EU believes puts its faith in guns not aid

According to a secret document released on 25 May 2015 by Wikileaks the EU is in the process of implementing a plan for the use of military force in order to deal with the growing refugee influx from Libya to Europe via the Mediterranean. The plan devised by the EU Politico-Military Group aims to "disrupt human smuggling networks" and  "to contribute to systematic efforts to identify, capture and destroy vessels before they are used by traffickers".

Given the turbulent nature of Libya in the aftermath of the NATO - sponsored overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, how yet more European military intervention is going to affect the situation on the ground is unclear. This, in turn leads to the problems of identifying "traffickers" (as the document calls those taking migrants to Europe) in a fluid, often violent civil conflict in which different factions are vying for advantage. It is all too easy in these cases to be misled by groups hoping to use European military force to even the odds by way of air strikes. As the West's debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan, shows ignorance of local history, customs and political realities is often fatal for civilians. 

Yet even if EU manages to avoid the mistakes of the past it is hard to imagine how such actions will do anything more than temporarily limit numbers from Libya. The operations are being marketed as a way of saving refugees from the dangers of a taking a route which has cost the lives of thousands, but refugees are perfectly aware of the risks they take when crossing the Mediterranean. With the expansion in ownership of smart phones worldwide, modern refugees can often contact home via services such as Viber and Facebook, so ensuring valuable, potentially life saving information can be shared. Faced with the choice of drowning on a leaky vessel and going back to the war torn homes they fled, they are opting for the former, given the fact the EU immigration rules have given very little chance of choosing a safer alternative.

Even if, by some miracle European war planes/ships do manage to target just smuggler ships what exactly happens to those intercepted in international waters? Will they be forced back to Libya, fired upon if the crew refuses to heed warnings, foisted off on some third nation's territory following Australia's example?

Should this measure work then the next step would be the switch to smaller, less easily detected vessels even less suitable for making a long sea crossing and hence we have the possibility that a successful interdiction policy will lead to even more drownings of men, women and children in the Mediterranean, now the most dangerous stretch of water for refugees in the world. Alternatively, the flow of those willing to risk all for a better life will be channelled elsewhere to places such as Spain and Greece whose close proximity by sea to other non-EU nations make them impossible to seal off unless the most draconian of war time precautions are employed.

Already, Greece has become a transit spot and many unable to fly or use other forms of transport are walking across the Balkans in order to reach places such as Germany and Holland. In cities in the north the parks are now temporary home to groups, often composed of families with young children taking a short break before continuing their arduous trek north (see previous post). In an era when air travel has become more affordable than ever before we are faced with the sight of groups of people attempting to cross a continent on foot.

On a deeper, more moral level the idea of using military action in a humanitarian crisis is a symptom of a malaise in Europe, instead of providing aid and relief to those fleeing war, poverty and other disasters in places such as Syria and Yemen The EU, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, is authorising the use of force against some of the poorest and most desperate people on the planet. 

The deliberate conflation of the terms "smuggling" and "trafficking" by European politicians and mainstream media outlets is part of the current media strategy aimed at legitimising military action to deal with, what in essence is a refugee crisis. The idea is that people who smuggle others (angels by no means|) over a border are the same as those who are little more than modern day slavers.This, itself the product of the hardening of attitudes to newly arrived migrants, minorities and other groups of the poor who have suffered the brunt of austerity measures implemented since the 2008 financial crisis. Often the poorest are pitted against each other in a bitter fight for basic resources such as employment, health care and housing

Attitudes to immigration, once the preserve of far right fringe groups such as the ultra-right British National Party are now to be considered respectable enough to be part of mainstream political discourse and even worse are becoming the basis for initiatives that remind us of the darker days of Europe's recent past. 

Walking North - Europe's crisis of conscience.

Today it was lentil and tomato soup, some bread and cheap chocolate croissants for the kids. As welcome as the home cooked food was, what most of the refugees that have chosen a park in the northern port city of Thessaloniki were interested in was Wi-Fi passwords and a place to charge their smart phones. We live in a schizophrenic age when people are forced to walk halfway across the European continent as if in a 1940's newsreel yet are guided by the latest Google apps and can tell family and friends back home that they are safe via Facebook and Viber.

At a time when flying from Greece to Berlin, Oslo or Rome can cost less than the price of mediocre restaurant meal the EU's draconian immigration regulations and the ever coarsening attitudes of northern European nations to refugees means that thousands are trekking across the Balkans, hiding in forests, sleeping rough in parks in the hope of escaping the wars Europe has been so eagerly fostering directly or indirectly in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Along with groups of young men now the parks in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki,  and other cities across the Balkans are playing host to entire families, some with young kids also making the same arduous journey north. Hence the food my friend and I have been distributing, along with the advice on getting internet access. Not much compared with what they have face in the coming days and weeks but something, a remainder that Europe is not just home to frightened xenophobes, happy to forget their own horror stories of war and dislocation every time political carpet baggers and publicity hungry media bigots want to grab votes and headlines.

1 MAH - 1 ΜΑΥ

Armenians mark 100th anniversary of the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman empire in 2015

Easter Friday - The Epitaph

Pillow fight - Thessaloniki, Greece

4th International Women's Caravan reaches Thessaloniki, Greece

Skouries protesters Vs riot police

Taken at the anti-mining protests by the residents of the northern Greek region of Halkidiki. The riots police hid among the trees waiting to be called upon should the protests turn violent. The gold mine run by a Canadian based Eldorado corporation in conjunction with local oligarch owned business.

