Greece March 2012
Issue 143
this month
In this Issu e:
o o
o
Onassis Foundation study to reconstruct central Athens “Greece is making Historic Reforms”, Letter of the Ambassador of Greece to the US, Mr. V. Kaskarelis Greece mourns passing of Domna Samiou
EMBASSSY OF GREECE Press & Communications Office 1a Holland Park, London W11 3TP Tel.: 020 77273071, Fax: 020 77278960 pressoffice@greekembassy.org.uk www.greekembassy.ork.uk
Onassis Foundation study to reconstruct major Athens thoroughfare presented to Greek leadership Prime Minister Lucas Papademos on st Wednesday 21 March held a half-hour meeting with President Karolos Papoulias, following a presentation of an Onassis Foundation architectural study for the reconstruction of downtown Athens. The study was outlined to Papoulias by a Foundation delegation, composed of President Antonis Papadimitriou, Vice President Yiannis Ioannidis and secretary Marianna Moschou. Papoulias inquired into transformation of Panepistimiou Boulevard into a pedestrian way and the extension of the tram's network. "The tram will return to be a basic means of transportation. We are referring to the creation of several basic axes: economic, commercial and cultural, since the city's centre hosts 10 university buildings," the president of the Onassis Foundation said. On his part, Papademos welcomed what he called the "exceptionally significant" initiative of the Onassis Foundation to finance and organise a European architectural
competition for the regeneration of downtown Athens, entitled "Re-think Athens". The Onassis Foundation is organising and funding a European Architectural Competition for the creation of a renewed city centre, a project centered around Panepistimiou Boulevard. The "Re-think-Athens" project is a multifaceted intervention centered on Panepistimiou Street, extending from Amalias Avenue to Patission Street and ending at an upgraded Omonoia Square. Looking for sustainable mobility, the project includes the extension of the tram line and allows for the roadside circulation of private cars and public means of transportation, while the centre becomes exceptionally pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Speaking at the event, Papademos said
the project is vital for Athens, given that Panepistimiou, which will be turned into a pedestrian and bicycle friendly thoroughfare, is connected with a number of museums but also ranks as one of the Greek capital's commercial centres, thus resulting in a creative upgrade of the so-called "historical centre" that has been sorely tried. Papademos also underlined that benefits that emerge from collaborations between the state and private agencies, adding that the salvation of the historic Athens centre is an urgent need and top priority. "We owe this to the citizens, in Athens and to the country," he said. New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras, addressing the same event, stressed the need for the regeneration of the historic centre of Athens.
Page | 1
Greece March 2012
Fast Facts
367 Million Euros Primary budget surplus in the first two months of 2012
6.5 % points of GDP Fiscal consolidation since the beginning of the program (2009-2011)
19.5 Billion Euros Primary deficit reduction since 2009
Issue 143
GREECE IS MAKING HISTORIC REFORMS By VASSILIS KASKARELIS, Greece's Ambassador to the United States. It's been a good month for Greece and the European Union. The Greek government, the leaders of the EU, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed on a landmark economic adjustment program geared toward strengthening Greece's institutional capacity, improving competitiveness, and creating sustainable growth. In addition, an unprecedented "haircut" deal with privatesector lenders clears the way for the release of loans from Europe and the IMF, thus placing Greece well on the path to recovery. What many Americans may remember most, however, are images of rioting blazing across their television screens. Unseen and underreported is the real story: some of the furthest-reaching and most historic changes to any economy in modern history, aiming not only at fiscal consolidation but also at profound structural reform of an antiquated, overburdened and inefficient bureaucracy that has stifled competitiveness, innovation and productivity for decades. And if Greece's long history is any indication, the country will emerge from this process stronger, healthier and more productive. In the past two years, Greece achieved the largest fiscal consolidation in the euro zone by implementing the toughest austerity measures ever applied, slashing salaries and pensions by 20%-50% to reduce expenditures, imposing huge tax hikes, and significantly cutting public services and benefits. Greece leads the way in structural reforms— ahead of other crisis-threatened countries, as reported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)— with new laws enacted and implemented every day. These include significant reforms in the labor market, the liberalization of 108 restricted professions, a complete restructuring of the health-care system, an overhaul of the tax system with harsh consequences for tax evasion, reforms of local government administration, restructuring and waste-cutting in public enterprises, and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms for enhanced financial supervision. These measures are unprecedented and revolutionary. To say this is difficult would be an understatement. It requires unwavering determination by Greek political leaders and tremendous sacrifice on the part of the Greek
