Ellada stin kardia mou

This blog is an echo of the beats of my heart. Written for my greek friends and out of gratitude for what I found in Greece. And born from a wish of some important greek stories to be told and not to be forgotten.

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Crucial hearing on 2012-2019 pension cuts starts at Council of State

A hearing that will determine whether the Greek state needs to return billions of euros in pension cuts imposed as part austerity measures during the 2012-2019 period starts at the Council of State (CoS) in Athens on Friday.

The hearing concerns 46 plaintiffs but any decision reached by the country’s highest administrative court will affect thousands of disgruntled pensioners after CoS president Katerinal Sakellaropoulou decided to make this a landmark case that will act as a precedent for other similar claims challenging the constitutionality of pension cuts.

Moderate estimates say that unless the plaintiffs’ case is rejected, the state faces a bill of up to more than 26 billion euros, though pundits argue that these expectations may be far-fetched given the direction of previous rulings by the court.

Nevertheless, the decision of the court is expected to provide a framework for clearing up thousands of pending cases.

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A number cruncher told the truth. He became his country’s public enemy No. 1.

For nearly a decade, on and off, Andreas Georgiou has been Greece’s Public Enemy No. 1.

The government has brought a relentless series of criminal prosecutions against him. His countrymen have sought their own vengeance by hacking his emails, dragging him into court, even threatening his life. His lawyers in Greece are now preparing for his latest trial, which begins this month; Georgiou himself will watch from the United States, where he lives in a sort of self-imposed exile.

Georgiou is not a mobster. He’s not a hit man or a spy. He’s a statistician. And the sin at the heart of his supposed crimes was publishing correct budget numbers.

For decades, the term “Greek statistics” had been a punchline. Official data were massaged so that the government could claim it was meeting European Union fiscal commitments and retain access to international capital markets. The Greek statistical service, which was controlled by whatever party held power, had taken to reverse-engineering its official budget data. That is, it would choose a final number at the outset and then backfill the assumptions necessary to produce that result. (This technique is not unique to the Greek government, of course.)

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Dimitriades is nowhere to be found in the court hearing for his SLAPP

* A Grieving Mother testifies on Tempi train accident - and shakes Greece

* Landmark ruling against Greece from the European Court for Human Rights

Journalists and media outlets who revealed the “Greek Watergate” appeared in the court hearing this week amidst a wave of solidarity. The lawsuit, widely deemed as SLAPP, came from PM’s nephew Dimitriades, his chief of staff when the scandal broke out. Dimitriades did not appear in court.

The mother of a Tempi train accident victim testified in the relevant Parliamentary Committee and spoke the truth to power. You would hardly find her testimony in Greek mainstream media. A day after, Politico revealed that the ND government dismissed a call from the European public prosecutor to take action over the potential criminal liability of two former transport ministers after the deadly train collision.

In a landmark ruling, the European Court for Human Rights condemned Greece for identifying HIV-positive drug addicts accused of being illegal sex workers. Five of these women are long dead. Justice came late. 

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/43c0edf0-04ef-447d-8f62-db09916bfe5f

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* An MD had a stroke due to burn-out. She is not the exception 

* The Greek Mafia strikes again 

* Greek navy officers resign en masse to avoid being sent to the Red Sea

A doctor goes for her shift and will leave the hospital walking with a stick. She suffered a stroke, which she attributes to overworking due to understaffing. Understaffing seems to be also behind an elderly hospital patient left lying on the floor until his visiting grandson discovered him. Plus, a new report suggests the two biggest cancer hospitals in the country are collapsing.

The Greek Mafia strikes again by killing one of their own with some 80+ bullets at a fuel station on a central street in Athens. Perhaps it’s time for you to visit the city and geta a taste of the Far West in the (European?) Near East.

18 Greek Navy officers resigned to avoid being sent to the Red Sea. It was not about politics. It was about money: they were called to risk their lives for 85 euros net per day.

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/916a2f8c-d753-4665-89af-57d41cd1106d

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Greece is facing a real cost of living crisis, the worst in Europe by far

* Greed-flation   

* Same-sex marriage: The debate is on in Greece ahead of its planned institutionalization

The country is facing an unprecedented -in its recent history- cost of living crisis. A report verified some of the conclusions we had empirically come down to that the ratio between the cost of basic goods and the average wage is by far the worst in Europe.

Another critical report verified something we had long suspected: that the reason for the skyrocketing basic goods prices is corporate greed: in 2022, the profits in Greece for all industries increased by 110.8%, profits that surpass (by far) inflation and all other indicators of consumer prices.”  Same-sex marriage seems to have monopolized the public debate in Greece these last weeks (OK, along with Lanthimos’s recently released and award-winning movie Poor Things). That is because the government plans to bring a bill to legalize it. The PM, apparently moving in the right direction this time, is facing strong opposition from several of his party MPs and from the most influential and indeed quite invincible in its political battles institution in Greece: the Orthodox Church.  

