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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-03-14Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou proposes new national strategyMain opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George Papandreou inaugurated the sessions of the party's 4-day 8th congress at the indoor Tae Kwon Do stadium on Thursday, promising great reforms in society and in the economy.Papandreou outlined the main points of "a new national strategy" and criticised the New Democracy party government, while referring to differences "between the progressive and the conservative party", as well as to foreign policy issues and international developments. The PASOK leader appealed to the Coaliton of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) for cooperation, but stressed at the same time that PASOK's aim is to achieve an absolute majority, "because solutions are not provided by party alliances and big formations but by a strong government which, however, can seek paths of cooperation with other parties and mainly with the Coalition." Papandreou called on the 7,100 delegates to sanction deep reforms and radical changes in the party immediately after the congress and referred to certain specific changes. He went on to say that the composition of the new political council will consolidate renewal, unity and meritocracy, while this will also apply to all the other bodies. Papandreou further underlined that PASOK will wage a struggle for the independence of the mass media, regardless of how they treat his party and noted that the new political council will examine the way with which PASOK will acquire its own media. Commenting on political developments, Papandreou said that PASOK wants a majority government and a majority among the Greek people to "enable the Greek citizen to have hope and to put an end to the country's downhill trend". He also proposed that the first step in cooperation between PASOK and the Coalition should be cooperation between the two Parliamentary groups that should have a steady contact and consultations and make joint moves. He further said that there could be greater convergences along the way, as well as the shaping of a joint governance programme. Referring to preconditions for the creation of "Greece of values", Papandreeou pointed to a new model of development that will invest in knowledge and the country's culture, the promotion of the principles of Socialism and Ecology, announcing the imposition of a green tax on those emitting carbon dioxide, and investing in culture and linking it with the production process. Papandreou said that the axis of PASOK's new national strategy will be the social state that will guarantee growth with reallocation and reallocation with growth. He also announced the abolition "of all the arrangements being carried out by the government now with the disorganising plan," as he termed it, adding that PASOK will not increase retirement age and will not decrease pensions, while farmers will be pensioned at the age of 60. Papandreou also spoke of taxing wealth, decreasing indirect taxes and reshaping taxes for big real estate. He said that companies' dividends will be taxed with the rate with which salaries are taxed and companies' undistributed profits which will be invested will be taxed with a low rate. The PASOK leader further said that a four-year entrance contract to the labour force will be established for young people and the state will undertake to pay social security contributions over this period. Turning to foreign policy issues, Papandreoui said that Greece's position in Europe and worldwide "must be restored and it must seek a dynamic role on the international scene again." He expressed the hope that there will be a democratic reversal in the United States and that there will be a government which will "implement preventive diplomacy and not preventive wars". Papandreou pointed out that if rules of international behaviour are not shaped on the basis of international law, there will be disarray and wild conflict on the international scene which will be intensified with confrontations over such issues as energy, water resources and environmental crises. Refering to the Balkans, he criticised the government "because the country's important role has been lost through the negligence and fear shown by the New Democracy party, resulting in us reaching the present deadlocks over the issue with Skopje, in which case a veto is now imperative." On the question of Kosovo, he said that its unilateral recognition is a flagrant violation of international law and added that Greece's insistence on international law is a profoundly patriotic stance. As regards Turkey, Papandreeou said that his party "has always observed a stance of principles towards the neighbouring country and brought the issues of Greek-Turkish relations in the field of the European Union and of international law and not in the field of conflict and military confrontations, as Turkey had wanted." Messages were earlier read out by Socialist International Secretary General Luis Ayala, ruling New Democracy Secretary Lefteris Zagoritis, who conveyed a message by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) political bureau member Costas Paraskevas, Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology President Alexis Tsipras. