No subject

overwhelming majority of the proposals submitted by ND MPs had been
incorporated in the new draft bill and had led to a radically overhauled
taxation system for property.

"A system that is fairer, more objective, more proportional, more
progressive and more realistic," the announcement added, noting that
ND MPs will continue to participate in the further processing of the
draft law.

[07] PASOK parliamentary group takes positive view of new property
tax proposal

PASOK's parliamentary group takes a positive view of the new property
tax proposal, it was announced on Thursday. Speaking after the party's
economic sector meeting on Thursday, PASOK MPs said that it incorporates
all the suggestions they had introduced. A definitive announcement will
be made after the relevant draft bill is finalized.

The Parliamentary group was briefed on the new property tax framework,
as shaped after meetings held with New Democracy (ND) representatives,
and concluded that its collective intervention has resulted in substantive
changes to the draft bill currently under debate.

A Parliamentary group announcement underlined that "a fair distribution
of the financial burden is achieved," as well as, "a progressive taxation
of large real estate properties".

According to PASOK MPs, the new draft bill proposal provides for
considerable reductions in the taxation of real estate and building plots,
while farm land taxation will be slightly reduced as well.

[08] Tsipras foresees early elections, gov't spokesman replies

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras on
Thursday visited the installations of the ERT 3 channel in Thessaloniki to
express solidarity to the employees who are remaing there and broadcasting
an informative programme.

In an interview to the channel, Tsipras stressed that "the government
is dying and very soon, under the popular outcry, it will find itself
on the margin of history".

He claimed that SYRIZA "gained from the tabling of the censure motion
since for the first time a deputy of the government majority, Theodora
Tzakri, voted in favour of the main opposition's motion."

He added that three days after the rejection of the censure motion,
"government officials are seeking a successor for (Prime Minister Antonis)
Samaras."

The government is weakened, Tsipras said, adding:  "the pullover is coming
apart centimetre by centimetre" and soon the government will be unable
to forge ahead and the only solution will be resorting to elections.

He also assessed that the Parliamentary elections will take place sooner
than the end of the government's tenure, but said that he cannot say when
exactly. On the question of with whom SYRIZA will cooperate after the
elections, for the formation of a government, he replied that he cannot
say because he does not know which parties will enter Parliament. Even
in the event that SYRIZA achieves a majority, it will seek alliances
with social forces again, persons and political forces.

He criticised Prime Minister Antonis Samaras for his "attitude and
character" and for not replying to questions tabled in Parliament.

Gov't spokesman

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou, commenting on Tsipras's interview,
said that "the allies that Mr. Tsipras says he found in Texas,  are not
considered as allies by Mr. (SYRIZA's parliamentary spokesman Panagiotis)
Lafazanis."

"Really, will Mr. Tsipras ever reply to the accusations of his mentor,
Alekos Alavanos, that he is lying when he says that he will tear up the
memorandum while remaining in the euro.

[09] Gov't 'pretending' to negotiate with troika, SYRIZA says

The government is pretending to negotiate with troika officials
representing Greece's creditors when it has already agreed to lay offs,
punishing taxation of land and property, as well as the selling off of
public assets, main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) said in
an announcement on Thursday.

"In other words, [it has agreed] to a continuation of the extremist and
leveling memorandum policy," SYRIZA's press office said, adding that there
could be no real negotiation without clashing with the "memorandums of
destitution and poverty, austerity and abolition of the social state."

[10] KKE accuses the government of making 'show' of negotiations with
the troika

Opposition Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Thursday said that "the
people should not be the audience to a negotiation 'show' repeatedly
played by the government, the troika and government MPs which concerns
the method and timing of implementing already agreed anti-popular measures
and not the essence of the anti-popular policy".

Commenting on the government-troika negotiations, KKE added that
governments and political parties that accept the EU, the debt and the
domination of monopolies, for the benefit of which the cruel measures
are being implemented, cannot enter a negotiation that will benefit
the people.

[11] DIMAR leader rules out party's return to gov't coalition

Democratic Left (DIMAR) leader Fotis Kouvelis on Thursday ruled out all
possibility that his party might return to ruling government alliance
with the New Democracy (ND) and PASOK parties under present political
and social conditions.