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/728c829d-1c94-4381-9e72-4a1aa956881d

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Greece allows banning people with disabilities from public transportation 

* Mini reshuffling of the cabinet

The new year kicked off with a highly discriminatory regulation that allows ‘as an exemption’ for public transportation to deny embarkation to disabled people should those in charge deem it is not safe enough - instead of improving transportation to be accessible to all. There has undoubtedly been some improvement since ancient Sparta times when they were throwing disabled babies in the Kaidas Gorge. 

2024 started with a mini cabinet reshuffle. Our “national” Citizen Protection minister is back in place, while the Health Ministry will be headed by someone who had left too bitter memories from the early memoranda years.  

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/729b62a8-1025-4b61-8b39-d4aabb39a9cf

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter - and the last one of 2023 - from AthensLive is out.

Since this newsletter is the last one for 2023, we looked at the past year and picked ten significant events that marked the year in Greece. We did that mainly because 2023 has been a very tough year for the country, and we take a look back to remember so 2024 can be more fruitful. https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/45a228b0-102c-42e2-8a79-b0a34fa97c1d

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* ND government censors art, annoyed by a pink flag, not by femicides 

* If we don’t like the new mayor, that’s really bad for the new mayor

* What is the ‘symbol of Democracy’? Just privatize the bloody thing

Christmas is here. But there is little Christmas spirit around.

This week, the government:

Removed from the Greek consulate in New York an artwork depicting a pink flag meant to be a protest against femicide f. At first, this happened after an ultra-religious party leader complained in Parliament. Later, the Greek Foreign Minister said the decision was made before the complaint was filed.

Staged a legal ‘coup’ against the new mayor of Athens by transferring the management of the company that undertakes most major gentrification works in the city to the government. 

Went ahead with plans to privatize the gates’ management of the Acropolis -that is, tickets and infrastructure- while at the same time announcing significant increases in the price of the Acropolis tickets and launching… private tours for 5,000. Everything is for sale.   

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/f6c3978b-3d79-4527-8064-d7f61bd9494c

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* An 18-year-old arrested, a policeman amputated   

* A grim picture in a festive season

* The Qatar Gate - The Greek Connection 

An 18-year-old man was arrested for severely injuring a police officer last week. The policeman is still in critical condition and lost a leg. Police officers protested for their injured colleague. The government announced (once more) measures to tackle hooligan violence, yet the problem runs deep.   

Food inflation keeps rising in the country. A comparison with last year’s prices is shocking. The Greeks appear to cut down not only on cultural services but also crucially on medical examinations as 16.7% of them were not able to receive them - the highest share in the EU, Eurostat revealed.   

While the international Press reported that the ‘Qatar Gate’ investigation might be at risk as suspects “turn the tables on prosecution,” investigative reports in Greece revealed more on the ‘Greek Connection,’ allegedly involving two Greek EU Commissioners and two Greek shipowners. 

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/4b8aafeb-5362-4dcc-8c69-0bff9c1e9036

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* The Greeks & the “Sultan”   

* Another law in favour of funds and servicers

* A policeman was seriously injured and in a coma - 400 arrested 

An important step towards the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey had been taken this week. Turkish President Erdogan visited Athens - and the two countries signed some 15 agreements. The ‘Sultan’ is admittedly unpredictable, yet this was a positive moment. Apart from the Greek FM caught on camera to… bow. 

A new law regarding ‘bad loans’ was passed this week. Despite mainstream media presenting it as favorable for debtors, it seems to give even more reasons to funds and servicers to prepare for a bigger party.

A policeman was severely injured and remains in a coma after an attack outside a venue where a volleyball game was taking place. It has been related to sports violence, yet the motives remain unclear. The police took some… 400 people to the station as a result. This reminded us of how the police don't always react to violence the same way.   

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/88a3f41f-725b-4e2b-aedc-b0137d6256e8

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Bring them back

* Couldn’t both Mitsotakis and Sunak have played the Sculptures card to divert attention from grievances at home? 

* The government is introducing a postal vote for EU elections, yet opposition urges caution  

The week's surprise topic was the unprecedented row between Greece and the UK, as the British PM Sunak canceled his meeting in London with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis at the 11th hour. The cause? Mitsotakis talked to the BBC about the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. So, what?

Sunak and Mitsotakis could both be blamed for having used the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures to distract their constituencies from their grievances. Even if this is the case, the issue is timeless and far from ‘nationalistic.’ It’s about art, its decolonization, democracy, and civilization.

This week, the Greek PM also announced they will proceed with institutionalizing the postal vote for the European elections. Opposition parties expressed fears of breaching the vote's secrecy and election rigging.  

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/e3db171c-2059-436f-8b1d-b8560501a6f1

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Low wages, no savings, high working hours, high housing costs 

* 2024 Budget submitted: Tax revenues increase by 2 billion 

* SYRIZA: That’s all, folks

Greece has the lowest average annual wage in all EU countries and ranks last with a negative figure for disposable income. According to the OECD, the country is 3rd from the bottom in average wages among 35 countries and has the 7th highest average working time. It doesn’t sound good, right?

