Speigel Magazine Article Fuels Fears that Greece Missed Fiscal Targets

While Euro zone policymakers argue over how to handle the mounting crisis, a new German report has fuelled fears that Greece may have missed fiscal targets set by its leaders and that the country probably has no hope of averting default.
The country’s Finance Minister denied the damning report in the weekly magazine Spiegel, which claims that international inspectors will allege that Greece failed on all its fiscal targets, a condition for getting a key, fifth tranche of a 110 billion euro bailout. In a Greek Mega TV interview, George Papaconstantinou stressed:
“Negotiations continue and will be completed in the next few days. We have every reason to believe the report will be positive for the country.”
ECB board member Juergen Stark also commented on earlier views, claiming Greece’s privatisation programme could raise six times more than the 50 billion euros planned. “The Greek government has shares in listed companies, it owns real estate. Experts estimate the sales potential (from privatisations) at up to 300 billion euros,” he told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
EU officials have called for Athens to step up privatisations urgently and suggested setting up a trustee institution to help oversee the process, similar to the body that privatised East German companies after the fall of communism.
However, the EU has not asked to play a major role in the asset sales and is only offering its expertise, Papaconstantinou said on Saturday.

Charisteas & Papadopoulos Win German Cup with Shalke Team

With a clear victory of 5-0, Schalke won Duisburg and the German Cup at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in front of 75,708 spectators. It was the biggest victory as far as the final score is concerned, in the history of the team. The round of triumphs had Greek elements too. Kyriakos Papadopoulos held the Greek flag, which gave the signal for intense celebrations. Angelos Charisteas was trying to teach participants to dance Sirtaki in the grass of the big stadium.

The season ended the best way for Papadopoulos, who during his first year abroad, won a title. Charisteas added another medal to his collection and, despite the fact that he didn’t play in the match he was deified by his teammates in the locker rooms. Kyriakos couldn’t leave the Cup. “I am very happy because it is a title that I win with having  a great involvement in the team. I have to thank my teammates for the help they offered me and especially Angelos, who with his advice and sympathy has helped me change as far as my football character is concerned”.

The big star of the team and former player of Real Madrid, Raul said: “Every title I win is important. I’m very happy, because my choice to come to Germany proved successful. I am happy for the whole team and the fans. With the Greeks I get along wonderfully. I knew Angelos because we were opponents. He is a gentleman and he has a lot to give in football. Kyriakos is a surprise- player this season. He works a lot and this comes out in the field. I wish Greece will overcome the economic crisis quickly.”

“Greece Through Children’s Eyes” Exhibition Begins June 1st, Sofia

On the occasion of the celebration of International Children’s Day on the 1st of June, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (HFC) and the office of EOT (Greek Tourism Organization) in Bulgaria invite you to a children’s painting exhibition, titled “Greece Through Children’s Eyes”, which is organized at the center of the HFC in Sofia. The exhibition will include selected works by children who participated in the painting competition.

This year it was incorporated in the series of events by the HFC, dedicated to the promotion of UNESCO world heritage monuments in Greece. The opening of the exhibition will take place on the 2nd of June, at 18:00, at the Centre of HFC in Sofia, located at 51 Benkovsky Street. During the event, winners of the competition will be announced and awarded. The Center of HFC will also offer honorary prizes. The exhibition will last from the 2nd of June until the 8th of August 2011 and will be open to the public from 9:30 to 18:30, Monday through Friday.

Victoria’s Former Premier Steve Bracks Joins Board of Beirut Hellenic Bank

The former Premier of Victoria, the Hon Steve Bracks AC , has joined the Board of Beirut Hellenic Bank (formerly known as Laiki Bank Australia), bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the dynamic, recently re-branded Bank.  Mr. Bracks, drawing upon almost eight years of experience as the Premier of Victoria, as well as experience in advising several leading Australian finance and service sector corporations, joined the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director. The Chairman of Beirut Hellenic Bank, Nick Pappas, welcomed the appointment saying: “Steve Bracks is a very important addition to the Bank’s Board, particularly for our coverage in Victoria”. James Wakim, Managing Director & CEO of Beirut Hellenic Bank, added: “The addition of a director of the calibre of Steve Bracks to our Board is a major development for the Bank. “

Steve Bracks expressed his own enthusiasm for the appointment and for the future of Beirut Hellenic Bank in Australia: “I am very excited about serving on the Board of such an important organisation, not just for the two communities in which it currently operates, but also for what it stands for, being the pursuit of genuine customer value in banking, as well as reflecting and extending the reality of multiculturalism in Australia.“

Steve Bracks was one of Victoria’s most successful Premiers, winning three consecutive elections including achieving record majorities in the 2002 and 2006 elections. Mr. Bracks currently serves as Chairman of the superannuation fund Cbus, is a Director of Jardine Lloyd Thomson Australia, and a Senior Adviser to KPMG. He is also the Independent Chair for the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA). Mr. Bracks holds six major honorary positions: as an Adviser to the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Xanana Gusmao; as a Director of the Bionic Ear Institute Board; as Chair of the Deakin Foundation, Deakin University; and Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University. He is also Honorary Chair of the Union Education Foundation and the John Button Foundation and is a leading advocate for both multiculturalism and Aboriginal reconciliation.

FC Dallas’ George John Joins Greek National Soccer Team

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George John

Greek national team coach Fernando Santos  announced that FC Dallas’ uncapped Greek-American central defender George John, will join the squad in New York. Greece’s National soccer team comes to the States for a friendly match against Ecuador on June 7, 2011 at Citi Field in New York.

The Greek-American soccer player issued the following statement.