Greeks celebrate run up to Lent

In the run up to Lent there are a kinds of festivals and celebrations in Greece, usually accompanied by some delicious dish. Tsiknopempti or "Ash Thursday" was no exception as the country turns into a huge barbecue pit and people gorge themselves on soulaki, sausages and steaks all liberally washed down with ouzo, retsina or wine. As this is also the carnival season people need little excuse to put on fancy dress and head for a party often held in the streets.

Bell ringers in Thessaloniki, Greece

As well as the run of the mill, we're all going to lose our saving, be kicked out of the Eurozone, EU (even Eurovision if the Germans have their way say some wages) life went on remarkably normally. There was an international festival of  "bell-ringers" in which people from communities all over Greece and beyond once more celebrated Balkan - wide rites of Spring traditions in the run up to lent.

Updating the blog

A retrospective update of my blog. What between tweeting about Greek elections, taking photographs and fighting off a chest infection straight out of the Contagion B-roll I haven't done much here lately.

Greece held elections on the 25th January and despite all predictions to the contrary, the world did not end not did global economy implode, but Europe being Europe, this simply meant the same threats were rewarmed and served up again and again and again, over the following weeks as Athens and its creditors played hard ball the possibility of a new deal.

For the first time I can recall, the central squares of Greece's major cities were filled with pro not anti-government protests.



In Athens the fact 20,000 people had gathered outside parliament in support of the Syriza-led government caused no end of cognitive dissonance to the riot police units on duty. Here in Thessaloniki Greeks from across the political spectrum came in support of the government's stance, echoing the start of the Indignant movement in 2012.,

2015 - The Year We Fight Back

We're barely into February and already Syriza, a  radical left government has been elected in Greece in the face of fierce media resistance, their victory challenging the prevailing pro-austerity narrative that has wrought such destruction in southern Europe. Soon it seems the same feat is going to be repeated elsewhere as Podemos gains popularity and takes on Spain's corrupt political elite.

Orwellian economics - The insane dilemma at the heart of the Greek debate.

For those unfamiliar with Europe's unique take on macro-economic theory, here is a primer that attempts to explain Greek government's dilemma in dealing with its creditors; But let us put the problem in its context through the use of an extract from the end of George Orwell's 1984; O'Brien, Winston Smith's torturer and now mentor lectures him on the relationship between numbers and political reality;




“Do you remember,” he went on, “writing in your diary, ‘Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four’?”

“Yes,” said Winston.

O’Brien held up his left hand, its back toward Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended. “How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?”

“Four.”

“And if the Party says that it is not four but five—then how many?
”
“Four.”

The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out an over Winston’s body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O’Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.

“How many fingers, Winston?”

“Four.”

The needle went up to sixty. “How many fingers, Winston?”...

“Five! Five! Fivel”

“No, Winston, that is no use. You are lying. You still think there are four. How many fingers, please?”

“Four! Five! Four! Anything you like. Only stop it, stop the pain!”

In essence these are the two choices that Greece's newly elected Syriza administration is being offered by the Troika (as it is known locally) made up of the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Either Athens tells its creditors that with the current terms and conditions the debt load is unsustainable and that any chance of paying back in full the 317 billion euros borrowed since the first bailout deal in 2010 is, in practical terms, impossible. In which case Greeks face the possibility of being unable to access further credit and so goes bankrupt with who knows what consequences for the national economy.

Alternatively Syriza accepts the current status quo, caves into creditors demands knowing that the terms and conditions imposed are impossible to meet in the long term and in the meantime is forced to impose yet more crippling austerity measures which have gutted the economic base.

More and more serious analysts, economists and observers consider the nation's debt cannot ever be repaid yet the Troika and many of the top EU players continue to insist there can be no serious renegotiation of the debt and certainly no debt relief.  Thus Europe, like O'Brien in 1984 has created an insane dilemma in which the protagonist has not only to submit no matter what logic and common sense dictate but also truly believe that this madness trumps reality.

If Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufaki fails to pull off a Kobayashi Maru style game changer and resets the parameters of the debate as now set down then whatever Syriza chooses, their fate will be the fate of Winston Smith in 1984 and the people of Greece, like Smith will be made to suffer for believing that financial reality is more important than ideology,

Let us leave Orwell with the last word(s).

“You are a slow learner, Winston,” said O’Brien gently.

“How can I help it?” he blubbered. “How can I help seeing what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four.”

“Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.”

Greece wakes up to a different world.

By all rights the world, at least that corner of the world that is forever Greece should be in tatters, the the entire nation in ruins, or at last teetering on the edge of the abyss. Sorry for the hyperbole but that's what happens when you follow too much of the media coverage of Syriza's unprecedented election victory on Sunday. For those unfamiliar with modern Greek politics for the first time since the mid 70's neither the conservative New Democracy or the nominally centre-left Pasok party will be in government. It is as if USA had just elected a president who was neither Republican or Democrat or that the UK was now governed by the Green Party.

The electoral self-immolation of Pasok along with growing disenchantment with its right wing coalition government partner New Democracy drove away voters who in other eras would never have countenanced voting for a party as avowedly left-wing as Syriza. In doing so they have changed the political landscape more radically than at an other time since the fall of the military junta what ruled Greece till it was toppled in 1974.

