, whilst businesses supplying wood, sometimes logged illegally are seeing a roaring trade as Greeks seek to heat their homes using traditional wood burning stoves known as soumbes.

Already the effects can seen in large cities with atmospheric pollution on the rise, leading many Athenian twitter users to remark on the use of wood along with heavy fog  effected the capital last night.

The government's decision to raise tax on such a basic item as heating in a country with shrinking wages and a 25% unemployment was justified on the grounds that the Greek treasury was losing billions in revenue due to more lightly taxed heating oil was being used in the place of diesel. However, the move has ended up punishing the 2/3 Greek households that till recently relied upon heating oil and lead to the drop in overall government revenues as people simply buy less oil.

However, tax hikes are just one part of the equation, and is with so many other economic issues in Greece the role of cartels and monopolies controlled by local oligarchs has to be taken into account.Like many other tax increases the use of cartels means that any increase in cost is pressed directly onto the consumer and not absorbed wholly or partially by the supplier as would normally happen in a free market with fair competition. In a recent report the IMF similarly warned that one of the reasons for Greece's inability to improve competitiveness was lack of competition in the local oil refining industry which kept prices much higher than in other EU countries.

As today's 'Reuters article on the role of oligarchs in the Greek crisis points out such closed shop policies are only possible with the connivance of the politicians in government who often pass legislation designed specifically to protect the interests of the small group of Greek tycoons who continue to exert a stranglehold on the economy and are defying all attempts to get them to take their share of the nation's tax burden.

Despite repeated claims by prime minister, Antonis Samaras that the worse is over and that Greece will return to growth in the near future the same corrupt political elite that helped create the current debt crisis now poses, to the disbelief of many inside and outside Greece as the country's saviours.

Greece's political elite gears up for new elections

Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis defies speaking ban to address anti-government rally, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

"Apocalypse, bane, coup de grace, death knell, end of the world, The End of days "

Judging by the reports circulating in both the Greek and foreign media The End of Days is indeed almost upon us if Athens cannot form a government within the next 24 hours. You would think that such an awful prospect would focus minds of those in power and yet it is just business as usual for Greece's political elite who, even now are more interested in playing political musical chairs than in dealing with deep rooted problems.


According to much of the local media Greece is facing catastrophe as the Radical Left Coalition party (SYRIZA) is refusing to take part in a government of national salvation along with PASOK, New Democracy and the Democratic Left. As a result journalists and senior officials say that new elections will have to be held which could irreparably damage the country and lead to Athens exit for the Eurozone and possibly EU.



However, the maths do not add up. PASOK, New Democracy and Democratic Left have between them 168 seats in the country's 300 seat parliament, more than enough to form a majority government. Indeed, if the Independent Greek party could be persuaded to come on board then the coalition would boast an impressive 201 majority. However the fly in the ointment is the Democratic Left's insistence that they will only help form a government if SYRIZA is also part of it. On the right Panos Kammenos's conservative Independent Greeks have repeatedly refused to co-operate with New Democracy.




However, that is not the media narrative being promoted. Instead Antonis Samaras, leader of New Democracy, Evangelos Venizelos, leader of PASOK and Fotis Kouvellis, leader of Democratic Left have all put the blame firmly on SYRIZA's Alexis Tsipras. But if the situation is so dire then some kind of compromise can be reached, surely?




And the answer is no as this is all part of the tawdry political game that has been played since Greece sought  help with its debts in 2009. Once again the heads of the two major parties are hoping to shore up their dwindling electoral base by scaring the living daylights out of voters with talk of unpaid pensions and imminent economic collapse. PASOK, led first by Giorgos Papandreou and then by Venizelos used the same language to push through austerity legislation despite the presence of hundreds of thousands of disgruntled Greeks protesters outside parliament.




Instead of cobbling together a government both Samaras and Venizelos are already campaigning for the next round of elections, most probably set for 17th June by attacking SYRIZA who are according to latest polls on track to be the largest party. The message is clear, if you vote SYRIZA Greece will go bankrupt, be kicked out of the Eurozone and all your savings will be lost. The EU has helpfully made such scenarios more realistic by refusing to release money promised for the payment of Greece's day to day running costs (money destined for debt repayments was paid on time).


It is a message that is likely to weigh on people's minds as they vote and may be enough to put off those considering voting left. On the other hand, unemployment, especially among the young is climbing rapidly, prices of basic goods are spiralling upwards and many have lost any hope of a decent future. Will they be swayed by talk of the End of Days? For them they are already here. Will talk of lost savings affect those under 30 who have none to speak of?


