Τhis the picture of the Greek Parliament back in the summer and how Greek people feel about it the last 2 years. Note that the open palm gesture is a gesture of serious disapprovement and is highly offensive.The reason for this was that the greek goverment, who was elected in 2009with fake promises of soscialist governance in favor of the people, dragged Greece into IMF and signed humiliating treaties without the concent of Greek people.
There followed 2 years of blackmaιling via the TV and press and politicians and ubelievable austerity measures that cut our income by 40% . The unemployment rose from 9% to 21% and extreme poverty and even hunger took over . Children fainted at schools across the country because their parents couldn't bring food to the table.
In my family we suffered a 40%minus income and my husbaned couldn't start his own business as we had planned. It was only food on the table and paying bills and taxes. It was depression time and a feeling that we don't live in a free country which was the worst and a totally unknown feeling for me. I've lived all my life with money to spend and there I was counting my cents ,feeling unsafe and helpless.
As many of you know blogging and been creative has been of great help and also studying the facts and doing recearch on the internet to help me understand what was really going on.
Anyway, a new day seems to be coming after the results of Sunday's elections as a left party came second in elections with almost 17% of the votes to express a new direction our society demands. The Greeks have made a choice that they absolutely don't want the sell out of their country as they gave the majority of votes to anti neoliberalism parties.
The first party which came first with only19% cannot make a goverment so there will be new elections a month later probably as negotiations still take place.
The situation is still uncertain and the problems many but for the first time after 2 years a bit of hope is on the rise.
PS I 'm not a journalist and I know a lot has been left out but this is how me and most of my fellow citizens feel about the situation.
PS2: For those wish to travel Greece is still a safe hospitable country.
What are the reviews you get in your country? What do real people think about the situation in Greece?
I have been watching the news of Greece's terrible situation with interest. I have had several delightful holidays both on mainland Greece and some of the islands, and really love the country. I hope to take the kids there for a holiday one day. Let's hope that things improve after the new elections. xx
ReplyDeleteI live in Crete ,hope to see you one day.People always win eventually so we just have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteEventually everything will get better, we are still waiting for an upturn in the economy in America as well, more power to you :)
ReplyDeleteBrooke @ what2wear, monikabrooke.blogspot.com
Thanks for the quick response.Optimism is the way to go.
DeleteI have been thinking about you, as I've been reading so much about the Greek elections. The conditions imposed upon the people of Greece are just so hideous and cruel (and stupid! Austerity doesn't help, and our own fools in London are bent on the same idiotic policy) as to boggle belief. I hope desperately that your country isn't betrayed again by those you elect, and to hell with the IMF.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the whole Europe is governed by fools.How did we end up like this?
DeleteI hope that the new government can make changes! I know lots of countries are having a hard time with their economies right now.
ReplyDeleteHope is the last to die they say in my country.
DeleteLOVE your blog and style! Come by and let's follow each other :D:D!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that these recent elections are giving the people of Greece some hope. I guess I have been watching it indirectly via the ups and downs of the stock market.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your post! This is a difficult issue and you are understandably passionate about it.
ReplyDeleteI have, throughout my whole working life, experienced one economic downturn after the other (and I live in one of the affluent European countries) and got through no fault of mine, heavily into debt through a real estate desaster.
Dealing with this has meant working a lot, learning to be very flexible and frugal and developing a resilient attitude. I spent the last 7 years doing physical labour. (I'm 52, healthy whereas many of my more affluent peers have already been ill or suffer from some civilisatory illness like diabetes, heart disease etc.)
Through all these years, food on the table and bills paid was a good life already, and to be honest, it is. I also learnt to look classy on a very very limited budget which is a tremendous asset now that I'm in a slightly more comfortable situation. And I learnt to handle money, every petty cent of it.
That said, it is of course horrible that children break down at school for lack of nutrition like in some third world country.
Now Greece's finances were never a really strong point, I believe. At least what we hear is that a revision of the tax system might help, especially making your very rich citizens pay their due. Is that true - and realistic - in your opinion?
