Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-03-28

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Party reactions to PM's address

[02] Conference on tourism in Evia

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Party reactions to PM's address

Main opposition PASOK press spokesman George Papaconstantinou said that the country did not have the luxury, nor its citizens the patience, to occupy themselves with whether the prime minister was or wasn't concerned with posts and offices.

The problem, he said, was that the country at this time did not have a government that solved problems, nor did it have a government that cared about the ordinary Greek citizen or defended Greece abroad with credibility.

For all those reasons, the country needed now, more than ever, a change of course, Papaconstantinou said in a written statement.

The Communist Party of Greece, in a press statement, said that there was "no confidence" in the government's claims.

Most of the anti-populr measures had been decided before the crisis, together with the EU, and now they were being unveiled under the pretext of the global financial crisis, the KKE charged.

It also warned that ND's and PASOK's policy would become increasingly dangerous for the popular strata. Either one or the other, or both together in government, ND and/or PASOK would take even worse measures on social security and pensions, on labor rights, and on the workers' incomes, the KKE concluded.

The Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) said that the prime minister had reiterated, in his address on Zakynthos, his determination to continue and intensify its "crisis policy", adding that Karamanlis had opted to "hide behind a petty political discussion lacking substance, which he himself is cultivating".

SYN accused the government over the "disgrace" of the increase in retirement ages for women in the public sector, the "disgrace of the sale of Olympic Airways, of the dissolution of labor relations, the reduction in remuneration and the layoffs".

It added that no one cared about Karamanlis' or PASOK leader George Papandreou's physical or psychological disposition, but what occupied the working people and the youth was a radical change of course for the country.

Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) press spokesman Kyriakos Velidis said that Karamanlis had failed to clarify whether he would remain at the helm of the ruling New Democracy (ND) party in the event that ND loses elections.

[02] Conference on tourism in Evia

Markopoulos noted the need for extending the dialogue throughout the entire country, and announced that similar conferences would be held in other regions.

Speakers at Saturday's session noted the need for a series of immediate interventions aimed at boosting the tourism industry which, according to professionals, will face problems over the coming period due to the financial crisis.

They also stressed the need for institutional interventions for modernization of the tourism industry.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Speculation of early elections and prime minister Costas Karamanlis' succession at the helm of his ruling New Democracy (ND) party, the global financial crisis and decline in bank loans to businesses and households, and reactions to a European Court ruling calling for equalization of the retirement ages of men and women in the public sector were the main front-page items in Athens' newspapers on Saturday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "The political parties should donate the funds they receive from the state for their election expenses to the Fund for the Poor - Bold proposal by parliament vice-president George Sourlas".

APOGEVMATINI: "New 'Center' initiative - Inspired cultural and political handlings".

AVGHI: "Plunge into recession".

CHORA: "Flights for new deals - What the prime minister discussed with (MIG vice president) Vgenopoulos".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Chalet prices at hotels - Despite the crisis, Greek tourism is becoming more expensive".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "0%+0%= -1 billion euros - The equation of the milking - What civil servants and public sector pensioners are losing under the incomes policy".

ESTIA: "The political landscape that is being formulated".

ETHNOS: "Extra taxes for salary and pension earners - Second surcharge for millions of taxpayers".

KATHIMERINI: "Corruption, impunity reigning in the public sector - Shocking report by the Auditors and Inspectors Corps".

LOGOS: "Police 'sweep' operation in Athens and Thessaloniki - Government troubled over spiralling crime".

NIKI: "Karamanlis on the way out - Developments ahead in ND and government".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Punish ND and PASOK for the new anti-social security attack - Insubordination to the EU, which equalizes the retirement ages".

TA NEA: "Greeks the champions in waste of electricity - We waste 293,000 euros for light".

TO VIMA: "Extreme austerity scenaria - Even 3-year freeze on salaries being discussed - Internal and external pressure on government for radical confrontation of the crisis".

VRADYNI: "Brake on introversion - From Zakynthos, the prime minister puts an end to the succession-mongering and sends clear message in all directions".

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