Hibernating Greece Awaits for June 17th Elections

Only four days remain before the June 17th general elections take place in Greece and the country seems to be mesmerized by the ongoing recession and its consequent, progressively deteriorating conditions.
Political parties are fighting over any possible share of power promising salvation from the debt crisis one way or another. An extreme rightist MP physically attacked two female leftists last week, while a former SYRIZA candidate accused the late leading party of gambling with the country’s future. The anticipated elections are largely seen as a crucial referendum that will decide whether the country stays in or exits the euro zone.
And this is not only where the dilemmas and problems for the Greek people begin. While waiting for salvation from the polls, patients across the country do not have access to required medicines because the Greek health service organisation (EOPYY) owes the Greek pharmacies some 270 million Euros. The public health system is on the brink of collapse with hospitals and clinics not being able to treat a simple cold and have to send their patients away. Pharmacists have been striking for the past few weeks and refuse to provide drugs to the thousands of EOPPY insured patients, while their association has asked the head of the Troika for a 1.5 billion Euros injection that would allow the system to breathe.
In addition to this, the Greek tourism industry is reportedly going through its worst phase in years. With hotel reservations down by 30 to 50 percent, boat bookings sunk by 50 percent and the overall tourism revenues estimated to drop in 2012 by 10 to 15 percent, there is hardly any hope left that the major business sector of Greece may boost the suffering economy. Last year, Greece savored an increase in incoming tourists because of its low prices and the political turmoil in Tunisia and Egypt. Now, Greece has entered political uncertainty itself and many foreign tourists are afraid to visit the country due to the adverse picture several international media have painted of the country within the past year.
This blow in tourism is inevitably affecting the unemployment rate, which have been on the rise since 2011 and is expected to worsen unless some drastic changes are made in the country. Young people are forced to take up two or more poorly paid jobs to make ends meet, give up their dreams of living alone or starting their own family and seriously consider migrating abroad to search for better prospects. Parents are leaving their children in foster homes or community centres because they cannot take care of them anymore, once thriving businessmen are now sleeping under bridges in Athens and other cities, desperate people are jumping off balconies, pensioners are searching through the garbage for their everyday meal and Greek businesses are moving their operations to neighboring countries, where labor and taxes are not as costly as in Greece.
The prices of fuel, basic goods and food are constantly rising, while wages and pensions are being severely cut. New increased taxes in terms of insurance, maintenance and circulation of cars have been introduced, while unpopular property taxes are plaguing the average middle-class household. Shipping magnates threaten to leave Greece if they get taxed and political and financial scandals are coming to light on a daily basis. The problem of illegal immigration is expanding and causing controversy with Greeks themselves, while depression has skyrocketed in only two years from the lowest to the highest rate across Europe.
The situation is unfortunately escalating and many both inside and outside Greece are anxiously waiting for a new start after the coming elections. Only time will tell whether this be the case.