“It is a tremendous honor to be invited to join the Greek national team. I would like to thank EPO (Hellenic Football Federation) president Sofoklis Pilavios, national team technical director Takis Fyssas and national team coach Fernando Santos for this opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting the team in New York. As a new player, I need to use that time to get to know the staff and the players.”

John’s statement also addressed his United States national team eligibility:

I am fully aware of FIFA statutes regarding international eligibility, and that I will remain eligible to represent the United States for at least the short term. If I receive an invitation from the U.S. national team, I will give it consideration at that time. It would not be appropriate for me to make any further comments about my international future. It is very important to me that I show respect to both EPO and U.S. Soccer.

George John, a sec0nd-generation Greek-American, was born and raised in Seattle, Wash. Watch a video with George John scoring goal against Milan:

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John has been called up once by the US back in December of 2010 but he was unable to play due to bone spurs in his ankle.

Opinion Polls Reveal ND & PASOK Head to Head in Voter Preferences

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Greece’s two main parties are head to head in voter preferences, while their combined share of the vote is less than 50 percent, according to the results of opinion polls appearing in Greek Sunday newspapers.
Main opposition New Democracy was just slightly ahead of PASOK in a Pulse-RC poll published by ‘Typos tis Kyriakis’, with 19.5 percent of the overall vote, compared with 19 percent for PASOK. Their positions were reversed but the difference even smaller in an ALCO poll published by the Sunday paper ‘Proto Thema’, with PASOK at 20.7 percent and ND at 20.4 percent.
Following the two leaders in the Pulse-RC poll were the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 9 percent, the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) with 5.5 percent, the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) with 4 percent. The Ecologists-Greens received 2.5 percent and the Democratic Left, Democratic Alliance and Arma Politon, each received 2 percent, which would exclude them from any future Parliament.
A further 3.5 percent of voters expressed a preference for parties other than the above, 23.5 percent said they would cast a blank vote or abstain, while 7.5 percent is undecided.
Current Prime Minister George Papandreou and main opposition leader Antonis Samaras tied on the question of who was most suitable for Prime Minister, with each getting 20.5 percent preference, while 56 percent of those asked chose neither.
Roughly three-quarters of those asked (74 percent) believe that Greece should renegotiate the terms of the Memorandum, while 53 percent is against early elections.
A further 76 percent believe that the measures proposed by the government will not bring the country out of the crisis and 52 percent agreed with Samaras’ decision not to back most of the government’s measures. Another 53 percent agree with the ND leader’s proposals for reducing taxation.
Finally 46 percent believe that the privatisations announced by the government will help the development of the economy.
Based on the ALCO poll, KKE will get 7.9 percent of the vote, LAOS 5.6 percent, SYRIZA 3.2 percent, the Democratic Alliance 2.6 percent, the Democratic Left 2.3 percent, the Ecologists-Greens 2 percent and the Arma Politon 1.1 percent.
At the same time, 43 percent agree with Samaras’ refusal to back the PM’s proposals and 40 percent disagree.
On the issue of raising taxes to increase public revenues, 82 percent are opposed to paying new taxes and 62 percent fear that the country will default and will be unable to pay wages and pensions.
A further 68 percent wants Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou replaced, while seven in ten believe that the government’s new measures are moving in the wrong direction. More than half, 54 percent, agree with the dismissal of excess public-sector workers and 60 percent agree with the privatisation of public utilities, 61 percent with the abolition of public-sector agencies while 68 percent completely disagrees with the sale of public land and buildings.
(source: ana-mpa)

Democratic Alliance Leader Bakoyiannis Wants Council of Party Leaders Minutes Exposed

”It is being confirmed that the petty partisan mentalities with which the generations of post-junta politicians were brought up are leading Greece to bankruptcy”, claimed Dora Bakoyiannis, leader of the Democratic Alliance party, in the inaugural congress of her party.
She requested that the minutes of the council of party leaders under the President of the Republic on Friday should be publicized, because “…the Greek people are entitled to read them, to know who are they who at the time of the big crisis, thought selfishly and functioned with yesterday’s mentalities”.
The Democratic Alliance leader reminded that her party “…was the first to speak in all tones of the need for national consensus.”

PM Papandreou Believes Fiscal Plan Will Save Greece

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said the country’s fiscal plan will lead the country “out of the woods.”
Papandreou, speaking at a joint press conference in Athens with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said the country already has accomplished impressive targets and there are signs of improvement in the Greek economy.
Papandreou expressed hope that other political powers in Greece will respond to this effort and show that all sides understand the critical nature of these times.

Roxette Performed in Athens Yesterday Night

Yesterday evening, Roxette (photo) gave an outstanding performance in Athens, captivating their audience with their poular songs. Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, who were visiting Greece for the first time appeared on the stage of TerraVibe wowing their dedicated fans.
“If you had asked me two years ago if Roxette would tour again, I would immediately have said ‘no’”, singer, guitarist and composer Per Gessle had said. “Knowing what Marie Fredriksson came through, while she was recovering from her serious disease, this wouldn’t seem just incredible, but almost magic. It would be great if we could perform again for our audience all over the world”. Marie had mentioned that she had been anticipating and hoping for this tour since 2002”.

Lucas Papademos Warns Debt Restructuring Bad For Entire Region

A well-known adviser to Greece’s government Saturday warned that a restructuring of Greece’s debts would be not only be “undesirable” for the country, but would have negative spillover effects to other parts of the 17-nation euro zone.
Lucas Papademos, speaking at an event organized by the Central Bank of Cyprus in the coastal town of Limassol warned that any kind of debt restructuring would “undermine” the government’s overhaul efforts.
“The only sensible way forward” is to push ahead with ambitious and large-scale reforms, including the privatization of state assets, he said.
(source: Dow Jones)