Speaking during a press conference in Kavalla, northern Greece,
Kouvelis said that DIMAR's withdrawal from the then three-party
coalition government last June, was the result of concrete political
differences. DIM.AR's leader asserted that there had been no "common
ground" for cooperation and the government "was acting as a single-party
government, despite the fact that it was supported and formed by three
political forces," Kouvelis said.

"Given our disagreement with those policies that have been implemented
and the policies currently implemented by the government, it is not
possible and there is no logic in DIM.AR returning to the government
under a new policy agreement," he added.

[12] SYRIZA message for November 17 Polytechnic Day

In a message to mark the 40th anniversary of the November 17, 1973 Athens
Polytechnic uprising against the military junta, the main opposition
Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) said that "at a time when the two-party
pro-bailout-memorandum government makes an all-out attack on the rights of
the majority of society, and democracy is shrinking and authoritarianism
and repression are routine, the only way for workers and young people is
the organized and collective action and a collective resistance against
the policy of impoverishment."

SYRIZA added that the 1973 uprising by the students against the junta was
"a living example of selflessness and militant collective action and an
inspiration for a lifetime."

"Forty years later, the Polytechnic is here to keep reminding us of
its meaning and inspire in the current struggles to eventually free
the country of the bailout memoranda, to defend social cohesion and
protection of the weak," a SYRIZA press release stressed, adding "The
Polytechnic lives in the today's struggles for Democracy, Equality,
Social Liberation."

[13] CoS plenum rules in favour of ministerial decision abolishing
university administrative staff positions

The Council of State (CoS) plenum on Thursday rejected the petitions filed
by the country's universities and the University of Athens Administrative
Staff Association for the suspension of the September 23 ministerial
decision that abolished 1,349 permanent administrative staff positions in
higher education institutions, placing the employees on "labour reserve".

The CoS supreme administrative court ruled that the controversial
ministerial decision cannot be suspended for reasons of public interest.

The CoS plenum underlined that the abolition of 1,349 administrative
staff positions is linked with the country's memorandum obligations for
the public administration reorganization, the loan agreements and the
medium-term fiscal programme.

According to the ruling, the documents presented in court did not show
that the operation of the country's universities is jeopardized as a
result of the ministerial decision and therefore, a decision in favour
of its suspension is not justified.

[14] Greek municipalities agree to voluntary, 'inter-municipal' mobility
in meeting with ministers

The Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) on Thursday
agreed to voluntary mobility between municipalities for local authority
employees, during a meeting with Interior Minister Yiannis Mihelakis
and Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Municipal employees that participate in the voluntary mobility scheme
will enter a reserve labour pool for about a month before they are
transferred to their new jobs and will attend retraining programmes
whenever necessary.

The two sides also agreed to scrap the staff transfer system that required
up to 14 signatures for each move, arranging for these transfers to be
carried out with just two signatures, one of the municipality an employee
is leaving and one from the municipality he is going to.

Through the new system, there will be a rationalisation between
municipalities that were clearly overstaffed and those that lacked
employees to carry out their plans. While the staff involved will not
lose their jobs, they will count toward the 2013 mobility targets Greece
has promised to meet. Only employees whose move to another municipality
has been confirmed will enter the labour reserve pool.

[15] Striking public-sector staff march to Parliament

Organisers on Thursday reported a large turnout for a protest march to
Parliament held by striking public-sector staff, including fired former
ERT employees, university administrative staff and members of the high
school teachers' union OLME. A nationwide work stoppage for the entire
public sector had been called by the civil servants' union federation
ADEDY on Thursday afternoon, with the Athens journalists' union ESIEA
joining in the action from noon until 3:00 p.m.

The protest rally started at around 1:00 p.m. at Propylaia and the march
set off about an hour later, heading for Parliament.

Among ADEDY's demands was its opposition to the activation of an
amendment by the education and administrative reform ministries that
fired university staff on the grounds that they did not participate in
a census because they were on strike.

ESIEA held its work stoppage over the taking over of the ERT broadcasting
building in Agia Paraskevi by riot police, noting that there is "no legal
basis for all the unacceptable events underway for the last seven days".

A concert in the forecourt of the Athens Polytechnic building by the
popular orchestra 'Mikis Theodorakis' is to take place at 7:00 p.m. and
is organised by fired ERT staff and university employees.