If you had a say, if Greece left the "euro zone" and all losses were cut, how would you improve the situation which would still be difficult? Where would you start? Administration reforms, business incentives, longer life working time?
I hope I'm not being too nosy. When I was invited to come along sailing in the Ionian 2 years ago I encountered nothing but kindness and am very sorry about your country's plight.
Best, Annie
To answer your question what would I reform first I would reform just about everything but start with tax system and also throw all the corupted officials out of the public sector .I would make public sector efficient and quick not by cutting jobs but by redesigning it.This way investors would find it easier to invest.
DeleteFirst of all it was very brave that you turned the financial difficulties into a positive outlook to life.Having financial problems often forces people to make priorities and decide what's important and what's not.Certainly money is not the most important thing in life.People have lived on earth without money for thousands of years.
ReplyDeleteGreece was already a boat with water in even before the crisis hit.But it was the non negotiations attitude of our politicians (we call them traitors) and the very strict programme that was imposed on the greek people that made things tragic.It's not about reforms anymore ,it's about destroying middle class and many talk about an experiment that will spread throughout Europe.(We see that happening already).
If I had a say I would make preparations to cultivate the land and make sure there is food efficiency ,I would negotiate with other countries outside EU for money and oil and what to give in exchange but fair trade.I would make agreement with companies to search for oil but with the best interest of the people of my country.And make everything nessesary so if we got out of euro things would be easier.
I would have a plan B as they say.
In the main time I would negotiate the despicable conditions of the treaties.There are many voices in EU even in Germany that become louder and louder and say austerity measures bring no financial growth. Someone told me the other day that if I owe 100.000euro to the bank it's my problem. But if I owe 1billion it's their problem so they have to try and work on a new plan.And if I judge by the amount of terrorism we receive in the last few days they are scared big time.
It's a puzzle and I'm not a politician but if the goverment of a country puts the citizens wellfare first I'm sure there are alterntives.Greek people know how shitty the situation in the country is right now and are ready to make sacrifices but only if it feels like they are in the right direction. God, It seems I'm really passionate about all these.
PS Maybe mnmlist would be a great site for you.It's in my blogroll.
It's been an interesting week watching the news from Europe. Not that the news and politics in the US isn't cause for concern as well.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the whole financial crisis, Greece,, Ireland, Italy, Spain and even France and the domination of German policies in dealing with it is not unlike the occupation of Europe by Germany in the 1940s, except that this time it's financial, not military.
I read about the young people in Greece leaving for Australia and other places with better opportunities and think that it could result in a decades-long slump for the country as the best minds depart. That's not good!
I think Greece leaving the Euro and defaulting on it's debt might be tough but leave the country with better long-term prospects.
Dear roseAG,your comment is so precise.It's a financial occupation and the young people departing sometimes brings tears to my eyes.The best for us is to leave Eurozone but the majority of people are so terrorised and the country is not yet prepared for such a big step.WE'll see.
ReplyDeleteI got a news magazine yesterday and they had an article about Greece with a photo of someone in a demonstration. They were had the open-palm gesture. Until you mentioned it I had no idea it had any particularly meaning.
DeleteWe hear about Greece almost everyday in the news here in Canada. The same thing is happening in Spain - ever since joining the EU, it's been steadily downhill. Prices have gone up to the Germany levels, but the pay has not; what used to cost 100 pesestas (about 1 Canadian Dollar) now costs 1 euro which originally was about 1.50 but has dropped to about 1.28.
ReplyDeleteBut it doesn't matter what people earn, until the rich start to pay their fair share of taxes there will always be inequality and needless suffering. Why do some people earn $2000 a MINUTE while others earn less in a month? Why are people allowed to have gold-plated pension plans and then be allowed to take ANOTHER high-paying job with ANOTHER pension plan, and then be able to get away with not paying many taxes? Don't get me wrong, I think everyone should have a pension plan, but just one.
It is so interesting to hear your view on it, I've just learnt what people around me have said (in England). There are so many terrible stories going round, but I hope they are slightly exaggerated, and I hope it all gets better from the new elections!
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