Voters, sick of austerity and the endless succession of promises of recovery being just around the corner made by a political elite widely seen as out of touch abandoned the dominant parties to vote for Alexis Tsipras's Radical Left Alliance. Even the weeks of scare mongering by the government and its allies in the media proved insufficient to convince voters to give prime minister Antonis Samaras the mandate he needed to stay in power.The daily predictions by Greek and EU officials of a Grexit, bank runs and even the possibility of a collapse in the economy so dire that ordinary people would not be able to buy even basics such as toilet paper failed to win back lost ground.



However, this  switch in allegiances had less to do with a general surge in sympathy for radical leftist ideas than with a groundswell of disgust with the politics of business as usual which have left many Greeks jobless, poorer and without hope for the future. The siren call of stability which the PM promoted so hard during the short but divisive campaign cut little ice with those who desperately need to see real change and not just endless talk of improvement in the the nation's 10 year bond yield or its standing with credit rating agencies such as Standard and Poors.

Since the the announcement of Syriza's victory on Sunday evening, the political developments have been coming thick and fast. Lacking the 151 seats needed to form a government on its own Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras brokered a deal with the right-wing Independent Greeks party to form a coalition. The announcement, which was made at midday Monday suggests that neither side was surprised by the offer and that the groundwork had been laid in advance, so catching off guard the other opposition parties who had assumed that the search for a partner would be a long and convoluted process, or even the prelude to another round of elections.

The choice of Independent Greeks has surprised many observers, especially those abroad who find it hard to comprehend a partnership between a radical socialist party and a conservative nationalist one, Yet for Syriza this constitutes the least worst choice given the options available. The most obvious candidate for coalition partner would have been the Greek Communist Party (KKE) but anyone even vaguely aware of Greek politics would have known that such an alliance would have been impossible as KKE would never compromise on its own leftist principles which include leaving the European Union, the Eurozone and NATO.



Others may have considered a partnership with PASOK (well, the S does stand for Socialist) would have been a better fit, but once again the party's role in imposing austerity plus its identification with the country's corrupt political elite would have proven unacceptable to Syriza rank and file, not to mention the fact that it would have instantly damned Tsipras in the eyes of voters seeking change.

The other likely partner for many analysts would have been the recently formed Potami (River) party headed by ex -TV presenter Stavros Theodorakis who's attempt to carve  out a centre - left niche for themselves in the Greek political landscape made them a good match for Syriza, at least on paper. However, this was never really on the cards for a number of reasons. Theodorakis, whose party's funding and basic policies still remain a mystery is widely seen by the Left as a stalking horse for Greece's oligarchs, a front for the vested interests that have been forced to abandon the traditional parties of power. To give Theodorakis the political equivalent of a "kill switch" would have not been acceptable.

So, in the end Independent Greeks who are often painted as a collection of right wing conspiracy theorists and borderline racists (imagine UKIP a la Grecque) made the cut, a decision that has already been condemned by many on the Left, both inside and outside Greece (for an account of why this is so, I recommend this blog post). However, the party led by Panos Kammenos repeatedly made clear its opposition to Troika imposed austerity measures and its participation will perhaps assuage more conservative Greeks that issues such as defence and policing will not be solely decided by a bunch of "wild radicals". It's also an admission that much of Syriza's support is not from those who traditionally identify themselves as left wing, let alone radical socialists.

Above all, such an alliance allows Syriza to implement policies which will be popular with voters and build up a more solid base ahead of any confrontation with Greece's creditors who seem unwilling to back down on the issue of debt renegotiation.

Vote Right. Greek PM's message to voters

The Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras leaving a campaign rally in Thessaloniki, after addressing the party faithful ahead of the national elections on Sunday.

Once more I happened to be in the right place at the right time, instead of being in a lesson which was a no-show I went to the Vellidio conference centre where the PM was due to speak. I managed to grab the last few few minutes of his speech and seeing he was about to leave via the central entrance I  waited outside for him to carve his way out of the place ahead of the flotilla of secret service guys.

Alexis Tsipras, leader of Syriza greets supporters at campaign rally in Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek opposition leader, Alexis Tsipras greets supporters at campaign rally last night in the northern port city of Thessaloniki. Come Sunday there is a good chance the party he leads, SYRIZA will win the elections and form Europe's most radical government in decades.

PASOK leader on the campaign trail

Evangelos Venizelos, leader of the Greek PASOK party about to address supporters ahead of next weeks elections. The audience was dominated by the party's ageing party base, with those under 40 being a distinct minority.

The EU Death Star moves to crush the rebellion in the outer provinces.

Admiral Scauble: Any attack made by SYRIZA rebels against the Eurozone would be a useless gesture, no matter what financial data they have obtained. This currency is now the ultimate power on the Continent! I suggest we use it!

Darth Vader: Don't be too proud of this fiscal terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a nation is insignificant next to the power of the Markets.

A poster is For life, not just the holidays

The rest of the set is here 

I've drawn upon a pretty diverse range of source for these posters; Tacitus, Martin Luther King, Audre Lorde, Voltaire, Hong Kong democracy activists, Usual Suspects, Fight Club, Sucker Punch, Sam Cooke, George Orwell, Woody Guthrie et al.

Je Suis Charlie - Greeks remember the victims of the Charlie Hebdo tragedy

More than 1,000 residents of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece turned out in solidarity with victims of the terror incidents in France. After a minute of silence in memory of those killed participants went on a silent march through the centre of the city and were later addressed by the French consul and the mayor.