There are two contradictory forces at work as far as the next elections are concerned. On the one hand the fear of possible national bankruptcy may well drive those who still have something to lose back into the arms of New Democracy and PASOK and so give them a boost, perhaps enough to form a government of their own.



On the other hand disgust with the ineptitude and corruption of the current political set up has not disappeared and the inability of the main leaders to recognise that is costing them dearly. People know full well, that despite promises to renegotiate terms of the bailout agreement if Germany refuses (and there seems every indication that they will) then Greek politicians will have little choice but to accept the decision. Another round of public spending cuts and tax hikes would follow just adding to the economic woes that Greece has been facing for the last five years.





SYRIZA benefited from the disgust that ordinary Greeks feel about their government in May and that is likely to be repeated in June. However, there are several factors that may up their share of the vote still further. Both PASOK and New Democracy have shown that even after the drubbing they received they have not changed attitudes in the slightest and still continue to act as if the elections never happened. This will provide SYRIZA with extra votes, especially from younger voters who are not benefiting from the status quo.


Also the endless back room political games played by newly formed Democratic Left in the last few weeks have alienated even its own MPs and will cost them in June, the most likely recipient of their votes will be SYRIZA. The fact that the Greek Communist party has decided not to work with any other left parties has irked many of its electoral base, especially the young who do not want to sit of the political sidelines. Though the number of voters will be quite small as the party's supporters are among the most loyal in Greek politics


Lastly, as SYRIZA has emerged as a viable political force more and more voters will no longer see a vote cast for them as wasted, so attracting people who see them as something more than a party of protest. Voters, like everyone else love winners.

Peering into the future - Some predictions for the Greek election results

It's now just after 5pm here in Greece and within a couple of hours the voting will have finished and the first exit polls will be published. unlike many other elections the outcome of today's vote is far from clear. The largest party is most likely to be the conservative New Democracy with about 20-25%, followed by PASOK with 10-15% (the numbers are necessarily vague, a product of wildly differing opinion poll results). This is in sharp contrast to the 2009 national elections in which these two parties got the lion share of the vote with 78% combined, reflecting the stranglehold they have had over power since the late 70's.

However, beyond these two predictions not much else can be said for the possible make up of a future Greek government. The ECB, EU and IMF are all banking on these two parties being able to scrape together a majority in parliament in order to continue with the latest round of austerity measures scheduled for June and July. The leaders of PASOK and New Democracy, while swearing blind to the contrary are both hoping their electoral base will have held firm enough to give them a place in a coalition government and so avoid bloody internal conflict involving both backbenchers and rank and file party members. Both Venizelos and Samaras are by no means loved universally loved by their own supporters and a failure to get into power would open up still raw wounds  .

On the other hand many other smaller parties are picking up support from disgruntled ND/PASOK voters and that is really the joker in the pack, threatening to overturn the political status quo that was created in the aftermath of the fall of brutal Regime of the Colonels in 1974. Some parties such as the rightist Independent Greeks are new creations whilst others such as the Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn have a longer, if more savage lineage, either way they are attracting votes at a rate that would have been inconceivable even a couple of years ago.

On the left of the spectrum the old school communist party KKE has gained ground as have other leftist parties such as The Radical Left (SYRIZA) and the newly minted Democratic Left with some estimates saying their combined share of the vote may pass 40%.The one thing that unites such disparate groups is their opposition to the austerity package imposed by Greece's creditors, however what else could possibly bring them together remains a mystery.

I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and say that I believe that the polls will produce a three party coalition government including PASOK, New Democracy and possibly Independent Greeks party. I base this prediction on nothing more scientific than a hunch and past experience of Greek politics (though give the sweeping changes going through the system that may not be the best guide). the thing to remember when analysing politics here is that ideological labels often count for little when power is concerned and so a coalition will be based on mutually aligned interests rather than political overlap.

If such an alliance does take power I believe that it is destined to fall apart as the political cost of yet more job cuts and tax hikes takes its toll. So quite possibly Greece will be going to the polls once more before September.

"But you have no choice?" - Why Greeks refuse to lay down and play dead

"We won't pay, we won't sell, we owe nothing. We will win" Los Indignados, Thessaloniki, Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

“But surely the Greeks have no choice but to accept the new austerity measures?” That was the question posed to me recently by a young BBC reporter and in its way sums up the chasm between the way the international (and much of the local) media sees the present financial crisis and how it's perceived by ordinary Greeks.

On the one hand the decision is simple, either implement the reforms demanded by your creditors or go bankrupt. The problem is many Greeks are already bankrupt, they're in the middle of the worse economic downturn in modern Greek history and after 18 months of austerity have run out hope, patience and most importantly, money.