[16] SYRIZA expressed its support to public-sector union delegations

Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) deputies Dimitris Stratoulis and
Rena Dourou on Thursday received delegations from Greek Federation
of Secondary Education State School Teachers (OLME), the former
state broadcaster ERT's union federation POSPERT, school guards and
administrative employees of universities. Talks focused on issues
regarding the party's support for the employees' struggle against layoffs,
and the shrinking and privatisation of public agencies and state social
services.

In a statement, the two MPs said that the solution to the workers'
problems was "political and related to the need to overthrow the
government, the ECB/EC/IMF troika and their memorandums and the election
of a left-wing government will put an end to these barbaric policies."

"We repeat SYRIZA's commitment, as reflected in legislation proposed
by 72 deputies in Parliament, that if the people's struggles and vote
result in a left-wing government, this will cancel the unconstitutional
legislative measures regarding layoffs and suspensions in the public
sector," they said, adding that SYRIZA will reinstate all those that
lost their jobs as a result of the measures.

[17] PASOK MP Nikos Sifounakis resigns as Parliamentary group rapporteur

PASOK MP Nikos Sifounakis resigned from his post as the party's
Parliamentary group rapporteur on transport and shipping issues, it was
announced on Thursday.

Sifounakis tendered his resignation in a letter to PASOK Parliamentary
group secretary Panagiotis Rigas. A second letter was addressed to PASOK
leader Evangelos Venizelos.

In his resignation letter, Sifounakis referred to major problems in the
New Democracy (ND)-PASOK government alliance, stressing that PASOK MPs
are not adequately briefed by the ND ministers or are called to vote on
draft bills at a minute's notice, sources said.

Sifounakis underlined that he has raised those issues repeatedly in
PASOK's parliamentary group meetings and he intends to raise them again
dyrubg Thursday's meeting of the party's economic sector.

He also said that PASOK is not taking action to correct any shortcomings
in the "Kallikratis" local government reform, while as regards the
property tax draft law, he noted that PASOK's Parliamentary group has
tabled its proposals a year-and-a-half ago and despite this the draft law
tabled was characterized by sloppiness. He also said that the shipping
ministry policy is exercised unilaterally.

Sifounakis underlined that PASOK's political identity is unclear, while
as regards the ND-PASOK policy agreement, he said that it is a text
prepared by associates of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and government
vice-president Evangelos Venizelos without the consultation of the two
parties' Parliamentary groups.

[18] Tamilos statements about Golden Dawn a 'cynical admission',
SYRIZA says

The main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) on Thursday
commented on statements made by New Democracy MP Mihalis Tamilos, a deputy
supporting the ruling coalition government, saying that they amounted to a
"cynical admission".

Speaking on a panel on the private television station 'Action24' about
the action of the far-right party Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi), Tamilos
suggested that this had "suited" the government and SYRIZA because GD had
"done its dirty work" by "clearing neighbourhoods of foreign nationals"
without the government or the police having to deal with the political
cost.

"These statements leave the government and the prime minister himself
exposed," SYRIZA underlined. "However much the government would like
to hide and show latter-day anti-GD reflexes, its responsibility for
allowing Nazi violence to grow is more than evident and cannot be swept
under the rung of government propaganda," SYRIZA's announcement said.

[19] British Ambassador to Greece stresses importance of dialogue between
young people

The participation of young people in politics and the opportunity
to shape the future of Europe was the main topic of an event held in
Thessaloniki by the British Embassy in Athens and the Thessaloniki,
European Youth Capital 2014 organisation.

The event aimed to promote dialogue between young people, as dialogue
"is the cornerstone of a democratic society,"  British Ambassador to
Greece John Kittmer explained to ANA-MPA.

Addressing the event, Thessaloniki mayor Yannis Boutaris underlined the
importance of dialogue under the present situation, adding that we should
discuss why we got into that situation and how to get out of it.

Financial News

[20] Greece lags behind in most categories in "Government at a glance"
report

PARIS (ANA-MPA/Olympia Tsipira)

Greece managed to cut its fiscal deficit to 9.6 pct of GDP in 2012, from
15.6 pct in 2009, recording the second best performance among OECD's
countries, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
said in a report.