Greek Orthodox Christians mark the Epiphany in Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek elections - state of play so far

The Greek national election campaign is now well under way and all parties involved have started their campaigns, both on the road an in the media. The Greek prime prime minister, Antonis Samaras kicked off New Democracy's efforts with a televised rally in a hotel in city of Larissa, almost immediately followed by SYRIZA leader's rally in a stadium in Athens. The contrast could not have been greater, while the prime minister gave a lacklustre performance which meet with lukewarm response, even among party faithful, Alexis Tsipras on the other hand showed just how far he's come as a public speaker, both energising the party base with his speech and showing that he was clearly setting himself out as a national leader.

In the meantime, coalition party leader Evangelos Venizelos addressed PASOK party members in a cafe, reminding viewers that the glory days of the party when they could attract crowds numbering hundreds of thousands were well and truly over.

To add to the uncertainty surrounding the most unpredictable Greek election in years, ex-prime minister and once leader of PASOK Giorgos Papandreou announced his formation of a new party, The Movement of Democratic Socialists in the same period, a move that was quickly condemned by the current PASOK leader as "irrational and unethical". Some media outlets were even predicting, rather generously as it would later turn out, that the new party would garner anything up to 6% of the poll, so allowing it representation in parliament.

New Democracy's campaign which as being spraying the internet with banner ads and pop up non-stop since the day of the vote for president has been focused on playing on fears of ordinary Greeks that a SYRIZA victory would be tantamount to an exit for the Eurozone, even the the European union itself. 

The talk of Grexit cultivated by the Samaras and echoed by pro-government TV stations and newspapers has spooked markets and led to a number of European officials to back track and say that such a contingency is out of the question. However, such denials did not stop prime minister repeating such threats in his speech on Tuesday in the northern city of Komotini, though latest news reports seem to indicate that the party's campaign will change direction and now focus on the government's track record in power.

As part of this change in tack it seems Samaras is willing to use the even more incendiary topic of immigration, even the tragic deaths of the 12 people killed in the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris on Wednesday were used by him in order to attack SYRIZA's immigration policies. In his speech in Halkidi he said, 

"There was a massacre today in Paris yet some people want to invite more illegal immigrants and hand out citizenship"

This campaign promises to be the dirtiest in years, and as if to underline the point the prime minister and other senior New Democracy figures were eagerly using the deaths of the victims in Paris to drum up votes for their party which has consistently been behind the polls over the last few weeks. Whilst some surveys have put SYRIZA anything up to 7.5% ahead, most seem to agree on a 3-4% lead for Alexis Tsipras's Radical Left party, despite the fact that they are facing an almost uniformly hostile mainstream media inside Greece and to a large degree abroad.

If such figures prove accurate this mean that SYRIZA will be unlikely to elect the 151 MPs required to have a majority government in Greece's 300 seat parliament and so will probably need to form a coalition with one or more of the smaller parties vying for power. This is where the waters muddy and accurate predictions of what will happen on election day and afterwards become less certain. All the other parties who could be in parliament are polling between 6 and 2% which given the margin of error present in such cases means any meaningful estimation of how seats will be distributed is difficult.

However, some guesses can be made. It would seem sure that KKE (Greek Communist Party) will once again get 4-6% and so about 12 seats as it did in 2012. Whilst KKE has not been able to exploit the economic crisis in order to widen its base, it's party organisation and strong campaigning abilities mean that the party faithful will turn out and support them. Likewise Golden Dawn's support in the polls has remain steady at 5-6% despite the jailing of most of it leadership on criminal charges pending trial. Despite almost singularly negative press coverage there remains a hardcore of voters who are willing to vote for them, no mater what.

On the other the once might PASOK party was in the throes of a major meltdown, even before the announcement of Papandreou's new party which is likely to drain what is left of its popular support among older voters. Latest polls show PASOK at between 3 and 5% and the Movement of Democratic Socialists at 2-3%, though there is a possibility that neither will break the 3% barrier needed to gain a seat in parliament. The situation is not helped by high level defections from PASOK to other parties. Today, PASOK cabinet minister Angela Gerekou announced she would be standing on a New Democracy ticket in the next elections.

The other major unknown is the amount of success the Potami (River) party will enjoy,set up last year by a former TV presenter with the oligarch owned MEGA TV station, Potami has been built up as a centre - left alternative to SYRIZA for those unhappy with PASOK's record in power. Currently, it is polling 5-7% and seems on track to be the third largest party.

Other parties such as the far light LAOS and the centre left Democratic Left party who once were government coalition partners have paid the price for pushing through deeply unpopular austerity measures and seem unlikely to win even one seat in parliament. Even the Independent Greeks party once seen as a viable centre right alternative to New Democracy is struggling to reach 3%

(It should be noted though that Greece's pollsters have proven notorious political in the results over the last few elections and so any results should be taken with a pinch of salt, and the political affiliations of the news outlets that commission them should be taken into account).

Whatever the final outcome, it seems SYRIZA may need allies, but this is where things get complicated. A first glance the most obvious coalition partner would seem to be KKE but this is extremely unlikely given the deep ideological gulf that divides them. The insistence of KKE's party leadership on maintaining ideological purity in the face of siren calls of power is unlikely to disappear soon.

A partnership with either a rump PASOK or Potami also is not without risks and threatens to split SYRIZA which till very recently was a loose coalition of leftist parties, many of who are far to the left of the Tsipras leadership and would view such allies with the deep suspicion, seeing them as the agents of the establishment seeking to worm their way back into positions of power and responsibility. 

