Press review Dec. 4

Lenders Are Trampling Human Rights

Chastising report issued by the Council of Europe

The troika’s austerity measures affect the more vulnerable members of society most, the study’s authors stress.

The story
Austerity measures imposed by international creditors on member states are eroding the social and economic rights of people, says human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe.
“The crisis is both a context and a constraint on government policy but some responses to the crisis have created much collateral damage to human rights,” Nils Muiznieks, the commissioner for human rights at the Strasbourg-based watchdog, told reporters on Tuesday (3 December).
Muiznieks, who presented a report on safeguarding human rights in times of economic crisis, said cuts in public expenditure and selective tax hikes aimed a curbing public deficits have not achieved their stated aims.

Instead, the rights to decent work and adequate standards of living have rolled back, contributing to deepening poverty in Europe. The report notes civil and political rights have also eroded as some governments exclude people on having any say in austerity proposals, provoking large-scale demonstrations.
Source: EUObserver.com   

Education in Freefall

1.) OECD Report: Drop from 25th to 42nd place for Greek pupils
2.) Middle Schools / High Schools: Teacher and supply shortages make learning conditions difficult
3.) Higher Education Institutions: Cutbacks and underfunding affect basic functioning of many universities and colleges

Greek students aged 15-16 ranked second to last in the Eurozone and 42nd out of a total of 65 countries of the OECD according to a report by the organization.

The data used for the study dates from 2012 meaning that the results do not reflect the dismantling of all three branches of education, the closing and merging of schools, the elimination of technical training courses, cutbacks in teaching staff, the exclusion of poorer pupils, school dropout rates, the pauperisation of teachers or reductions in research and training at universities.

Goodbye To Pensions From 2016

A shocking Study from the Labour Institute of GSEE (the General Confederation of Greek Workers)

[The study called ‘The Effect of Aging of the Population on Social Security in Greece 2013-2050’ found that due to Greece’s demographics after 2016 the social security system will begin to collapse. High unemployment costs the system 20 billion while the state owes the system another 12 billion. Despite major cuts to pensions which reached 4.2 billion euros, the study found that without major action 2015 will be the final year that the system will be balanced.]

Venizelos vs Stournaras… With Jokes

Indirectly, wryly but clearly the leader of PASOK and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos criticized Finance Minister Giannis Stournaras over the latter's recent public statements. From Brussels where Venizelos is currently attending the NATO ministerial meeting, and in response to a question about potential scenarios which foresee Stournaras becoming a European Commissioner, Venizelos responded, “Of course not, Mr Stournaras is irreplaceable.” Continuing he said, “He speaks nicely, he reassures people, he expresses in the best possible way sympathy and compassion which the Greek people need
due to what they are going through.” In any case he added, “he has his mother who is on a low pension and so he knows about that.”

Later Venizelos’s staff played down the remarks stressing that the Deputy PM made them during an informal and relaxed conversation with journalists. The same staffers noted that Venizelos has a broad sense of humour and makes the same comments to Stournaras. Neither the Finance Ministry, nor Maximou commented on Venizelos’s remarks, clearly in attempt to avoid further aggravating the situation with the budget vote imminent, as is the return of the troika.

 

[Mikis Theodorakis, 88, is Greek songwriter and composer with over 1000 works to his name. Famous abroad largely for his classical music compositions and film scores (which include the 1969 film Zorba the Greek and Serpico – 1973), in Greece he was one of the most important voices against the military dictatorship that ruled the country between 1967 – 74. Imprisoned by the regime his music became a symbol of the resistance. A widely respected figure in the country he has never been too far away from political discourse, usually supporting leftist causes, however in 1990 he served as a minister in the right-wing government of Constantine Mitsotakis.]