Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-02-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Major finds recovered in illegal antiquities bust

[02] Rehn due in Athens on Monday

[03] Joint action by EU Left

[04] Greek Press Review

[01] Major finds recovered in illegal antiquities bust

Police said that an investigation lasting several months had culminated last Friday with the arrest of two Greeks aged 48 and 51 at the Kavala junction of the Egnatia Highway. In a spot search of their car, police found and confiscated a bronze statue dated to the 4th century B.C.

Further searches in the homes of the two suspects in Drama yielded more important archaeological artifacts that were in their possession, including the bronze head of a boy dated to the Roman era, a stone relief of a woman, two bronze coins, 11 gold coins, one silver coin and the bronze head of a youth.

Archaeologists examining the objects confiscated have confirmed that these fall under the statutes of the 'Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage' act, while the bronze statue and head of a boy, in particular, are believed to be objects of unique archaeological, historic and commercial value. The two men were apparently negotiating the sale of the statue for seven million euros.

[02] Rehn due in Athens on Monday

Rehn is scheduled to meet government vice-president Theorodos Pangalos, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, Labour and Social Insurance Minister Andreas Loverdos and Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos.

A spokesman for the Commission said that Rehn will hold a press conference after these meetings, at the European Commission's offices in Athens at 18:15 local time.

[03] Joint action by EU Left

According to Tsipras, the government and Prime Minister George Papandreou were engaged in 'secret diplomacy' and Papandreou was dropping hints in Parliament, instead of informing the Greek people about the measures that he intends to take.

"Even if we were in a state of war there would not be this much secrecy," Tsipras claimed, calling on the prime minister to lay his cards on the table or to postpone the discussion in Parliament until the following week, after he had completed his visits to the U.S. and Germany.

He also stressed that the government had been elected on the basis of a programme that was very different from that actually being carried out.

On the actions being planned by the European Left Party, Tsipras noted that they had discussed joint action on a national but also European level over the past two days. He pointed out that the crisis did not just concern Greece or the European south but all of Europe.

He said the first milestone in this effort will come on March 24, which Leftist forces throughout Europe would try to make a day of coordinated strikes and other events, followed by Labour Day, when there would be joint action by the Leftist forces of the European south.

Tsipras also warned that the measures being adopted by the government would fail to tackle the crisis but instead trigger an even deeper depression.

Bisky asserted that the banks of Germany and other countries were also engaged in the speculators' game targeting Greece and he also pointed out that Germany currently had the highest debt since WWII and that this was a problem for the German people. He stressed the need to tackle the causes of the crisis together and present alternative proposals.

On whether Germany should pay war reparations claimed by Greeks, Bisky said that he was not well informed on the issue but believed Germany owed restitution for the victims of the Nazis and the damage they had inflicted.

[04] Greek Press Review

The economy and anticipated, even harsher austerity measures to curb the state deficit demanded by the EU were the main front-page items in Athens' newspapers on Sunday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Is [Prime Minister George Papandreou] playing the Americans' game?".

APOGEVMATINI: "Land register. [Tax office] Sallying forth for 200 million euros".

ARTHRO: "They're betting on our bankruptcy!"

AVGHI: "Euro-answer of the Left from Athens".

AVRIANI: "Two million Greeks at risk of losing their pensions".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "How much will the life-preserver cost us?".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Heil...measures! German umbrella but also German discipline in adhering to the stability programme".

EPOCHI: "They're worried! Workers on the streets once again".

ETHNOS: "They're 'roasting' the ...bonuses and trimming tax relief".

KATHIMERINI: "Athens seeks guarantees, Berlin expects measures"

LOGOS: "A big week for the Greek economy".

NIKI: "Oh, what a blast...The 'red lines' are being crossed and dramatic reversals are coming".

PARON: "They wiped out 807,000 souls during the [Nazi occupation of Greece]".

PROTO THEMA: "Special Audit Service raid on ship-owner with 130 real estate properties [and low declared income]".

REAL NEWS: "Citizens consider the measures inadequate and demand..End waste and tenure!"

RIZOSPASTIS: "Passion week on the way, with new pre-decided, anti-working class measures".

VETO: "They were paid mammoth kickbacks. Why don't they speak?"

TO VIMA: "Speculators hold 'secret supper' with Greece on the menu".

VRADYNI: "Farewell to the 14th salary. Final decision to scrap the 'bonus'".

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