The report, "Government at a glance", released here, said that
the percentage of the country's workforce employed in the public
administration was less than 8.0 pct, the smallest percentage among OECD
countries. The report also showed that trust on government plunged from
38 pct to 13 pct in the

2007-2012 period. The report also said that the percentage of spending
on Education was 7.9 pct in Greece, down from 12.5 pct in the OECD on
average, while spending on Health was 11.6 pct, from 14.5 pct the average
rate in the OECD.

The country's index for the efficiency of public administration
spending was 0.27 pct, down from 0.38 in the Organization, while state
spending absorbed 52 pct of GDP in the country, up from 45.4 pct in
the OECD. Employment in the general government represented 7.9 pct of
the country's workforce, down from 15.5 pct the OECD average, while the
participation of women in the general government was 36.2 pct (56.8 pct
in the OECD), while the percentage of women-ministers was 5.6 pct (25.9
pct). The percentage of Greeks using the internet for their transactions
with the state was 34 pct (50 pct in the OECD).

[21] Finmin reveals plans for system to monitor government payroll
spending

The finance ministry plans to set up a system to monitor payroll spending
for general government agencies, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras
revealed in a document sent to Parliament.

The document was forwarded to Parliament on Monday in response
to a question tabled by a ruling coalition MP, ND deputy Kostas
Koutsogiannakopoulos, who asked for each ministry to send figures on
the average wage paid to employees at the ministry and in bodies under
its supervision.

On the implementation of the uniform civil service pay scale, the
finance minister said the payroll cost had to be examined in light of
2011 legislation providing for a gradual adjustment of wage reductions
to the levels set by the pay scale.

[22] Environment Minister Maniatis meets with US Ambassador to Athens
David D. Pearce

Developments concerning the tenders for hydrocarbon exploration, the
privatisations programme in the energy sector and the priorities of
the Greek EU Presidency were among the issues discussed in a meeting on
Thursday between Environment, Energy & Climate Change Minister Yiannis
Maniatis and US Ambassador to Athens David D. Pearce.

Their discussion focused on the energy sector and recent developments
in the exploitation of national hydrocarbon reserves, as well as on the
implementation of natural gas projects, such as, the Trans Adriatic
Pipeline (TAP) and the "East Med Pipeline" that will pass through
Greece and link the European markets with the natural gas reserves in
the regions of the Caspian Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, respectively.

Maniatis referred to the priorities of the Greek EU Presidency and the
initiatives Greece intends to undertake in the first half of 2014 in
the sectors of environmental protection and climate change.

They also discussed privatisation issues in the sector of energy and
energy saving initiatives.

Both sides expressed certainty that the initiatives undertaken by the
government will soon turn Greece into an energy hub in the greater region
of SE Europe and the Mediterranean.

Maniatis underlined that political stability and making the country
investment friendly are the key elements of national policy.

[23] State contribution to pension system to be gradually reduced,
labour minister tells conference

Greek Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis on Thursday outlined plans for a
gradual reduction of the state's contribution to Greece's pension system
in the next few years, speaking at the 3rd annual "Labor and Insurance"
conference organised by the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce.

"Of the 28.3 billion euros of the overall spend on pensions for 2013,
55.9 pct comes from the state budget," Vroutsis pointed out. The total
spend on pensions in 2014 would remain at roughly the same level, or
28.6 billion euros, based on the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy Framework
but only 46.5 pct of this amount will be from the state budget, he added.

The reduction in state funding will be offset through a series of
innovative structural and organisational changes that have already been
announced, without affecting the amount of pensions, he explained.

Specifically, he outlined plans for a gradual reduction in the state's
contribution to pension systems from 12.6 billion euros in 2013, to 10.5
billion euros in 2014 and to roughly 9.7 billion euros in 2015 and 2016,
when the state contribution will be reduced to 42.1 pct and 40.8 pct,
respectively.

The minister also highlighted the fact that, despite a relatively large
spend on pensions as a percentage of total social spending, the risk of
poverty and inequality actually rose post-retirement in Greece.

He attributed this to the complexity and fragmented nature of the system,
with a mosaic of special pension regimes and "privileged exceptions",
stressing that the entire system was in need of an overhaul. He also
announced plans to set up a committee of technocrats to examine ways to
implement the changes brought about by a 2010 law on pensions from January
1, 2015, that introduces the institution of main and 'pay-as-you-go'
pensions.

