Greece
Greece This month - July 2015
lysts criticizing the lack of solidarity to Greece and Germany’s punitive perseverance in fiscal constraints, giving their verdict over the new Greek deal.
This month
In this issue:
• PM Tsipras addresses Parliament • The new deal: Changes & Challenges • Young and Talented Greeks rebrand Greece • The 5th Thessaloniki Biennale • Anafiotika: The “hidden” island of Athens • The “undiscovered” Serifos
PM Tsipras: ‘Negotiations were tough, but not in vain’ The government’s struggle in the negotiations with its European partners will not have been waged in vain, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said late on Wednesday night, during the debate in Parliament on the draft bill concerning the second package of prior actions demanded by Greece’s creditors, which it was finally approved by 230 for and 63 against. “I am deeply convinced that this struggle will not go to waste. What is wasted is the battles not fought... Not only do I not regret this struggle, I am proud I fought it, because the rights of the Greek people were heard throughout the world”, Mr. Tsipras stated. “We were led to a difficult compromise, having exhausted every negotiating op1
tion, we touched the limits of the Greek economy and of the banking system,” he said, adding that the government also revealed through its efforts the limits and tolerance of Europe before the democratic choices of its peoples. Mr. Tsipras underlined that Europe is at present led by conservative powers that want to keep Greece to a harsh dogma of austerity. “In this unfavourable framework, we fought for six months,” he said. “We made mistakes,” he admitted, but he deeply felt pride for waging the battle, which was fought against unfavourable odds. “Mistakes are only made by those who do not try,” he said. In his speech, the Prime Minister stressed
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In his article, Germany, Greece, and the Future of Europe, published in Project Syndicate.org on July 20, Jeffrey D. Sachs (economist and Director of the Earth Inthat the changes in the Code of Civil Procedure would not jeopardise the protection of families’ main homes, a commitment made during a meeting with the Hellenic Bank Association; in the fall, a draft bill will be introduced to suspend auctions of first homes, he said. “The existence of this government provides a constant gurarantee of protection of the first home; without this guarantee, we do not exist,” he underlined.
The new Greek deal: Changes and challenges for the EU project The new bailout agreement for Greece has brought into the forefront the shortcomings of the EU project, with ana-
stitute at Columbia University) criticizes Germany for lacking a creditor’s wisdom in the case of Greece. He explains that though it is right to demand strong reforms of a mismanaged debtor government, if the debtor is pushed too hard, it is the society that breaks, leading to instability, violence, coups, and pervasive human suffering. The policy response by Greece’s partners, led by Germany, has been unwise and highly unprofessional, Mr Sachs stresses. Their approach has been to extend new loans so that Greece can service its existing debts, without restoring Greece’s banking system or promoting its export competitiveness Year after year, Greece’s creditors have promised that the bailout packages would bring about a meaningful rebound in out2
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put, employment, and exports. Instead, the country has experienced a depression comparable to the decline in output and employment that Germany suffered from 1930 to 1932, the years that preceded Hitler’s rise. How can we help Greece to get credit moving again within the banking system? How can we help Greece to spur exports? What is needed to promote the rapid growth of small and medium-size Greek enterprises? These are the real questions that a smart creditor should ask, the author concludes. In an article published on the LSE’s website and titled Greece surrendered, but the real defeat was for Europe, Michael Cox (Director of LSE Ideas & Professor of International Relations at LSE) argues that
the conditions attached to the bailout were exceptionally tough and aimed largely at deterring other left-wing parties, such as Podemos in Spain, from challenging the status quo. He also points out that the lack of solidarity shown by other Eurozone states during the crisis raises serious questions about the nature of the European project. The philosopher and proponent of European integration Jürgen Habermas, in an exclusive interview for The Guardian (July 3
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16), criticized Angela Merkel for “gambling away” the efforts of previous generations to rebuild Germany’s postwar reputation, with her hardline stance shown over Greece. He further described the Greek debt deal as damaging both in its result and the way in which it was reached, stressing that “(…) the outcome does not make sense in economic terms because of the toxic mixture of necessary structural reforms of state and economy with further neoliberal impositions that will completely discourage an exhausted Greek population and kill any impetus to growth.” Commenting on the financial crisis in Europe, he noted that it can be explained as an economic and political failure. “The balance between politics and the market has come out of sync, at the cost of the welfare state,” he said, adding that the Eurozone “must gain the capacity to act at the supra-national level. In view of the chaotic political process triggered by the crisis in Greece we can no longer afford to ignore the limits of the present method of intergovernmental compromise.”