Finally, there is a possibility that no government may be formed and so Greece may have to go to the polls again. Such a move would definitely make the nation's creditors deeply uneasy as it would raise the spectre of default over debt repayments due in 2015. 

2014: A Visual Retrospective

Best people to follow on Twitter in the run up to the 2015 elections - Greece

On 25th January the Greeks will once go to the polls to elect a new government, if the international media coverage so far is anything to go by the chances are we will see a repeat of the scaremongering news headlines that marked elections in 2012. Once again people who know no more about Greek politics than  you will appear on your screens and in the newspapers passing themselves off as experts. Often they will be doing nothing more than repeating received wisdom handed to them by EU and Greek government officials and their English speaking allies in the domestic press.

To give you a chance of hearing a much wider, not to say better informed range of opinions I have compiled a list of Twitter users who have consistently proven to be reliable sources of English language information about what is happening in Greece. They are an eclectic bunch though most would place themselves on the Left of the political spectrum, a fact neither I nor they hide. Ideology aside, though, they are people whose opinions I trust and who have demonstrated time and time again that they care more about telling the truth than promoting a particular party line.

So, in no particular order, let me present;

Asteris Masouras - The Godfather of  the Greek twittersphere.

Keep Talking Greece - Blogger who runs a website analysing latest Greek stories in English.

Thomais Papaioannou - Greek reporter based in Paris - Writes in Greek, French and English.

Stephanos Livos - Writer. Tweets in Greek and English.

Apostolis Fotiadis - Freelance journalist based in Athens.

Spyros Gkelis - Cyanobacteriologist, university lecturer. Tweets in Greek, English, Spanish, Italian.

Damian Mac Con Uladh - An Athens based Irish journalist.

Albert John - A rogue economist based in Greece.

The Press Project - An independent news outlet providing news and analysis for a global audience,

Vasiliki Siouti - A Greek journalist who writes in Greek and English.

Olivier Drot - Journalist and photographer, Writes in French, Greek and English

Mehran Khalili - Does political communications and photojournalism.

Tsimitakis - Greek journalist who tweets extensively in English

Joanna P - Radio Bubble contributor

Katharine Sarikakis - Professor of Media Governance University of Vienna

Derek Gatopoulos - An AP writer who tweets in English and Greek

Bruno Tersago - News junkie, philhellene, freelance correspondent for Flemish and Dutch media - based in Greece.

ElenaTzouanacou - UK based academic who writes in Greek and English.

Nick Barnets - An Athens based freelancer.

Katja Lihtenvalner - Athens based Slovenian reporters who also tweets in English

Stratos Moraitis - Writes in Greek, English and Turkish.

Yanis Varoufakis - Economics professor now standing as a SYRIZA candidate.

Zoe Mavroudi - Greek director and documentary film maker.

Yiannis Baboulis - Greek journalist based in Athens.

Yiannis Mouzakis - Greek economic analyst - writes in Greek and English.

Theodora Oikonomides - Blogger and contributor to the RadioBubble indie news service.

Last but not least.

Teacher Dude - Blogger and photojournalists based in Thessaloniki, northern Greece

Do not think of this as a definitive list, but rather a first attempt, so I you want to suggest an addition to this list, help me out by posting a comment.

However, the following news organisations are definitely sitting out 2015 on the naughty step. Not because of their political line but rather the long track record of blindly relying on Greek government sources, sloppy fact checking and inability to distance themselves from an official party line. Do not take their reports on Greece at face value, make sure you double check with more reliable sources.

Guardian

Bloomberg

The BBC

The Economist

Kathimerini (Greek daily that has an English language edition)

What If The World Ended And No One Noticed? The Greek Government Falls

The world ended today at 12.40 PM, at least that's what the Greek and much of the international media had led us to believe would happen if the parliament in Athens failed to elect a new president after its third and final attempt today.

I happened to be walking through the centre of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city when the news broke that  prime minister Antonis Samaras had failed to secure the 180 votes needed to avoid new round of national elections. Alas, no one had told the shoppers getting ready for New Year the terrible revelation that the entire Eurozone economy had fallen off the cliff. I didn't have the heart to break the news to people window shopping on the central Tsimiski boulevard.

For such an apocalyptic event you'd think there would be some reaction, some sign of hysterical disbelief, but nope, nothing, nada, tipota as they say in Greece. But the world only ended in that magic realm called the mainstream media, home to unicorns, endless talk of crisis and hyperbole, not in the really, real world of shoppers struggling against the unseasonable cold snap that has gripped the city recently.

Unlike the ladies and gentlemen of the press peddling the end of the world angle this news was just another scaremongering story to be shrugged off by a people who have been subjected to six years of such nonsense. There are only so many time you can see on the nightly news bulletins that the End Is Neigh before you switch off.

For the last few weeks the government choice of candidate for president has attracted the kind of attention usually lavished on US presidential races, the parliament in Athens was besieged by foreign reporters eager to get the latest news during the first rounds of the vote.This is strange for a number of reasons, not least being the fact that the Greek president plays the same kind of role in the country's political system that the White House cat has in Washington. Also the results of the first two rounds of voting were a foregone conclusion to everyone inside Greece and a source of high drama to those reporters who'd parachuted in to cover the story.

The inevitable defeat of Stavros Dimas, the coalition's choice in these votes produced endless speculation amongst many foreign correspondents seemingly unaware that the real drama would be today when parliament voted once more. But why let something as mundane as reality spoil a white hot story? Where's the fun in that?