[24] HFSF announces Eurobank's 2-bln-euro share capital increase plan

A proposed share capital increase is a step forward towards a further
strengthening of Eurobank's capital base and enhances the bank's ability
to support the Greek economy, Hellenic Financial Stability Fund said
on Thursday.

In a statement, HFSF said that the 2-billion-euro share capital increase
plan will be made through the offering of new shares and noted that the
Fund will examine the possibility of one or a group of institutional
investors to buy a significant equity stake in the bank. The Fund also
has the right to participate in Eurobank's share capital increase plan.

Anastasia Sakellariou, chief executive of the Fund, said: "In continuation
of our efforts to stabilize and strengthen our banking system, we announce
the start of procedures for Eurobank's share capital increase, which
will allow a capital strengthening of the bank and its rapid return to
the private sector. The Fund will make every effort for the success of
the project and to contribute in a further strengthening of the Greek
economy".

Lazard Frures is acting as financial advisor to the Fund. Hellenic
Financial Stability Fund owns 95.2 pct of Eurobank's shares.

[25] Seasonally adjusted unemployment jumped to 27.3 pct in August,
ELSTAT reports

Seasonally adjusted unemployment levels in Greece jumped to 27.3
percent in August 2013 from 25.2 pct in the same month in 2012, Hellenic
Statistical Authority said on Thursday.

The number of unemployed came to 1,365,406 in August 2013, not
significantly changed from the previous month but increased by 7.5 pct
(or 95,326 people) compared with August 2012. In comparison with August
2010, the year of the first bailout memorandum in Greece, an additional
724,623 people swelled the ranks of the unemployed.

The increase in unemployment was markedly higher for under-24s, having
almost doubled in the last four years to 60.6 pct in August 2013 from
31.3 pct in August 2010, with six in 10 young people neither in work,
education or training.

Also hard-hit were women, with female unemployment at 31.2 pct (up from
29.2 pct in August 2012) compared with 24.3 pct for men (up from 22.7
pct in August 2012).

The regions with the highest unemployment rates in Greece as
Epirus-Western Macedonia (29.7 pct in August 2013), Macedonia-Thrace
(28.5 pct) and Attica (27.5 pct).

The number of employed decreased by 88,242 persons compared with August
2012 (a 2.4 pct rate of decrease) and increased by 9,777 persons compared
with July 2013 (a 0.3 pct rate of increase). The increase in the number
employed in August relative to July, chiefly due to the tourism industry,
slightly overshot the increase in unemployed by 3,220 individuals.

The number of employed amounted to 3,631,430 persons in August 2013. The
number of unemployed amounted to 1,365,406 while the number of inactive
to 3,360,334. The number of unemployed increased by 95,326 compared with
August 2012 (7.5 pct) and 6,557 compared with July 2013 (0.5 pct).

ELSTAT reported an observed stabilisation of the estimated seasonally
adjusted unemployment rate in the last three months, while noting that
seasonal adjustment procedure requires data for many months in order
to remove the seasonal component from a time series, requiring several
"observations" (that is a sufficient number of monthly results) in
order to confirm a significant change in the trend of employment and
unemployment.

[26] Registered unemployment slightly down in Sept.

The number of registered unemployed people - seeking jobs - fell by 0.86
pct, or by 7.383, in September compared with August, totalling 853,896,
official figures showed on Thursday.

A report by the Workforce Employment Organization (OAED) said that the
number of registered unemployed people - not seeking jobs - fell by
2.35 pct compared with August, while the number of unemployed people
receiving unemployment benefit fell by 5.5 pct over the same period.

The majority of registered unemployed people were Greek citizens, aged
30-54, while women remained at the top of unemployment (59.61 pct of
total unemployment).

Registered unemployment in the below-30 age group totalled 229,211
(26.84 pct), in the 30-54 age group it was 534,289 (62.57 pct) and in
the above-55 age group it was 90,396 (10.59 pct).

Greek citizens accounted for 94.05 pct of registered unemployment, with
EU citizens accounting for 1.33 pct and third country citizens 4.62 pct.