In effect a large swathe of the population is already insolvent, especially those who were struggling to make ends meet even before the current crisis hit. For them whether the Eurozone folds or Greece defaults is a matter of complete indifference, facing as they do the prospect of losing their job, having their power cut off and seeing their children's future disappear. What the hell do they care about the state of international money markets?

For others the pressure of constant worrying about their financial situation has already proved too much. A tragic case that come to mind is an acquaintance of mine whom I bumped into a week ago, seeing her frantic and distraught I initially thought that she'd had too much sun, caught out by the sudden appearance of good weather. Later as she lay down in the shade, drinking water given by passers by I realised that she was in fact suffering from something else. Muttering constantly about how she was a suitable employee, she suddenly sat up and whipped a wad of papers which turned out to be her CVs which she then thrust into the hands of anyone near enough to take them, talking all the while about how she was a good employee and she deserved the job.

It became obvious that she was in the grip of a manic episode and that her psychological state was delicate but thankfully one of her neighbours turned up and escorted her home while she keep up an endless stream of talk about the skills she had, the qualifications she possessed.

I'm not sure what her psychological background is and whether this was a new occurence but deep in my heart I'm convinced that the current crisis has literally sent her mad. I hate to use such crude terminology but the reality of the situation is so awful coy euphemisms are just plain insulting to everyone concerned. The incident which unsettled me deeply brought home the fact that we could all be in such a position if Fortune, which seems all knees and sharp elbows at the moment pushed just a little too hard in the wrong direction.

Given the fact that nothing in the current austerity package offers anything like a way out of the current economic slump, except in some semi-mythical long term scenario, don't blame the Greeks for not putting another millstone around their neck willingly. The have lived the effects of austerity for 18 months and all it has brought it decline, depression and despair.

The vote in parliament over the new austerity legislation next week is almost an irrelevance as even if does pass the real battle won't be in the debating chamber but on the streets outside as outraged Greeks show their anger and disgust with a morally bankrupt political leadership that capitulated without a real fight.

Greek civil servants strike

Greek civil servants strike, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

According to the leading Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the next 72 hours are going to prove crucial if the government is to convince European and International money markets that Greece can be trusted to implement its Stabilisation program and reduce its massive $400 billion debt load. Athens, Greece. 10/02/2010.

The program announced this week by recently elected socialist prime minister Giorgos Papandreou has angered civil service trade unions unhappy with goods in bonuses and the promise of a two year wage freeze. In response the civil service trade union confederation ADEDY called a series of stoppages and strikes for the next three days. The action has grounded all flights in and out of the country and severely disrupted train timetables.



In addition trade unions and left wing political parties organised marches in Athens, Thessaloniki and over 60 other Greek towns. Braving torrential rains thousands took to the srtreets to protest the government's austerity measures.

Despite promising wage increases and a rise in unemployment benefits the left wing PASOK government is unlikely to concede to worker's demands as such a move would weaken attempts by Athens to secure a European backed bailout package. Despite initial talk of Greece putting its own economic house in order intense pressure by speculators has raised fears that if Greece defaults on its financial commitments failure would have a knock on effect on Portugal and Spain and so threaten the Euro itself.

Demotix

Thanks to Eleni for lending me her camera.

Greek government attempts to shut down internet news sites

The Greek government has made move to shut down Indymedia sites in the capital, Athens and neighbouring Patras according to local news sources. Following questions in parliament by member of the far right LAOS party, Kyriakos Velopoulos, junior minister for Education and Religious Affairs, Spyros Taliadouros demanded that the National Technical University of Athens (Greece's equivalent of MIT) immediately locate and shut down the site which is hosted on the university's server.

The site still remains in operation, however, Konstantinos Moutzouris dean of the university has said that while Indymedia sites make use of the universities facilities thay have not been given permission to do so. In addition according to national daily, Kathimerini the university is currently making attempts to find and shut down the site.

In addition an article in this Sunday's Paron newspaper claimed that the newly appointed minister for Justice, Nikos Dendias is aiming to inroduce legislation that would end Greek bloggers right to anonymity. The publication immediately provoked uproar across the Greek language blogosphere prompting the minister to make an official statment denying that any such legislation was being considered.

However, despite the announcement there is a widespread belief amongst Greek bloggers that the current ruling New Democracy party is attempting to reign in critics on the internet in view of the possibility of forthcoming elections.

With a slender one seat majority in parliament and its standing in the polls dropping badly the Kostas Karamanlis's government is seen as likely to fall. Growing resentment over the handling of last year's corruption scandals, mounting economic problems and an ongoing series of crisis in education, law and order and health care mean that elections seem likely.