people, whose daily lives have been deeply affected. Social phenomena such as homelessness and unemployment have risen to levels unknown to Greece since World War II. The situation is further exacerbated by the daily influx onto Greek shores of thousands of impoverished and displaced people— refugees and illegal immigrants desperate to escape conflict and poverty in Northern Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and elsewhere—significantly increasing Greece's population practically overnight and testing the country's capacity to the limit. Yet, with limited resistance, the Greek people endure. Despite propounded
stereotypes regarding Southern Europeans— which are flatly negated by the facts—the Greek people are resourceful and hardworking, a quality validated by Eurostat and OECD figures clearly indicating that Greeks work longer hours than anyone in the EU, including Germans. They also have strong values, placing great importance on family, education and public service. The thriving, prosperous and well-educated Greek communities found throughout the U.S. and around the world are testament to these attributes. The creativity of the Greek people is being unleashed as deregulation, valuable EU know-how and development funds, and amplified investment processes are opening new avenues for exploiting untapped Page | 2
Greece March 2012 Getty Museum Returns Antiquities to Greece Three ancient marble fragments were returned to Greece on March 9 by the Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Museum. Two of them were fragments of a grave stone showing a seated woman, forming part of a funerary relief currently at the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum in Athens. The other is an inscribed tablet, describing the religious calendar of Thorikos, a town in southeast Attica, were sacrifices and festivals were celebrated in honor of local deities and heroes.
Issue 143 resources in fields from solar and wind renewable energy to tourism, food and beverages, life sciences and waste management. Drilling for gas is already under way on the Ionian Sea and the southern coast of Crete. With much soul searching and realistic assessment over the past two years, both Greece and its European partners have honored their responsibilities and obligations to themselves and to each other, as part of a unified community of
shared values. Greece and Europe are engaged in a trajectory of reform and evolution toward a more perfect union, with Greece determined to deliver on the promises and commitments its government has made to its partners and supporters. A version of this article appeared Mar. 16, 2012, on page A11 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Greece Is Making Historic Reforms
New Website for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece by the Australian Committee The International Organizing Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles celebrated in March the launch of a new website created in order to fight for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their place of origin, Greece. Founder Emmanuel J. Comino AM started this world movement in 1981 “for the return to Greece of the many antiquities that are in foreign
lands”, his committee in Australia was the first ever to be established and take action to achieve this noble cause. “I will fight on as long as I live, he says “until England promises to send the marbles back to Greece”. To the same cause is devoted the
two-day event organized by the London Hellenic Centre "International Conference on the Reunification of the Parthenon th Marbles" taking place on the 19 and th 20 of June, featuring presentations, conferences and talks as well as a visit to the British Museum, all aimed at discussing the importance of the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their country of origin, Greece. WEBSITE: http://www.parthenonmarblesaustralia. org.au/
Delos Ancient Theatre to be reconstructed
T
he island of Delos, once regarded as the birthplace of Greek gods Artemis and Apollo, and hence a place of worship of the latter, is the largest archeological site worldwide. Its theatre -the only one constructed entirely of marble- could accommodate about 5,500 spectators, and its orchestra is considered one of the most sunlit places in the Mediterranean. Nowadays, all a visitor can find in the place of this grand edifice is this orchestra, along with scattered marble remains, the number of which is estimated at about 4,000. Last week, Greece’s Central Archeological Council
