Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-04-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM: Extinguish eurozone 'fire'

[02] 'Kallikratis' signals end of an era

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM: Extinguish eurozone 'fire'

Papandreou said that from the situation that has been created from the beginning of the crisis "the markets do not ultimately regulate themselves and they do not always function rationally," while for the specific case he said that the markets "are afraid and evaluate by depending on the worst possible scenario and not the most probable."

Focusing on foreign policy, he said "we are renewing the policy that we were implementing in the Balkans," and reiterated his proposal on the accession of the western Balkans to the European Union by 2014, saying that such a development would also "constitute a catalyst for the solving of problems, such as that of Kosovo, as well as the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)," while regarding the upcoming visit to Athens by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan he spoke of "a renewal of the rapprochement that began in 2000."

[02] 'Kallikratis' signals end of an era

The minister unveiled a plan for municipalities and regions that were fewer in number and covered a larger area, had more powers, funding, and staff and could be "more efficient, more economical, more transparent, more democratic and more open to society".

Ragoussis noted that the new map of local authorities aimed at a good, modern, decentralised and efficient state, one that was executive and decentralised and opened new roads of development, while respecting the money of Greek taxpayers.

"There is now a general awareness that the wasteful, clientist, centralised and inefficient state is the cause of the Greek problem as we experience this today," he said.

The new state had to have a firm foundation and for this reason the changes were starting at the base of the system, from the municipalities, regions and decentralised state administration, the minister added.

According to Ragoussis, after its approval by the cabinet on Wednesday, the Kallikratis plan entered the final phase of public debate before it was tabled in Parliament:

"At this phase we are absolutely open to any proposal that improves any aspect of the bill, though always in the framework of the principles that we have set for it".

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's and IMF chief Dominique Strauss -Kahn's statements on the immediate activation of the support mechanism after their talks in Berlin, and the reforms and the changes to local administration contained in the "Kallikratis" plan, dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' headlines.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Kallikratis plan brings 100,000 lay-offs - Lengthy Inner Cabinet meeting".

APOGEVMATINI: "The new municipalities throughout Greece".

AVGHI: "They are taking everything".

AVRIANI: "The 'arsonists' are playing fireman!!!"

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "IMF storm in private sector, too".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "The maps with the 333 (new, larger municipalities - Kallikratis: Everything changing in the country's structure".

ESTIA: "Europe is heading towards collapse - Her leaders have huge responsibility".

ETHNOS: "Harsh measures contained in the agreement with the EU-ECB-IMF".

IMERISSIA: "120 billion euros rescue package - The economic assistance deal was sealed in Berlin".

KATHIMERINI: "120 billion euros for three tough years".

LOGOS: "Final countdown for ...the new package of measures - Acceleration of procedures decided by Merkel and Strauss-Kahn".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Berlin makes positive turn-about on the 120 billion euros support".

NIKI: "Vicious circle! - Six bitter answers regarding our bank deposits".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Working classes' uprising on Labour Day at the PAME (Labour union affiliated to Communist Party) demonstrations staged throughout the country".

TA NEA: "Painful rescue - The fear of a domino effect persuaded Merkel, who is offering us...".

TO VIMA: "120 billion euros breather - Salaries before the firing squad".

VRADYNI: "Now they are in a hurry - Merkel calls for acceleration of the activation of the support mechanism".

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