Debt-stricken Greece faces crunch vote - Europe. Greece is making final preparations ahead of the country's most uncertain and critical parliamentary elections for decades which could throw the debt-stricken country's future in Europe into doubt and shake the wider eurozone. A ban on campaigning took effect on Saturday, while a two-week ban on opinion polls has made the outcome of Sunday's vote impossible to call, analysts say, amid widespread anger directed against the country's main Socialist and conservative parties.
Greek newspapers have presented the vote as a choice between staying in the single currency area under stringent and unpopular austerity conditions demanded by the country's international creditors, or rejection of that 130bn-euro bailout plan and the accompanying risk of bankruptcy. Greece is currently experiencing one of Europe's worst recessions since World War II and analysts say the country's economic collapse could undermine the future of the single currency. Hard to predict. Greece: Civil war, but not as you know it. London, United Kingdom - On April 1, 2012 two ministers of the Greek coalition government held a joint press conference: Michalis Chrisochoidis, minister for Citizen Protection (administering the police) and Andreas Loverdos, minister for Health and Social Solidarity, called for an immediate addressing of the issue of undocumented migration in the country.
The migrants' presence had turned, in their words, the centre of Athens into a "hygienic bomb". The two announced a series of measures including the compulsory issuing of a health certificate for all migrants entering and residing in Greece. Days earlier Chrisochoidis had again announced, on behalf of the coalition government, an ambitious plan to create thirty so-called "closed hospitality centres": former military bases converted in detention facilities for undocumented migrants who were to be arrested en mass before facing deportation. Is that so? But mainstream discourse in Greece seems to be spiralling beyond xenophobia. Greece cracks down on corruption. «Nous avons sauvé les gens plutôt que les banques»
L'ancien ministre de l'Economie argentin Roberto Lavagna, 69 ans, est le principal artisan du redressement de l'Argentine engluée dans une terrible crise économique il y a dix ans. Lorsqu'il prend ses fonctions, en avril 2002, le peso vient d'être dévalué de 70%, le pays est en cessation de paiement, la dette privée s'élève à plus de 72 milliards d'euros, l'inflation annuelle flirte avec les 125% par an, le chômage explose, les petits épargnants sont ruinés et les troubles sociaux ont déjà fait plus de 30 morts dans le pays.
Cet ancien ambassadeur auprès de l'Union européenne décide immédiatement de se passer de « l'aide » du Fonds monétaire international (FMI) et des marchés financiers. Quelques pistes à suivre pour la Grèce. Quelles sont les grandes similitudes entre la crise argentine de 2001-2002 et la crise grecque ? Au plan économique, tout est semblable. Comment avez-vous tiré l'Argentine du chaos ? Vous avez donc oeuvré contre le FMI et vos principaux créanciers ? Gérard Thomas. Eurozone ministers hold lengthy talks on Greek bailout. 20 February 2012Last updated at 23:42 Some eurozone ministers doubts Greece's austerity pledges Eurozone finance ministers are holding late-night talks to try to secure a vital second bailout for Greece. They have said they are hopeful of reaching a deal at the Brussels meeting, with France's Francois Baroin saying all the elements are in place.
But his Greek counterpart Evangelis Venizelos said haggling would go on "until the very last minute". Athens needs the 130bn euros (£110bn; $170bn) in order to avoid bankruptcy next month, when loans must be repaid. Continue reading the main story Analysis Gavin HewittBBC Europe editor, Brussels Greek ministers and European officials vividly describe the catastrophe if Greece defaults. No-one pretends that default would be an easy option. But those who oppose the new bailout package argue that Greece is not being saved from the fate of a failed state, but being pushed into one - and for years to come. Read Gavin's thoughts in full 'Permanent presence' Dreaming of an independent Scotland - Frost Over the World. We begin this week's show with a nation that is not yet a nation-state. We are not talking about Palestine or Tibet, but about Scotland. Its population of a little over five million is less than 10 per cent of the rest of the UK, but the lucrative North Sea oil and gas fields are all located off the Scottish coast.
And many Scots now want to leave the UK, but is it enough to win a referendum? The movement for Scottish independence has been led by the Scottish National Party's leader, Alex Salmond. Once an outsider, he is now Scotland's first minister. There will be a referendum in 2014 and he is already campaigning. He makes his case to Sir David Frost, who asks him if he would still be pushing for Scottish independence if somebody convinced him that Scotland would be economically worse off as a result. "I think the case for independence is a fundamental one. Barack Obama recently hailed the latest employment figures for the US as "seemingly positive". Ultimatum de la zone euro à Athènes pour un nouveau plan d'aide.
Il n'aura pas fallu attendre longtemps pour que l'accord de principe sur un nouveau plan de sauvetage de 130 milliards d'euros en échange d'une nouvelle cure de rigueur – conclu jeudi entre les partis de la coalition gouvernementale grecque et les bailleurs de fonds – soit remis en cause. Les quatre ministres du parti d'extrême droite grec LAOS s'opposant aux nouvelles mesures d'austérité demandées par les créanciers du pays ont annoncé, vendredi 10 février, leur démission du gouvernement.
Plus tôt dans la journée, leur leader, Georges Karatzaféris, avait déclaré qu'il ne voterait pas le programme de réformes demandé par les bailleurs de fonds. Cependant, malgré la défection du parti d'extrême-droite, le plan des mesures de rigueur – dont le détail n'a pas encore été publié – peut être voté au parlement, le parti du LAOS représentant seulement 16 sièges sur les 300 que compte la chambre. "Il faut que les Grecs s'aident eux-mêmes. Chocan huelguistas y policías en Atenas - El Universal - El Mundo. Roma | Viernes 10 de febrero de 2012not | El Universal11:51 Fuertes enfrentamientos estallaron hoy en el centro de Atenas durante una manifestación de protesta contra las medidas adicionales de austeridad aprobadas por el gobierno griego bajo presión de los ministros de la zona euro.
La policía griega disparó gases lacrimógenos contra cientos de manifestantes quienes intentaban romper el cordón de seguridad frente a la sede del Parlamento, luego que la víspera se acordó un nuevo plan de austeridad, que prevé recortes históricos a los salarios. Hasta ahora, la policía no ha reportado personas arrestadas ni lesionadas a causa de los choques de esta mañana en la manifestación, convocada por los dos sindicatos más grandes de Grecia, de acuerdo con informaciones del diario Greek Reporter en su página en internet. Consideraron que Grecia debía aplicar más recortes para lograr reducir su déficit, indispensable para que el país obtenga un nuevo paquete de ayuda y evitar la bancarrota. jfra. Greece bailout: Lucas Papademos warns of default chaos. 10 February 2012Last updated at 22:12 The BBC's Mark Lowen says that social unrest is on the rise in Greece Greece faces "uncontrolled economic chaos" if it fails to agree spending cuts and defaults on its debts, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has warned.
He said ministers who disagreed with austerity measures could not stay in the coalition government, hours after four ministers resigned over the issue. Greek leaders are trying to enact cuts demanded by the EU and IMF for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout. Unions have begun a 48-hour strike, and protesters clashed with police earlier. The prime minister said he would do "whatever it takes" to get the deal approved in a parliamentary vote set for Sunday.
"We cannot allow Greece to go bankrupt," he told his cabinet, saying it was an "hour of historic responsibility". "A disorderly default would plunge our country in a disastrous adventure. Protest clashes Continue reading the main story Analysis Mark LowenBBC News, Athens.