Politics
Greece
Greek MP Announces New Political Party
Independent MP Panos Kammenos, a former member of New Democracy, presented the founding declaration of his new party "Independent Greeks" on Sunday, from the symbolic location of Distomo, the tragic scene of Nazi atrocities during WWII.
A key element of...
Greece
German Language Course Launched in Greek Elementary Schools and Restored in Lyceums
Starting from the new academic year in September 2012, pupils of elementary schools will be able to choose between French and German for their second foreign language course.
German language courses will also be re-introduced in the first grade of...
Australia
New Greek Migrants Are Welcome to Visit Australia
The state and federal government of Victoria is encouraging Greeks who are suffering under the burdens of the debt crisis plaguing their country, to migrate to Australia in search of a new job and better life prospects, according to...
Cyprus
Markoullis Protests Violation of Religious Rights in Occupied Cyprus
Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoullis has protested the continuous violation of the rights of Greek Cypriots, enclaved in the island’s northern Turkish occupied areas.
Addressing an informal meeting of her EU counterparts, she said that since the 1974 Turkish invasion...
Economy
Samaras Tells Greeks: Give Me a Majority, No Coalition
ATHENS - New Democracy Conservative leader Antonis Samaras, confident his party will prevail in upcoming elections, has urged Greeks to give him a mandate so that he doesn’t have to form a coalition government with his bitter rival PASOK...
Greece
Venizelos Will Run Unopposed for the Leadership of the Socialists
Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos will run unopposed for the leadership of the Socialists, party officials said on Sunday, as the political focus shifts towards a parliamentary election now that Athens has secured a bond swap deal.
Venizelos, 55, won...
Greece
Schaeuble: Notion Germany Trying to Control Europe 'Stupid'
The notion that Germany is seeking to "occupy" Greece or control Europe through its economic might is "stupid", German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a Greek daily on Sunday.
Schaeuble added that Berlin is "ready to do whatever is asked"...
Greece
Venizelos Says His Pasok Party to Defy Slump in Polls
Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said his socialist Pasok party, which is preparing to elect a new leader March 18, will defy polls showing a slump in support.
“Our goal is victory, Pasok as the first party, upsetting the polls,”...
Greece
Socialist Leader George Papandreou Steps Down as Snap Election Looms
Greek socialist leader George Papandreou on Saturday formally stepped down to enable his struggling party to elect a successor in time for a snap election expected next month.
"The time has come for me to wage my battles from other...
Cyprus
Papademos Urges Greece: Don't Waste This Chance
ATHENS – With the biggest restructuring of public debt ever agreed upon, writing off $134 billion in Greece’s debt but at the cost of a technical default, interim Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said he doesn’t want Greece to return...
Economy
Fitch's Downgrades Greece to "Restricted Default" After Bond Swap
ATHENS – The deal in which Greece forced investors to take 74 percent losses so that the country could write down $134 billion in debt came with a price: being declared unsafe for creditors. The Fitch ratings agency downgraded...
Economy
Siemens Makes Deal with Greece to Settle Bribery Cases
ATHENS – After long delays, Greece has reached an out-of-court settlement with German engineering firm Siemens, which was charged with bribing politicians in return for lucrative government contracts. Siemens, which reportedly was overpaid $2.6 billion, has agreed not to...
Economy
International News Media Report on New Greek Haircut
The new haircut on Greek bonds decided on Friday morning by the Greek Parliament has centered the attention of international media across the world. In their breaking news reports, BBC, CNN, CNBC and Reuters welcomed the new bond swap...
Economy
Germany Welcomes Greek Debt Swap
Germany's finance ministry on Friday welcomed Greece's debt swap with private creditors calling it a "big step" towards stabilizing the country.
A spokesman also said Greece had been handed a "historic chance" after 83.5 percent of its private creditors tendered...
Economy
IIF: Bond Swap Marks Important Step To Resolving Greek Crisis
The Institute of International Finance, a lobby group for the world's largest banks, welcomed the results of the Greek debt swap on Friday, saying it will help stabilize the euro-zone economy and allow Greece time to implement reforms and...