Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-03-19

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM heads to Brussels for EU summit

[02] Papandreou at European Socialist Party meeting

[03] FM Bakoyannis addresses event on Francophony

[04] Former Polish PM addresses Constantine Karamanlis Democracy Institute event

[05] Crisis a collective problem

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM heads to Brussels for EU summit

He will be accompanied by foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and deputy minister Yiannis Valynakis.

The summit will focus on the global financial crisis, which has also impacted the European Union, the credit situation, energy issues and climate change, as well as the European Neighborhood Policy and the EU's relations with the US.

Before the summit, Karamanlis will attend a meeting of the European Peoples Party (PPE), the European Parliament grouping to which his ruling New Democracy (ND) party belongs.

In the evening, after the first session of the summit, Karamanlis will attend the traditional working dinner of the EU heads of state and government.

The second and final session of the summit commences on Friday morning, after which Karamanlis will make statements to the press before his departure for Athens.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

[02] Papandreou at European Socialist Party meeting

On Wednesday, the global economic crisis dominated successive Papandreou's meetings with the head of Serbia's Socialist Party Ivica Dacic and prestigious economist Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for economics.

After meeting Dacic, who is also Serbia's interior minister and first deputy prime minister, Papandreou expressed satisfaction that Serbia's government "was making decisive and systematic progress in important issues concerning its course toward the European Union."

PASOK's leader said that his talks with Dacic had also covered developments in the Balkans and ways in which socialists in the Balkans could cope with the economic crisis, while announcing that Balkan socialist parties were mulling a meeting to exchange views and facilitate cooperation between them in view of the crisis.

According to Dacic, the current crisis was proof that the neo-liberal economic model had failed and he stressed that socialists must become an alternative solution, while expressing his party's interest in joining the SI.

The two men also discussed Kosovo, with Dacic noting the destruction of Serb cultural heritage within the region and the fact that various countries had recognised Kosovo's independence outside a United Nations framework.

CAPTION: ANA-MPA file photo of main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou

[03] FM Bakoyannis addresses event on Francophony

The foreign minister referred to the founding of the institution of Francophony in Nigeria in 1970, stressing that this international organisation is based on the fact that the country-members wish to use the bonds that are created by the common language and global values in the service of peace, cooperation, solidarity and sustainable development.

She added that a characteristic of this organisation is that the French language, "although setting out from the same starting point, respects and promotes cultural differences."

[04] Former Polish PM addresses Constantine Karamanlis Democracy Institute event

Buzek said that one speaks in the European Union now of a common European energy policy, stressing that in order for this to be achieved political will is necessary by the governments of the member-states.

He added that the EU has mainly two problems to overcome. The demographic and energy ones and pointed out that a change in energy policy is an issue of strategic importance. He also said that environmental changes necessitate new measures in the countriews of Europe that must turn to the development of renewable energy sources.

[05] Crisis a collective problem

Krugman said that the international economic crisis is a collective problem and added that understanding the causes of the crisis is of crucial importance, particularly from a political point of view since the international economy has been dealt a blow by the virus of recession and the usual medicines are not having an effect. He pointed out that the increase in demand and investments through the decrease in interest rates is not possible for the first time since 1930.

According to Krugman, the situation with regard to the international economy is now peculiar since, as he said, the usual rules do not apply and public policy is required to change this peculiar sitation that is being experienced. He further said that "we were told to say once upon a time that an increase in consumption is an act of patriotism, we did this in 2001 (following the attacks on the twin towers in New York) but not now."

Comparing the situation currently prevailing in the Unuited States and Europe, Krugman said that a considerable plan for the recovery of the economy exists in the United States which, as he said, is not adequate since 4,5 million jobs have already been lost, while Europe has done even less and now it has a coordination problem and even leading politicians have not realised the magnitude of the crisis.

Caption: 2008 Nobel Economics Prize laureate Paul Krugman, professor of economic and international affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, addressing a conference on Wednesday 18 March 2009, on "The Monetary Crisis: Management in times of challenge" organised in Athens by the Prothesis Business Consulting society. ANA-MPA/ ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The global financial crisis, the freezing on public sector salaries and opposition reactions on government's crime-fighting measures dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "500 euros one-time benefit for low salaries and pensions".

APOGEVMATINI: "Tight but just incomes policy- State supports the financially weaker and demands sacrifices from the wealthier".

AVGHI: "Null incomes policy - Karamanlis, by freezing salaries and pensions, will beg on Thursday in Brussels while the European leaders persist with the Stability Pact's impasse".

AVRIANI: "Extra taxes for the wealthier and an extra benefit to low incomes".

CHORA: "Zero increases to high incomes while the low salaries in public sector will be fortified".

ELEFTHEROS: "Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, in an interview with the newspaper, calls for: Alliance against the hooded groups".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The cost of the crisis - The new incomes policy in detailed examples"

ELEFTHEROTYPOA: "Shocking measures - Freeze on civil servants' salaries and pensions".

ESTIA: "We must belie Krugman - In Greece, the forecasts can be reversed".

ETHNOS: "Unhooded robbery - Double shock brings freeze on incomes and extraordinary tax".

KATHIMERINI: "Extraordinary measures for the economy - 1,000 to 5,000 euros extra tax for personal income over 60,000 euros".

LOGOS: "Disappointment over the shocking measures - Zero salary increase for 478,000 civil servants".

NIKI: "The toughest austerity in the last 30 years".

RIZOSPASTIS: "New provocative attack on workers' income - Government decided freeze on salaries and pensions".

TA NEA: "Extraordinary tax and salary freeze - Government admits bankruptcy".

TO VIMA: "First extraordinary measures - Public sector employee's salaries frozen - 794,000 salaried and pensioners are called on to pay for the crisis".

VRADYNI: "Ice on salaries - Low front in civil servants' incomes".

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