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Dreamers and Doers
As our country faces a difficult economic period towards its path to recovery andgrowth, Greeks never fail to attract international attention and acclaim on the fields of economics and science, making not only our country proud through their achievements, but also rebranding the international image of Greece. ‘Greece this Month’ presents you three of these talented young, highly- educated men who share their vision and their efforts in establishing a better future for Greece and for the next generation.
Antonis Pittaras, CEO, Greek Economic Forum: “Give
us a place to stand on, and we will move the Earth”
Antonis Pittaras is a young talented professional, born in the Greek island of Cyclades, Naxos and he has spent his life between Germany and Greece. He has a Diploma in Environmental and Natural Resources Management and he is the CEO of the European Think Tank Greek Economic Forum. GEF is an independent organization engages in eco-
sion was to create the conditions to prove that Greece is able to recover and stand out among the other countries of the world. Our desire is to see our home nation involved in international affairs for positive reasons through innovation and development projects. We want to reorientate its identity, not only to re-establish its reputation but also to show that it is capable of building a better future. nomics, policy and lobbying, as well as events and initiatives across the globe. Mr Pittaras discusses with ‘Greece this Month’ the idea that led to the establishment of the GEF, his vision and the latest achievements of the Forum in US: When we began the Greek Economic Forum, three years ago, in Brussels, our vi
About the successful scholarship programme that took place on May 11 and 15, at Harvard University, in Boston, USA, Mr Pittaras stated about his vision for ‘Modern Greece’: “We continue our mission with the aim as we started, to build “a Modern Greece”. This was discussed between 11 and 15 May at the Greek Economic Forum at Harvard, in Boston, USA. Nowa4
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days, in a rapidly evolving word, Greece is required to exceed herself, to become a developed country, with a stable economy going forward. Nowadays, in a rapidly evolving world, Greece is required to exceed herself, to become a country with a stable economy. It’s time to build the foundations of a new Greece: a Greece with vision and ambition, a modern Greece. My life has taught me that all things are possible, as long as we have the persistence and the patience to pursue them. The Greek Economic Forum is proud to have at Harvard, 5 remarkable young Greeks, to whom we have awarded scholarships for their ideas regarding a Modern Greece. It is amazing to realize that so many young people have ideas ready to Implement in order to bring Greece forward during these most challenging times for our society. These young people search for a partner in their dreams and this is what we are. Consequently, we stay real to our commitments, while promising to all these young men and women that Greek Economic Forum will move forward with a peaceful revolution of ideas and the ultimate purpose to improve Greece. http://greekeconomicforum.org/en/
Angelos, Gkanoutas Leventis, Vice- Chairman, Greek Energy Forum: “Let our energy shape a brighter future”
Dr. Angelos Gkanoutas Leventis is another high- skilled, young Greek professional who left Greece at the age 18 to “discover” 5
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Explaining the activities and the target goals of the Forum, Mr Gkanoutas- Leventis stresses that “Despite the fact that the Forum is relatively young, we have already implemented a number of significant initiatives in all three priority areas of our work, which are: providing networking opportunities for professionals united by their interest in the field of energy and the South East Mediterranean, organising
the world of economics of the oil market. Holding the position of a Fellow in the CITYPERC Research Centre (City University, London) on the energy and hydrocarbon markets research and being part of the commercial management team in BP, he is the founder and Vice- Chairman of Greek Energy Forum (GEF), an exclusive group of energy professionals sharing common interest in the broader energy industry in Greece and Southeastern Europe. The members of the GEF originate from a wide spectrum of energy-related backgrounds, benefiting the Greek Energy Forum with a multi-disciplinary skillset and a holistic approach of the energy sector.
The main objective of the Greek Energy Forum is to establish a platform upon which energy professionals in the UK can have the ability to network, share ideas and benchmark best practices on current industry developments and market trends in Greece and Southeastern Europe. The GEF already has numerous active members across the globe, while its interconnected network of professionals dwarfs those of many established networks.
meetings and events with the purpose of opening a dialogue between its members and key actors on the Region, as well as developing, formulating and voicing out practical proposals with regards to the energy markets and policies in the region. We also started expanding our activities by founding two GEF branch offices in Brussels and in Athens, with many exciting events to be launched in the near future. These branches will allow us to expand the geographical reach of the GEF but also upgrade our relationship with key energy decision-makers sitting at the capitals of Europe and Greece respectively.