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also sent messages. [02] Wall in Medieval Rhodes collapsesA section of the walls of the Palace of the Grand Maitre on the island of Rhodes detached and collapsed after a heavy rainstorm on Thursday.Local authorities and archaeology services immediately took steps to repair the damage, with teams of specialised technicians from the archaeology services arriving at dawn at the site. The Museum will remain closed for precautionary reasons on Friday, given that large stone sections have fallen in front of the main entrance to the Palace. According to local authorities, the rest of the building is not in danger, but immediate measures are imperative in order to inspect and fortify all the buildings in the Medieval Town of Rhodes, which are a vital part of the history of the island. Caption: Large stone sections in front of the main entrance of the Palace of the Grand Maitre on the island of Rhodes on Friday 14 March 2008. ANA-MPA/NICHOLAS NANEV [03] MoMA director to visit GreeceDirector of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Glenn Lowry, will visit Greece for the first time and address public audiences in Athens and Thessaloniki as part of the "Great Ideas" series. Featured in the Megaron Plus series, he will speak at the Megaron-Athens Concert Hall on Monday, March 17, at 19:00, on "Making the Modern: A Disruptive Theory of the Museum of Modern Art." His lecture will focus on how the Museum has dealt with the collection and display of artworks, the way in which it periodically reinvents itself, and the changing nature of contemporary art. On Wednesday, March 19, at 18:30, he will speak in Thessaloniki on the same topic. This event is co-organized with the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry and will take place at the Chamber's Conference Hall. During his visit to Greece, Lowry will also address student audiences at the University of Athens School of Fine Arts and the Thessaloniki Aristotle University School of Fine Arts. Lowry was appointed Director of MoMA in 1995. One of his initiatives was the construction of MoMA's new building, which was completed in 2004, and was a turning point in the history of the museum and a major cultural event for the city of New York. The goal of the "Great Ideas" series is to bring noted American experts and artists to Greece to perform and discuss current topics of interest to the Greek and American people.Caption: ANA-MPA/EPA file photo:The acronym 'MOMA' reflects on the new facade of the Museum of Modern Art in New York as it gets ready to reopen its doors to the public on 20 November 2004 to coincide with it's 75th anniversary after an extensive two and a half year renovation, Sunday 31 October 2004. EPA/PETER FOLEY [04] Athens Newspaper HeadlinesThe Friday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceThe Development Ministry's measures against profiteering, the strike wave in protest of social security reforms and the 8th Congress of the main opposition PASOK party that began on Thursday with its leader George Papandreou making an overture to Synaspismos party dominated the headlines on Friday in Athens' newspapers. ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: 'Profiteers thrash the markets - Oil reaches 111 dollars per barrel". APOGEVMATINI: "Divorce in two years - Revolutionary reform in Justice focusing in a more modern society". AVGHI: "(President of the Republic Karolos) Papoulias backs the strikers - Major umbrella labour unions' (GSEE and ADEDY) leaderships met on Thursday with Papoulias ahead of next Wednesday's nationwide strike". AVRIANI: "Papandreou desperately seeking a 'life raft' from Synaspismos - He doomed PASOK to fall to the third place, and is begging for cooperations". CHORA: "(Synaspismos party leader Alexis) Tsipras was a guest star in the presence of the US ambassador, at the PASOK Congress - PASOK at a crucial crossroad". ELEFTHERI ORA: "PASOK makes overture to Synaspismos at the party's Congress". ELEFTHEROS: "Papoulias anxious over the developments - The domestic generalised collision is dangerous for the national issues." ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Municipalities of Attica prefecture 'hiding' the garbage in illegal dumpsites". ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Invitation for alliance - George (Papandreou) called for a self-sufficient (PASOK) government and made a cooperation overture to Synaspismos". ESTIA: "Scandalous - loans to parties". ETHNOS: "Mutiny in (ruling party New Democracy party) ND - The 'recipe' for the social security bill is: Disagree - vote for - case closed". KATHIMERINI: "New facts seeing the light of day following the crisis in FYROM". LOGOS: "Last chance...8th PASOK Congress began with speech by Papandreou". NIKI: "PASOK passed the test - Papandreou outlined the party's new course". TA NEA: "Papandreou extended his hand for cooperation with Synaspismos - George broke the ice between PASOK and Synaspismos". TO VIMA: "Strikes before the dead end - Chaos on Thursday in Athens". RIZOSPASTIS: "Meeting of the EU's Communist, Left and Labour parties begins on Friday in Athens". VRADYNI: "Papandreou makes an open proposal, invitation for cooperation to SYRIZA". Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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