TA NEA


Polarisation Levels Critical
 
Government and SYRIZA Party clash over pharmaceuticals and submarines.
 
Explainer: SYRIZA maintains that new reforms over the supply of drugs in the public health system does not upgrade care and the access of all citizens to good quality medications, but rather serves the demands of the troika for cuts in the government’s spending on drugs as well as penetration into the Greek market of foreign multinational companies making generic drugs, and will level the Greek pharmaceuticals industry. They accuse Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis as being the multinational’s ‘dealer.’ The Minister for his part accused SYRIZA of having vested interests claiming that “SYRIZA’s radio station is owned by pharmaceutical industries and SYRIZA has voted in Parliament against us making medicines cheaper”
 
The submarine scandal relates to the purchase of four faulty submarines from the German companies HDW and FERROSTAAL. Then Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos has been convicted over the case and is currently imprisoned. SYRIZA is requesting that the investigation be widened to examine the culpability of subsequent ministers who handled the completion of the transaction among whom are the current Deputy Prime Minister, PASOK leader, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Evangelos Venizelos.

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON
 

Get of the Stretcher and Walk!
 
The severe problems caused by memorandum driven cuts in public health spending are emerging tragically. “Pack up and leave” was the message heard by HIV positive patients in Special Infections Ward of the Laiko (People’s) Hospital according to allegations made by one of the patient’s mother.  “How can they fit in the ward when there are only eight beds?” asks the president of the hospital’s employees. Only this year beds in Athens hospitals were reduced by 1,200 while 200 beds in intensive care units remain closed due to staff shortages. 

 

ELEFTHEROTYPIA

Greco-Romanian Gold in Syntagma
 
“We are not terrorists, we are fighting for our children’s future,” shouted the people accused of setting fire to facilities at Skouries Chalikidikis [site of a highly controversial gold-mining operation] in front of Parliament. Among them are residents who spent six months in prison. Over 300 have been charged with crimes which include establishing and belonging to a criminal organization. Together with other people from the affected areas they organized the “Caravan of Solidarity” and are currently touring in Greece seeking justice together with Romanian anti-gold protesters who are protesting a similar gold-mining operation in the Carpathian mountains. 

 
 

KATHIMERINI

Ministers Delaying
 
–          Ministers not pushing staff assessments forward required to meet the target of 4,000 job cuts in state sector
 
Despite orders from Antonis Samaras and missives from the Administrative Reform Minister, a number of ministers appear to be delaying completion of the assessments of the public employees they oversee which are required to reach the target of 4,000 public job cuts by the end of 2013. The Prime Minister has requested the acceleration of all related procedures in order to close all fronts as required not only for September’s loan tranche to be released [from Greece’s international lenders] but for the completion of the programs; evaluation by the end of December. With that end in mind today there will be a meeting of the Government Council of Reforms where it is believed that among the issues to be discussed will be EAS [Hellenic Defense Systems – the state controlled defense company]

 
 

NAFTEMPORIKI

As Extra Time Runs Out, Loose Ends Tied Up
 
The Government is in a race against time with continuous contact between the Prime Minister and government ministers, with the aim of closing all open fronts during the troika’s representatives’ return to Athens on the 2nd of December in light of the important Eurogroup meeting on the 9th of December. The troika’s demands concern all areas where there are issues still unresolved and is specifically pressing for reductions in the social security contributions of employers, the liberalization of the labor market, and a broadening of the conditions allowing temporary employment, while also leaving open the possibility of new measures affecting pensions. For auctions of foreclosed homes the troika is proposing that the only homeowners to be protected should be those who are below the poverty line. The government’s decisions over public sector job cuts must include those slated for 2014 as well as 2013.