We can finally say that Greece is out in the financial markets. The first (and trial in a way) Greek bond issuance after 2014 was moderately successful.
A conflict erupted between the ex Minister of Finance Y.Varoufakis and the Greek government after claims regarding the period before the referendum and the PM’s attitude.
The ground of Kos was shaken from a massive earthquake of 6.4R, that left two young people dead and several injured, some of them severely.
The continuing of the imprisonment of a PhD student has caused massive reactions and protests. The accusations are based on a quite shaken ground due to insufficient evidence; however this was not enough for her release.
The IMF agreed to participate symbolically in the greek financial program; however its relations with the EU remains shaken due to disagreements regarding the debt and the stress tests for the greek banks.
Greece is preparing to reenter the financial markets, by issuing a 5-year bond.
The lifting of the excessive deficit procedure for Greece was a significant step for the country’s re-entrance in the markets.
A positive signal is that the sale of 2 lignite-based units of PPC is being prepared and is to be sent to the EC. The aim of the sale is the disinvestment of PPC in the lignite market.
The summer has begun in Greece and it brought with it the summer fires. The fireguards were facing flaming fronts in Attica and Peloponnese, while other areas are in danger.
Another flaming front is the Cyprus issue. The negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish side unfortunately were unsuccessful.
The government’s negotiations with the city administration workers front was ultimately successful since the strike of the workers responsible for garbage collection has come to an end.
The government accepted the changes in the books used for the Religion course requested by the Church of Greece, avoiding that way a disturbance of relations with the country’s religious front.
The beginning of negotiations between Cyprus and the self-styled “state” of northern Cyprus is of high interest for Greece, as we all hope that a solution is found to a problem existing for decades.
After the difficult period of negotiation the Greek government has to return to the reality of the country’s governance. First thing to handle is the trash collectors’ strike which have left the country with a mass of garbage during the summer.
The Turkish PM B. Yildirim has visited Athens in order to discuss with the greek PM A. Tsipras regarding various issues of the relationship between the two countries.
471 students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki have signed a letter addressed to the Dean of the Polytechnical School, complaining on various cases of drug dealing, prostitution and thefts. Meanwhile the Minister of Education still refuses to lift the university asylum, allowing to the police to step into the university premises.
A new set of measures and reforms -a new MoU according to some- was voted by the Greek parliament in order to complete the second program evaluation.
The EWG of the 22nd of May did not reached in any conclusions regarding neither the closing of the evaluation nor the issue of the national debt. It remains to be seen whether the things will change in the EWG in June.
An attack against the former Greek PM, L. Papadimos took place, as an improvised explosive device was set off while he was in his car. Neither the former PM nor his driver were critically injured.
After a period of high uncertainty regarding the closing of the second program evaluation, we are now waiting the voting of the required measures by the Greek Parliament.
While the French elections, the new President and First Lady of France monopolise the Greek media, our “neighborhood”, the Balkans are a powder keg waiting to blow.
The closing of the second programme evaluation seems to be a done deal, since the greek government and the Institutions have agreed to the measures to be implemented for the next 2 years.
The reform that is currently causing the most and most intense frictions is the decision regarding the opening of the stores on Sundays. The measure is for 30 Sundays per year, but this might change.
