Press Review June 11: No end in sight for austerity

The IMF report released yesterday indicates that new fiscal measures are on the way; Antonis Samaras again promises to ease taxes and ‘correct injustices’; but the Prime Minister wrote a letter to the troika pledging additional fiscal measures ‘if necessary’; the cleaning women protesting their unfair dismissal are beaten once again by riot police; and Athens University is drowning in rubbish as cleaning contracts are cancelled. Photo: FOSPHOTOS / Panayiotis Tzamaros

The Press Project
11 Ιουνίου 2014 | 11:23:12

	DIMOKRATIA Prolonged Hell The IMF report released yesterday puts an end to the pre-election myths Cuts to salaries and pension! Removal of all restrictions over mass layoffs. IMF puts on the table an additional 7.5 billion euros worth of measures for three year period 2015-2017. [IMF rep Poul] Thomsen ‘forbids’ tax reductions at the same time that Samaras was talking about reducing tax coefficients in the autumn.
	IMERISIA Antonis Samaras: Now we can plan for the future The ‘3’ big targets A reduction in tax burdens, a correction in injustices and a final restructuring of the debt The Prime Minister: The country is entering the final exit phase of the crisis. We are planning to end injustices without putting the primary surplus at risk. Evangelos Venizelos: Greece is leaving the Memorandum. The issue of the continued presence of the troika in Athens hinders our efforts. The opposition should contribute to negotiations over the debt.
	AVGI Samaras signs on for new measures! Avgi is bringing to light evidence that proves the false and pre-electoral nature of the promises made by the government that no new measures will be taken and for an end to the Memorandum which were repeated yesterday by Samaras and Venizelos at the first meeting of the new cabinet. In the IMF report there is attached a letter from Samaras, Stournaras and Provopoulos to the troika dated the 14th of May – i.e. before the elections, in which they provide guarantees to the lenders that – if necessary – they will implement additional measures in the framework of the updated Memorandum! The question of ‘if necessary’ is answered by the IMF which foresees a fiscal gap of 7.7 billion euros and a revenue shortfall of 12.6 billion until 2017 and deems new cuts to pensions and salaries almost unavoidable!
	EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON Different ministers, same beatings The dismissed cleaning women of the Finance Ministry received their first beating under the tenure of [new ministers] Hardouvelis and Kikilas. One of the women suffered an injury to her collarbone and was taken to the Evangelismo hospital. Tomorrow the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the appeal by the state for a postponement of the judicial decision which vindicated the women [by deeming their dismissal, illegal].
	KATHIMERINI Athens University in a cleanliness crisis Contracts were not approved The University of Athens is being rocked by further turmoil as its administrative staff are moving ahead with new strike actions after the three-month closure at the beginning of the academic year, while various of the institution’s departments are not being cleaned with the result being that students and staff alike are in danger of illnesses. Cleaning contracts do not exist as the direct awarding of contracts for the past two years were ruled illegitimate by the Public Contract Authority. Yesterday in the Philosophy Department, where the biggest problem is, students and staff cleaned voluntarily while professors told Kathimerini that mice had been seen on the 5th floor outside the office of Theodosis Pelegrinis, a professor of the department and chancellor of the university. It is possible that the public hearings for the rector candidates on the 25th of June will take place next to piles of rubbish.