For a post that has little but symbolic value, the choice of Greek president was something that EU leadership seemed to take very seriously, like guys debating BBQ techniques, everyone had an opinion and everyone knew that not electing a president would be a VERY, VERY BAD THING!

In the Greek press the pages of the national newspapers and the nightly news bulletins were full of the dire consequences of not electing a president. There would be bank runs warned the head of the Bank of Greece, the sacrifices of the Greek would be wasted said the prime minister, the vote would be a "credit event" said the coalition spokeswoman in a TV interview. Everyone agreed that not electing a president would be a VERY, VERY BAD THING!

Then to add even more drama, the second vote was accompanied by accusations that some were attempting to bribe MPs to switch sides and support the coalition candidate. Pavlos Haikalis, an Independent Greeks MP recorded what he claimed was one such attempt on video and gave it to the authorities who promptly dismissed the accusation. The government and their allies in the media also claimed that such accusations were part of a plot by the opposition and the SYRIZA party in particular to derail the vote by intimidating MPs who might have wanted to change their stance.

As if to hammer home just how important the vote was the Greek prime minister addressed the nation on Saturday in a televised interview carried out by members off the state run NERIT network. In what can only politely be called a "staged" event the two nervous journalists who looked as if they expected to be fired or executed at any moment tentatively asked a series of questions which the PM  answered with the aid of an autocue or say many commentators. With the kind of care you use when feeding your holidaying neighbour's pit bull they went through the motions of an interview, probably thankful they got through to the end of it still with all ten fingers attached.

No follow questions were permitted and not one of the many dubious claims made by Antonis Samaras during the 30 minute audience were challenged instead of a hard hitting journalistic challenge, the whole event seemed more like a monarch granting an audience to courtiers. Ιndeed outside dictatorships of the Central Asian republics and North Korean kind, it's rare to see such an easy ride given to any political leader.

Despite all this drama which included members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party being bussed in from prison the vote turned out to be a lot less close than many (including myself) had predicted. The government failed to persuade any more MPs than the 168 that had supported them in the second round, falling far short of the 180 needed. Within less than two hours the date of national elections,   25th January was announced suggesting that the result came as no surprise to the political leadership.

Judging by the tactics, tone and rancour of this vote the national elections promise to be one of the dirtiest in living memory. With the radical left SYRIZA ahead in the polls and committed to challenging Greece's creditors the stakes couldn't be higher not just for a political establishment that has held sway since the 70's but also the country's shadowy, but ever present economic elite who have thrown their weight along with their media outlets behind the government.

The Guardian and SKY are already talking of crisis and economic turmoil, which is strange way to describe  a democratic vote in times of peace. But as happened in the 2012 elections showed there are many outside Greece eager to sway voters and make sure their opinions are heard.Once more a small economy on the edge of Europe is taking centre stage, once more punching far above its weight in the international scheme of things.

Greek general strike - 27th November 2014

Thessaloniki town hall - Greece

Ferguson - Black Lives Matter

A thug with a badge is still a thug - Athens, Greece

During the 17th November anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising, Greek police ran riot in central Athens and in their wake left beaten exchange students, reporters and unknown number of ordinary citizens, A thug with a badge is still a thug no matter what their ID says.

Out on the streets - Thessaloniki, Greece on 17th November 2014

People mark the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising against the military dictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967 till 1974.

"Bread, freedom, education" - Greece remembers the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising.

After six years of brutal military rule in 1973 Greek university students occupied the Polytechnic campus in central Athens in order to demand a return to democracy. After an initial lull the Junta sent in tanks and police to crush the rebellion, an event that is commemorated very year on the 17th November.

Their slogan, "bread, education, freedom"

Menu for 5000 - Thessaloniki, Greece

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An event to promote sustainable food consumption patterns

Hanna Schygulla about to be interviewed at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece

"Hanna Schygulla (born 25 December 1943) is a German actress and chanson singer. Long associated with the theater and film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, for whom Schygulla first worked in 1965, she is generally considered the most prominent German actress of the New German Cinema."

Wikipedia

Greek high school students protest changes to the examination system

Hundreds of high schools across Greece are now under occupation by students protesting the manner in which exams are carried out. The introduction last year of the new system sent failure rates soaring.

See more on this story from Keep Talking Greece

Greek riot police on duty during commemoration of nation's entry into the Second World War

Greek soldiers in 1940's uniforms on parade - 28th October 2014

Greeks protest latest public transport price hike

Opposition parties and local activists protested the 25-33% increase in bus tickets in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki. Despite being one of the economically depressed regions in the entire EU, jobless Thessaloniki residents still have to pay full price for public transport.

Thessaloniki, Greece

"I have cancer, I'm in terrible shape, please help" - Thessaloniki, Greece

Fear Is Your Prison

For UK politicians Greece still has lessons worth learning

New Democracy campaign rally

At first glance Greece and Britain would seem to have little in common, stuck as they are at the opposite ends of the European Union not only geographically but also economically. Whilst the UK economy has slowed down in the wake of the 2009 downturn, it has not seen anything like the destruction in terms of income and output suffered by the small Balkan nation.

However, despite the differences in history and modern political culture the British political scene is showing remarkable similarities to its Hellenic counterpart. Old certainties are crumbling, the traditional parties of power are facing challenges and new formations have emerged that undermine the status quo.Like UK politics, modern Greek politics have been dominated by two main parties, the centre Left PASOK and the centre right New Democracy have held power in one form or another since the 80's and even as late as 2009 could easily assure (in all but a few cases) that they would rule without the need of a coalition partner. All that has gone and along with it an entire political system that grew up in its wake.