decided to undertake a conservation and reconstruction project -initiated by Diazoma, a citizen NPO concerned with the safeguarding of Greek cultural heritage, with the collaboration of the French Archaeological School in Athens aiming at restoring the monument to its former glory. This includes placing the scattered members to their original location and rebuilding the analemma (supporting walls), using only the existing ancient marbles. The overall cost is estimated at approximately € 1,5 million. Page | 3
Greece March 2012
Greece mourns passing of Domna Samiou Greek singer Domna Samiou, one of the most important vocalists of the country's traditional music scene, died in an Athens hospital on Saturday at the age of 84. Samiou was born on October 12, 1928 in the Athens district of Kaisariani into a family of Asia Minor Greeks that came over with the exchange of populations in 1922. She first began studying Byzantine and traditional music at the age of 13, with Simonas Karas at the "Association for the Teaching of National Music". As a member of the Simonas Karas choir, she also started to appear on the state radio station EIR, where she was later hired to the National Music Section in 1954 and came into contact with some of the country's greatest musicians. While working for the radio, she was also involved in the production of records, music for theatre productions and films and in 1963, began travelling around Greece to collect and record musical material for her own personal archives. She resigned from EIR in 1971 and took
Issue 143 up an invitation from song-writer Dionysis Savvopoulos, appearing and interpreting traditional songs before a young audience and bringing about a great shift in the popularity of traditional music among the young. She then went on to appear at the Bach Festival in London. In 1974, she signed on with the record company Columbia and cut a number of records, while in 1976-77 she worked with directors Fotos Lambrinos and Andreas Thomopoulos on a series of 20 documentaries called "A Musical Journey" for the state television company ERT. In 1981 she founded the "Artistic Association of Traditional Music Domna Samiou" dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional music, including cutting records and organising events not dominated by commercial criteria. For almost 40 years, she continued to perform in concerts both in Greece and abroad and in 1994 she started offering lessons in traditional singing for adults. She won a number of prizes and awards for her work in Greece, including the Arion Award for her overall contribution to preserving traditional songs in 2006 and a medal presented to her by President Stephanopoulos in 2005.
IN BRIEF…
Photovoltaic Bus Stop An innovation that both brightens the city and saves valuable energy has been introduced recently in the town of Lagadas near Thessaloniki. The municipal authorities have replaced the town’s old bus stops with new solar powered that provide the energy required for lighting and itinerary signs to last throughout night-time. Previously, the local authority had replaced old bus fleet with environmentally friendly new vehicles.
Greek Astrophysicist Wins Heineman Prize Greek astrophysicist Dr. Chryssa Couveliotou will be the recipient of this year’s prestigious Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, conferred annually in recognition of outstanding work in the field of astrophysics. According to an announcement by the awarding Committee, Couveliotou is bestowed the prize "for her extensive accomplishments and discoveries in the areas of gamma ray bursts and their afterglows, soft gamma repeaters, and magnetars".
The “Pytheas” Project An effort to record all Greek-national academics in the UK has been undertaken by the Press Office of the Greek Embassy in cooperation with the Office of Cultural Affairs. The «Pytheas» Project aims since 2010 to create a comprehensive database of all the Greek national academics in the UK. The project acts as a significant tool for the development of further communication and cooperation between academics in Great Britain as well as their colleagues in Greece. This is an open project of 300 (so far!) Greek academics in the UK and everyone wishing to join is welcome at any time. To participate e-mail the Press Office of the Greek Embassy in London at pressoffice@greekembassy.org.uk
Greece: Safest Country to Give Birth Worldwide When Clara Zetkin, leader of the 'Women's Office' of the German Social Democratic Party, tabled the idea for a Women’s Day in 1910, she could never have thought that her suggestion would become a worldwide tradition, celebrated every year on 8th March. 102 years later Greek women have every right to celebrate: Greece ranks first in the list of the safest places to give birth, according to a World Economic Forum report on the gender gap worldwide.
Page | 4