Maybe you thought that, since we didn’t post anything new for so long, we had probably decided to let this blog die. Maybe we thought so too. But if you knew how things work in Greece, you would know that summer season is a time when everything slows down. Besides school vacation, business slows down, there’s no sports, the tv program slows down, even the news on the most “serious” tv networks prefer to talk about lighter subjects. So, why would this blog be an exception? One could say that this summer wouldn’t be as relaxed as every other. However, this summer proved that greek people give (for the time being) a higher priority to its relaxation than it does to its worry for the future – or should I say for the present? Of course tourist season always gives a boost to the economy and to the moral for 3-4 months. Now we have to face the rest of the 8-9 months before the next boost comes.
In the psychology of the economy, there’s been something moving lately. In this summer there have already been 2 major financial deals that show there is some interest taken in for investments in Greece. The first is about the cargo business of Piraeus port (the largest of Greece, second largest in the Mediterranean), which will from now on be ran by Cosco (the Chinese state shipping company) and the second is about a second port, an energy hub (Astakos) and a part of the old and deserted airport of Athens, where the Qatar Investment Company plans to build a hotel-casino complex. What’s interesting is that both of these moves come from outsider countries (given the eternal western dependency of Greece) that see Greece as their chance to break in the EU market. If these 2 moves turn out to be successful it will be a very positive development, as Greece (a member country of the EU and of the NATO) will get to have significant financial relations to countries with developed/developing economies that need Greece as much as Greece does.
But this all will be seen – if ever - in the future. For now, there have been thousands of businesses closing down and a massive 120.000 new unemployed people since last January. Meanwhile, job listings are less and less and many people, especially young have already moved to northern EU countries (Germany, Sweden etc.).
The government, except for trying to collect taxes (which is already proved by history that they can’t do successfully) is making an effort to put economic and social life in a primary order. This seems to be even harder than collecting taxes, as it was the same party that, back in the ‘80’s, created this monstrous state and spoiled the people by giving them money – money that had been borrowed. And now it’s the same party (some times even the very same persons) that blaim the people for the problems the country now faces.
Here’s a very comprehensive article on Greece from this month’s Vanity Fair by Michael Lewis. (if you haven’t lived in Greece, this article will help you understand aspects of everyday life that I would need a lot of time and space to write about – and still you would think I’m exaggerating)
P.S.: On my article of May 8th I was pointing: "Greece looks like a part of land where suddenly 12 million people are trapped in it and they have to find a way to set up a community from scratch. And each one of them has something different in mind, each one with their own definition of “victory”."
Michael Lewis in his article says something that sounds similar: "The structure of the Greek economy is collectivist, but the country, in spirit, is the opposite of a collective. Its real structure is every man for himself."
In the psychology of the economy, there’s been something moving lately. In this summer there have already been 2 major financial deals that show there is some interest taken in for investments in Greece. The first is about the cargo business of Piraeus port (the largest of Greece, second largest in the Mediterranean), which will from now on be ran by Cosco (the Chinese state shipping company) and the second is about a second port, an energy hub (Astakos) and a part of the old and deserted airport of Athens, where the Qatar Investment Company plans to build a hotel-casino complex. What’s interesting is that both of these moves come from outsider countries (given the eternal western dependency of Greece) that see Greece as their chance to break in the EU market. If these 2 moves turn out to be successful it will be a very positive development, as Greece (a member country of the EU and of the NATO) will get to have significant financial relations to countries with developed/developing economies that need Greece as much as Greece does.
But this all will be seen – if ever - in the future. For now, there have been thousands of businesses closing down and a massive 120.000 new unemployed people since last January. Meanwhile, job listings are less and less and many people, especially young have already moved to northern EU countries (Germany, Sweden etc.).
The government, except for trying to collect taxes (which is already proved by history that they can’t do successfully) is making an effort to put economic and social life in a primary order. This seems to be even harder than collecting taxes, as it was the same party that, back in the ‘80’s, created this monstrous state and spoiled the people by giving them money – money that had been borrowed. And now it’s the same party (some times even the very same persons) that blaim the people for the problems the country now faces.
Here’s a very comprehensive article on Greece from this month’s Vanity Fair by Michael Lewis. (if you haven’t lived in Greece, this article will help you understand aspects of everyday life that I would need a lot of time and space to write about – and still you would think I’m exaggerating)
P.S.: On my article of May 8th I was pointing: "Greece looks like a part of land where suddenly 12 million people are trapped in it and they have to find a way to set up a community from scratch. And each one of them has something different in mind, each one with their own definition of “victory”."
Michael Lewis in his article says something that sounds similar: "The structure of the Greek economy is collectivist, but the country, in spirit, is the opposite of a collective. Its real structure is every man for himself."
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