The most dramatic fall has been that of PASOK who in 2009 could still drum up 44% of the popular vote yet today languishes at 6-7% in the polls. While the conservative New Democracy party has suffered less it has seen it's level of support drop by a third and can no longer rule alone, both the victim of unpopular austerity measures that have failed to lift the economy out of the crisis and have seen the country's foreign debt balloon.

Antonis Samaras - Greek prime minister

So what can UK political leaders learn from these experiences? Judging from recent development probably very little as they seen intent on using the same formulas that have been tried and found wanting not only in Athens but across the EU. This means that in all likelihood the same outcomes will be seen in Britain meaning what exactly?

1 - Under pressure from the rise of UKIP (United Kingdom Independent Party) UK Tories have been moving to the Right in order to win back ground on issues such as immigration and law and order. The Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras reacted in this manner in order to thwart the rise of Golden Dawn who have been siphoning off votes from New Democracy's right flank. This resulted in mass police sweeps of recent arrivals in Athens and the creation of internment camps where those without documentation sometimes wait for months or years to be released.

Such draconian measures did little to win back voters, as this strategy suffers from two weaknesses; firstly, the move to the right legitimises the other, smaller right wing parties and so allows them to fight campaigns on their "own turf" politically. Instead of being on the sidelines shouting to be heard, parties such as Golden Dawn, True Finns and France's National Front get a front row seat in political and media debates and so policies once considered as extreme  or part of the lunatic fringe are suddenly seen as part of mainstream discourse.

Secondly, the growing distrust of mainstream political parties means that while conservative voters may agree with a "tougher" stance on issues such as immigration they may not believe that the Tories will keep their word, or that any measures taken will be purely cosmetic.So in the end the use of "dog whistle" politics damages the Conservatives who alienate the centre while not convincing those further to the right that they can be trusted to keep campaign promises.

2 - UK Labour party has promised that should it win power it will produce a balanced budget which means that unless it seriously changes taxation legislation (almost unthinkable for Labour strategists) this will involve a series of cuts in public spending so repeating previous Tory policies. Since 2009 Labour's equivalent, PASOK has applied such cuts in order to comply with foreign creditors' demands and the result, politically has been a decimation of its party base and the rise of the once, tiny SYRIZA radical left party which is poised to become the next government of Greece.

Giorgos Papandreou - former Greek prime minister

As there is no SYRIZA waiting to step from the wings in British politics many traditional party Labour voters will probably either vote UKIP (or SNP in Scotland) or simply not bother voting given they have been offered no real choice in terms of policies on offer.This decline is simply heightened by the lacklustre leadership of Ed Miliband, whose wooden speaking style and inability to connect with ordinary voters echoes that of ex - Greek PM and PASOK leader, Giorgos Papandreou who suffered from the same weaknesses.

3 - It seems that fate of smaller coalition partners across the EU to be diminished by their time in power and this is no different in Greece or Britain. So far three parties have at one point or another formed a coalition with the dominant New Democracy party and all three have seen their support dwindle from the alliance. Both the far right LAOS party, the centre left Democratic Left parties have virtually disappeared from the polls and a rump PASOK is languishing with support in the single digits.

Likewise, the UK's Liberal Democrats have also paid the price of a place at the table and the endless compromises they have made in order to accommodate the Conservatives' agenda will become crystal clear in the 2015 elections when few of those who switched their votes in the previous general elections will make the same mistake again.

4 - In Greece the demands that government pass yet more cuts and impose more taxes has forced previously implacable political enemies to kiss and make up in order to pass legislation in parliament that is deeply unpopular. The sight of a series of government with both PASOK and New Democracy has weakened both and led many voters to dismiss both as simply two sides of the same corrupt political coin, further fuelling the rise of other parties both on the Left and the Right.

Alexis Tsipras - leader of the SYRIZA party

In the UK the sight of David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg all campaigning side by side in the Scottish referendum has produced a similar image, the idea that despite all the faux fighting over issues, all three parties are essentially the same when push comes to shove. This unedifying sight will also help UKIP, promoting their idea that they are the plucky political outsiders, untainted by the politics of compromise, willing to take on vested interests.

This approach has certainly worked for Greece's neo-Nazi Golden party which has managed to retain third place in the polls by presenting itself as a right wing anti-systemic force, untouched by the corruption associated with politics of power. It's a message so powerful that Greek conservative voters are willing to oversee the parties bloody recent history and blatant extremism, not to mention universally negative press.

While the UK mainstream may rain down scorn and indignation on UKIP, in the end it probably won't deter many from voting for them, since as the Scottish vote showed even the weight of the entire press corp against you doesn't always guarantee that people will buy into an agenda that the media has set out.

The reality is that in both politics and media  the old world is disappearing and yet those at the top of both these greasy poles seem intent on ignoring these changes, terrified of the new, intent on clinging to worn out ideas whose sell by date has long gone, the only question is how long the political leaders and their media teams across the EU will insist on using tactics and polices that are obviously not working.

4-5000 march to mark the first anniversary of the murder of Greek rapper Killah P (Pavlos Fyssas) by Golden Dawn supporters

This march in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki was one of many to remember the murder one year ago of rapper KillahP (Pavlos Fyssas) by the supporters of Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party in the city of Patras.

Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Greece's largest opposition party, SYRIZA leaving key note speech in Thessaloniki, Greece

A Festival of Colour and Light - Thessaloniki, Greece

YOU HAVE ALL THE WEAPONS YOU NEED NOW FIGHT - T-SHIRT

The 79th Thessaloniki International Trade Festival - Greece

The Power And The Poster

Create your own media message - a community guide

"If we play by their rules we lose, if we create our own rules we have a chance"

Once again the power of of social media can not only be seen in its ability to spread information but also in its power to challenge the way in which the mainstream media sets the agenda on a particular issue, even in places as far apart as The Gaza Strip and Ferguson, Missouri. Despite the vast differences in both geography and cause both cases show that even the most well-oiled media machine can be challenged by ordinary people on the ground using tools such as Twitter, Youtube and Instagram. 

Here are some tips for anyone who wants to use the power of the internet to get their message across and give themselves leverage in their dealings with more traditional forms of media.

1 A community or group should never rely solely on mainstream media to get their message out. It's naive to believe they're are neutral parties in many news events. Remember TV channels and newspapers are often large organisations whose first loyalty is to those who own and/or control them and not to you. In the worst case scenario you are simply another lunch item on their menu, to be consumed today and forgotten tomorrow.

2 Even if the reporter on the scene is sympathetic to your cause, they are often not in charge of how the final story is seen. They may be on your side but as we have seen from coverage in Gaza there is often a massive disconnect between the story reported by those on the ground via Twitter and the one that reaches viewers and readers back home once the editorial line comes into play.

3 Yes, cultivate media who seem sympathetic, but remember media organisations frequently come to a story with their own agenda. Check them out on the internet see if their views and your views coincide. Do not take it on faith that what a journalist tells you is what they are telling their audience.

4 Don't just give the news channels "raw material" in the form of video, footage or interviews without knowing who they are and how they operate. Too many of those in the media see "civilians" as just another expendable resource to be used and then discarded in order to get their story out. Remember once you hand over your material you have no control over how it will be edited and presented. 

5 Use your existing online and offline social networks to communicate your message, share material, produce your own media. The more people who can help you, especially in the beginning, the more others are likely to pick up on it later on and promote your cause. Remember on the internet you have the possibility of contacting sympathetic voices across the globe.

6 Share materials and talent with those around you. If you can, form a group that will allow you to pool talents, materials and resources. Whether it is video footage from a different angle, access to PCs or a gift with writing or photography, your community or group is likely to be a treasure trove as far as material and skills are concerned, it's your job to make the most of these gifts.

7 If a community  or group produces its own coverage (video/pictures/written accounts) it stands a better chance of getting its story out intact.  The more you can do for yourself, the less your have to rely on media outsiders taking your story out of your hands and turning into something you do not recognise. If nothing else you can point people to your version when calling out distorted accounts produced by others.

Video can edited with free tools  with  programs such as Windows Movie Maker which comes pre-installed on many Windows PCs (see here for training video). It allows you to make your videos shorter and more effective and also means you can add media (video, photographs or audio) from many different sources.

8 None of this needs a lot of cash or fancy equipment but it does take time and you will need some technical skills which are well worth learning. A good place to begin is the Witness.org site which is full of practical tips on using video for activism. It is designed to teach those not in media how to cover different events in a professional manner and how to keep yourself and those whose stories you are covering safe. Check out their YouTube channel here. 

If you are going to use photographs rather than video then always remember that a short text describing what is happening in the picture adds to your audience's understanding of the context of the event and also makes your image more credible. 

9 Don't forget to licence your images (be they video, articles or photos) under a Creative Commons licence when posting them online. This means that media outlets cannot just claim that once you posted them you allowed free use of use them to anyone. Of course many will steal your work anyway but at least a CC licence gives you some kind of legal leverage and shows your audience that you are the victim of copyright theft and not just negligent or naive. See more on CC in this video.

What if other nations acted in the same manner as Israel in Gaza?

One of the central themes of Israel's defence of its intervention in Gaza is that if other countries, especially those in Europe or North America, were in its position then, they too would be forced to take similar measures to ensure their security.

Let's take their argument and test its logic. Imagine that during The Troubles the UK government had responded to the the bombing campaign carried out by the Provisional IRA in both Northern Ireland and the British mainland in a manner akin to than being employed by the Israeli Defense Force now in Gaza. (See full size image here).



Just to remember that the often brutal conflict in Northern Ireland cost the lives of 3,530 and left more than 47,500 injured in a campaign that lasted from the late 60's to the Clinton brokered Good Friday peace deal in 1998. The current death toll for The Gaza Strip is 1032 dead after just 19 days of IDF operations.

Laws are silent in times of war - Cicero on Gaza

"Laws are silent in times of war" - Cicero

Killing Kids Is Not Cool - Israel invades Gaza

In Kosovo again

I spent part of last week in Pristina, Kosovo. Despite the fact that the country was involved in a brutal war in  the late 90's the capital shows little evidence of the fighting, and instead is now a bustling, friendly Balkan city.

Thessaloniki - cityscape

And now in colour.

Street portrait - Vasilis

Austerity in action

The Girl In The Yellow Dress

On the war path, protesters against plans to privatise historical market place - Thessaloniki, Greece

The authorities in Thessaloniki want to sell off the historical Modiano market place in the heart of the city.

Greek high school students protest changes in the exam system

Already the changes have resulted in a six-fold increase in those failing certain lessons in northern Greece. As with so many educational systems, the Greek one is used as a political football as new ministers introduce their latest pet projects, often ignoring the disastrous effects of constant change on those trying to complete their studies.