Re: Political, financial turmoil in Greece

**lily** Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:16 pm

Wow! That will be extremely interesting to see how it all pans out?

**bb1** Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:20 pm

Yes, I hope it all makes sense in the end, because not much does right now.

**bb1** Sun Jul 26, 2015 6:47 pm

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-26/reports-secret-drachma-plots-leave-tsipras-facing-fresh-crisis

Reports Of Secret Drachma Plots Leave Tsipras Facing Fresh Crisis

I don't know how accurate that is, but as Plan B's go, it would have been a stunner....

**lily** Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:02 pm

I'll say it would have been.....

**bb1** Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:36 pm

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-27/full-audio-recording-varoufakis-drachma-plan-b

The Full Audio Recording Of Varoufakis' Drachma Plan B

It's hard not to admire such truly awesome scheming and sneakiness, which would have torn up just about every rule in the book - and doubtless ended in even greater disaster than the present disaster.

PS - a recorded teleconference between the former FinMin and "international hedge funds"

And just who, precisely were they? Besides crooks?

**bb1** Thu Aug 20, 2015 5:56 pm

http://news.sky.com/story/1539075/greek-pm-tsipras-to-resign-and-call-election

Greek PM Tsipras 'To Resign' And Call Election
After securing an €86bn bailout, Alexis Tsipras plans to hand his resignation to the president and spark a vote, officials say

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will resign tonight, officials have said - paving the way for early elections on 20 September.

The Syriza leader is set to make a televised address to the nation tonight, where he will make his intentions clear.

Because Mr Tsipras' government has been in power for less than 12 months, opposition parties would be given three days to try and form a government - but if they fail, a general election will be called by the president.

Mr Tsipras effectively lost his parliamentary majority after hardliners within his party expressed their opposition to a third international bailout - meaning he had to rely on the opposition for the bill to pass last week.

On Thursday, Greece received the first instalment of loans from creditors, worth €13bn, enabling it to make a €3.2bn debt repayment to the European Central Bank.

More on this latest chaos at link.

**lily** Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:43 pm

*Sigh*.

**bb1** Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:33 pm

In the middle of all the other chaos in Europe, Greece is having yet another general election tomorrow:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-18/greece-heads-back-polls-full-election-preview

Greece Heads Back To The Polls: Full Sunday Election Preview

Frankly, if Greeks vote Syriza back into office, they deserve all they get.

**lily** Sat Sep 19, 2015 4:05 pm

Sigh and sigh again..

**bb1** Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:36 pm

http://news.sky.com/story/1555996/live-updates-polls-close-in-greek-election

Sky News' Dominic Waghorn says Syriza is looking at winning 145 seats - only four short of what they got in January. With his coalition partners, Mr Tsipras can form a coalition - a more comforting result for Europe.

Greeks must enjoy suffering.

**bb1** Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:38 pm

Sky:

And if you thought this was seeming a little familiar, you'd be right - this is the third time Greeks have gone to the polls this year. Mr Tsipras came to power on his anti-bailout platform in January and there was also a referendum regarding bailout proposals.

And Tsipras U-turned on both of those - and he's now been voted back in again.

**lily** Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:38 pm

Some people are devils for punishment.

**bb1** Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:48 pm

http://www.ekathimerini.com/202943/article/ekathimerini/news/italy-shocked-at-24000-euro-tv-interview-with-varoufakis

Italian politicians have expressed outrage after it emerged that public broadcaster RAI paid Greece’s flamboyant former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis 24,000 euros for a 22-minute interview.

The fee - equivalent to $26,300 or more than 1,000 euros a minute - was paid out to Varoufakis for an appearance on RAI 3 on September 27, along with a first-class plane ticket, the renegade economist revealed on his own blog on Wednesday.

Varoufakis, the former face of Greek defiance against the cash-strapped country's creditors, said he was releasing details of his earnings for recent media and public speaking gigs to dispel claims that he has been on a “self-enrichment drive” since resigning in July.

He listed 20 events at which he had spoken for free or for economy-class flights only, and three more for which he earned between 500 and 1,700 euros.

But there were also two “commercial” appearances - the RAI interview and a presentation at a conference in Singapore - for which he earned 24,000 euros and 28,800 respectively.

Renato Brunetta, leader of the Forza Italia (FI) party in the lower house of parliament, denounced the huge payout from RAI, saying it was “extremely serious, unprecedented”.

“Do Italians pay their subscription to RAI to pay Varoufakis? I hope not,” wrote FI spokeswoman Mara Carfagna on Twitter.

RAI said Varoufakis had been contacted directly by Endemol, the production company behind the programme, which had negotiated the fee.

Varoufakis appeared on a 60-minute TV debate for the BBC just three days before the pricy Italian interview -- for no fee, just an economy-class plane ticket.

The motorbike-riding left-wing economist defended the huge payouts for the Greek and Singaporean appearances, saying they allowed him to remain “independent from vested interests” and to support his “other activities”.

Doncha just love 'socialists'? rofl

**bb1** Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:13 pm

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-10/portuguese-government-falls-socialists-communists-topple-pm

Oops! That wasn't supposed to happen. Quick, everyone, hum Ode to Joy, that might make it better. Pcorneater

**lily** Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:58 pm

Oh dear, oh dear. Am humming..... biggrin

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