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achieved already, considering that the GEF is not in any way linked to the servicing of selfish business interests. On the contrary, all the members of the GEF are voluntarily involved and they are dedicating time and effort in promoting our country’s potential and comparative advantages to a wider audience outside of Greece while also supporting the development of the national market through targeted proposals and the transfer of knowledge. Our idea with regards to our future development of the GEF is to develop it into a self-sustained Think Tank with international recognition and influence. The Greek Energy Forum has recently organised a very successful event in partnership with the German Marshall Fund and Natural Gas Europe in Brussels, which focused on the Energy and Geopolitics of the East Mediterranean Region and featured very impressive list of participants including a number of politicians, oil majors European organisations and think tanks. It is also noteworthy that the GEF recently issued an open letter to the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras and to the relevant Ministers with a set of strategic priorities in the field of energy in the country, identified by the industry experts of our group, expressing their intentions for further cooperation in pursue of a better energy future for Greece and the European Union.
http://www.greekenergyforum.com/
It is impressive to realise what has been 6
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The Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art 2015
Theofanis Matsopoulos, Athens and European Southern Observatory Associate: “A young man Reaching for the Stars”
Theofanis Matsopoulos has managed to rise into prominence over the past few years through a series of collaborations and exhibitions that demonstrate the quality of his work and attracted the attention of Greek and international media as an astrophotographer but also as s filmmaker. The pinnacle of his work – so far – is his soon-to-bereleased documentary “From Earth to the
despite his studies as an electrical Engineer, astro-photography is his primary interest in his life. Theofanis’ next move was to fully exploit the equipment of his father Nikos, an astronomer himself and set up his own private observatory at Fragkades, Epirus in northwestern Greece where they originate from. After that, everything was set for Theofanis to pursue his ambitions.
ed by the educational Eugenides Foundation, can be seen as two important landmarks in his career in Astrophotography. But of course, photography was not enough since it was quite “static” for his taste. For this reason he delved into video production and 3D animation. Theofanis’ reputation and quality of work led to his co-operation with the Greek GEO (Group on Earth Observations) Office and the National Observatory of Athens, producing documentary series and promotional videos. In February his first giant-screen planetarium documentary “a Journey to the Universe” was presented at the dome of the Eugenides Planetarium in Athens.
Universe” which will be distributed and It did not take long for his talent to be recviewed in digital planetariums all over the ognised and his photography exhibitions world. All this, at only 23 years of his age. all around Greece were met with extremely positive reviews and attracted the atTheofanis’ passion about landscape pho- tention of notable Greek and foreign metography was evident from his early high dia while his work has been published in school years, while he has been practicing numerous astronomical magazines such ever since. His interest and creative spirit ig- as the noteworthy “Sky and Telescope” nited, the moment he came across stunning magazine. His participation in the 2011 pictures of elliptical galaxies and colourful “India Astrophoto Festival” as well as his nebulae, captured by notable Astro-pho- two personal exhibitions “Starry Greece” tographers. That is when he decided that and “Between Heaven and Earth” host 7
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The latest and most significant achievement will come on the 22 of June when his new planetarium documentary “From Earth to the Universe” in association with the ESO (European Southern Observatory) will debut in Athens and Hamburg and will be distributed to planetariums all around the world.
The fifth edition of the Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is taking place from 23 June until 30 September 2015 in the vast Helexpo exhibition centre of Thessaloniki, funded by the Operational Program Macedonia-Thrace 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Coordinator of the event is the State Museum of Contemporary Art, which runs the Biennale since its inauguration in 2007 as the first of its kind in Greece, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the 5 Museums’ Movement of Thessaloniki (Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Teloglion Foundation of Arts, Museum of Byzantine Culture, State Museum of Contemporary Art, and Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art). During the Biennale, several exhibitions, art events, a performance festival, workshops, symposiums and conferences, guided tours, and educational programmes are organized throughout the city. The main exhibition, held in Thessaloniki Interna-
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tional Exhibition and Congress Centre is entitled “Between the Pessimism of the Intellect and the Optimism of the Will”, by the exhibition’s curator and art historian Katerina Gregos, inspired by Antonio Gramsci’s
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Launching the Biennale, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris stated: ‘our efforts to bring citizens to contemporary art’ and to place Thessaloniki and Greece in the international network of contemporary art biennials’. The number of the visitors was doubled to 60.000 by 2013, while it is expected to be increased this year. More than 100 artists from 25 countries all around the world exhibit their artworks, from their oldest to their latest collections, amongst them Carlos Aires, , Ivan Argote, Marwa Arsanios, Bertille Bak, as well as the Greek artist Nikos Navridis.
It is worth noting that The 5th Thessalonaphorism, in The Prison Notebooks (Quad- iki Biennale is the last segment of a three ernidel carcere) that he wrote between part program which began back in 2011 1929 and 1935, while he was imprisoned with main focus in the Mediterranean sea. by the Facist regime in Italy at the time.