The 2024 budget was submitted to Parliament. Some extra 2 billion are to be collected from taxes, while very little extra funding is provided for hospitals and education. Also, public debt is expected to drop to 152.3% of GDP in 2024 from 160.3% of GDP this year (It was far lower when Greece was told it should go under structural adjustment, remember?)

SYRIZA is ‘game over.’ The main opposition party is disintegrating as nine more MPs, an MEP, and dozens of members from its institutions are breaking from the party. New leader Kasselakis isn’t doing well at all, and it’s also depicted in polls.  

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/ba0224ee-5fc0-4c64-ab24-af390c57552d

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* It is a historical moment, a continuous inspiration 

* (Another) teen Roma was shot dead by the police

* SYRIZA does not seem to have great prospects under the new leader 

It’s been 50 years since the Polytechnic School Uprising. Those students looked fear in the eye and revolted for freedom and democracy. How can a rebellion look so young after half a century?

Another Roma teen was shot dead during a car chase with the police. Initial reporting on the policeman’s gun firing by mistake seems to be overturned by testimonies and videos that indicate that the policeman might have breached the police’s code of conduct and accusations, according to which the perpetrators might have even “washed” the scene of the crime before evidence was collected.

SYRIZA is disintegrating under its new leader, Kasselakis, who appeared quite authoritative in the Central Committee. For the first time in almost a decade, polls showed PASOK coming second after ND instead of SYRIZA.   

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/3017ab70-f3a1-485f-9d5d-0ec722207d5d

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Let’s spend some public money. It’s free 

* Greek politicians asset-and-fund-declaration 

* Will SYRIZA split up?

Some 4.5 billion in public money were given in contracts assigned without a bid, the country’s Court of Audit announced this week. Covid-19 was again scapegoated for non-transparent procedures. 

PM Mitsotakis continues to be in the Top-10 of biggest debtors, along with his wife, among parliamentarians. At the same time, he is in the top 10 of the wealthiest parliamentarians. All these, according to Greek politicians, asset-and-fund declarations published this week. 

SYRIZA has been riven by internal strife and tensions since new leader Kasselakis was elected. All recent developments suggest the party is heading straight to a split. What would the remnants of a party under Kasselakis then be? Well, not left-wing. Also, there is a lack of democratic procedures.   

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/173ef57a-89d0-47a7-bef4-9b0a003b91b3

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* You’ll be taxed as a tax evader. It doesn’t matter if you are not

* Being “large” with the TV channels

* Something is terribly wrong with the Greek Police

Assuming that all half a million self-employed professionals in Greece are tax evaders, the government decided to tax them accordingly. Only it won’t work. This happened at a time when the Greeks had drastically cut consumption of essential goods due to economic hardship. 

There is no money for welfare policies, but there is always money for the TV channels. The government would now pay all their debt to the insurance fund -some 6.8 million- on the basis they were affected by… the war in Ukraine.

A 16-year-old girl was found unconscious with serious head injuries after an anti-fascist concert when clashes with the police erupted. The coroner’s report severely doubted the Greek police’s version of events. Later in the week, neofascists attempted to set people on fire in the Metro. When the police finally intervened, they threw tear gas.  

Read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/d8a70182-849d-44ba-a8b2-460eebc45e12

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* What does “without too much of a humanitarian cost” mean?

* How Greece is involved in the rising tensions in the Middle East

* ‘Greek Watergate’ - A testimony and a reportage

The Greek PM visited Israel this week, providing full support to the country. At the same time, the Greeks seem divided on whose side they are on as to the conflict; slightly more are those siding with the Palestinians.

US forces use the Greek bases of Souda in Crete and Elefsina in Attica to station their support aircraft and host Special Operation Forces. At the same time, authorities in Greece seem worried that the Israel-Palestinian war could trigger “terrorist attacks” in the country.

Greek Justice has done nothing for 18 months to prosecute people about the wiretapping scandal. Yet, it prosecutes members of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy - ADAE, said ADAE president Christos Rammos, testifying to the European Parliament LIBE Committee. A report also revealed that action by the Top Court may have resulted in not unveiling the possible connection between the Greek government and the Predator.

It cannot be recommended strongly enough to read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/65f30d51-0287-4e11-bcc6-41673672dc80

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

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This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

* Greeks took it to the streets for Palestine

* The third oldest church was bombed, civilians sheltering civilians

* Athens has a new mayor - and this was not the only surprising election result

The Greek government supports Israel, new SYRIZA leader Kasselakis makes a school essay-style statement on the conflict, Greek people take the streets in support of Palestine, and we remember when back in the 80s, emblematic PASOK leader Papandreou aided emblematic Palestinian leader Arafat (then called a “terrorist”) enraging the West.

They were far more outraged by Hamas’s attack on Israel than by the IDF bombing of a historic Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza with some 400 civilians sheltering inside. At least, that’s what we understood by all relevant statements of the Greek government.

Athens has a new mayor - and this time, it is not a PM's nephew. 

It cannot be recommended strongly enough to read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/3a2b753e-197d-4052-9055-9be7228074a6

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up