Anafiotika: A hidden “island” at the heart of Athens! Lying in the North-eastern side of the Acropolis Hill, Anafiotika is one of oldest and most beautiful neighbourhoods of Athens, part of old historical neighbourhood, the wellknown Plaka. What is unique about this neighbourhood is that it is built according to the typical Cycladic architecture, characteristic of the atmosphere and the magnificence of the Cycladic town of Anafi. The first houses of Anafiotika were built during the reign of King Otto and the area was named after the first two inhabitants, who according to tradition, were construction workers from the Cycladic island of Anafi and had come to Athens in order to work for the refurbishment of King Otto’s Palace. More inhabitants from Anafi and other Cycladic islands followed, the 9
majority of whom were craftsmen, builders and marble cutters and worked at the various construction sites in Athens. Even though those houses were built in haste and mostly during the night, the craftsmanship of the workers was such that it didn’t spoil the ancient rock of Acropolis and the magnificence of its monuments. In 1922 the profile of the population of
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Anafiotika changed as refugees from Asia Acropolis Hill and the Acropolis Museum. Manor arrived and established themselves in the area. In the 50s part of the neighbourhood was destroyed due to extensive archaeological research made in the area, with only 45 houses remaining today.
The charming and “undiscovered” Serifos!
It is no wonder that Anafiotika is a neigh- Even though the island of Serifos is not bourhood of historical significance and among the most popular islands of Cyclades, consists a major tourist attraction. While it doesn’t come as a surprise that it was shortlisted for the “10 gorgeous Mediterranean islands you’ve never heard of ”, published by CNN on July the 10th. Serifos constitutes an idyllic island for summer holidays, as it remains unspoilt, while offering everything you could ask from a holiday destination, including wonderful beaches, good food and the warm hospitality of the locals.
wandering around the narrow lanes, you get the impression of being lost in the Chora town of a real island: small, sugar-cube houses painted white, stone walls curved in the rocks, narrow steps and yards filled with flowers are basically what you get to see in this tiny neighbourhood of Athens. The terraces of the houses offer a fantastic night view of the city as well. And even though there is no sea surrounding this picturesque Cycladic-like neighbourhood, the options available in the wider area are so many that compensate even the most demanding visitors. Being part of the wider section of Plaka, you can easily walk from Anafiotika down the narrow streets and find numerous lovely restaurants and cafes that offer traditional Greek food and drinks. Alternatively you can take a stroll around Monastiraki area, the ancient market and of course visit
One of the strongest impressions this island makes on the visitors is that there is something innocent and unpretentious about it. Even the majority of the beaches of Serifos are not organised and without tourist facilities. Once you leave the port and head to the beaches, you can witness first hand a large variety of exceptionally stunning, turquoise, beaches. Psili Ammos is one of the most well known beaches of the island and it has been voted as the best beach in Europe for 2004 and 2009.
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Livadakia is one of the most picturesque beaches of the island. Partly sandy and partly pebbly it has crystal clear waters and many shades due to the surrounding lush area with trees. Agios Sostis is a real paradise on earth; it has soft sand and guarantees bathers a relaxing atmosphere as it is quite remote. Next to the beach there is a small chapel with the same name, offering a magnificent view, as it overlooks the sea and the beach.
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ters of the Aegean surrounding the island. Finally, you can take a stroll at Serifos main port, which is close to the seashore. There you will get the chance of tasting the delicious cuisine of Serifos, as there are many fish taverns and pastry shops. You should definitely give a try to “marathopites” and “marathotiganites” (fenel baked pies) as well as local cheeses and sweet wines. Last but not least, for the more adventurous types of people there is also a large variety of outdoors activities, such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking and diving. No matter how you choose to spend your holidays in Serifos, this charming and elegant island can ensure that your days there will be relaxing and well spent.
The Chora of Serifos also adds to the distinctive Cycladic flair of the island; picturesque small houses painted in white and blue are built amphitheatrically on a rocky hill and are in accordance with the Cycladic architectural tradition. In Chora, Official Website: http://www.serifos-island. you can find nice small cafes, bars, tradi- com/ tional taverns and shops dispersed around its numerous narrow lanes. The feeling you get by strolling around the narrow streets is that of calmness and peace, as it is one of the least touristic towns of the Cycladic islands. What is more, you shouldn’t miss
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the chance of visiting the Venetian castle at the top of the hill above Chora, which was built in the 15th century and offers a stunning view of Chora and the blue wa11