Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-11-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Bakoyannis founds 'Democratic Alliance' party

[02] Gov't stifling market, plunges us into recession

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Bakoyannis founds 'Democratic Alliance' party

At an event at the Olympics Badminton facility, Bakoyannis invited the 5,000 participants to sign the new party's Founding Declaration, describing her party as an "independent, participational democratic movement".

Outlining the Democratic Alliance's fundamental principles and values, Bakoyannis said the party is opposed to new taxes institution of a single tax rate "in the region of" 20 percent, and stressed that it will pursue national understanding and agreement on reducing the number of civil servants so that, over the next decade, the public sector will function with two-thirds of its current manpower.

She also spoke of a second social security reform and the institution of a constitutional fiscal regulation that would ensure balanced budgets, while she also criticised ND and its leader over their stance on the Memorandum.

Bakoyannis made it clear that her party is determined to clash with the "phenomena of intransparency", while she also defended her decision to vote in favor of Greece's resorting to the European support mechanism, which differentiation from the main opposition party's official stance led to her leaving ND. "I disagreed, and disagree, with many of the measures and regulations contained in the Memorandum, but at that time last May, the dilemma was merciless for everyone: approval of the support mechanism or immediate default".

Bakoyannis further announced that the new Democratic Alliance party's inaugural congress will be held in March.

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[02] Gov't stifling market, plunges us into recession

In an interview appearing in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini daily, Samaras also reiterated his firm position on the "correctness" of the "anti-Memorandum stance", but differentiated his position from that of the Left wing parties, and stressed that the economic program recently proposed by his party could wipe out both the structural and cyclical deficit of the country in a space of 18th months.

Samaras further said that the PASOK government's economic policy has stifled the market and plunged the country into recession, which evaporates whatever benefit that may have resulted from the salary and pension cuts.

For that reason, he continued, ND proposes boosting of construction activity though a 10-year subsidisation of interest on first-home loans which, Samaras explained, will provide "oxygen" to more than 130 professions. In addition, exploitation of the public sector's movable assets has nearly limitless prospects for bringing immediate liquidity and permanent public revenues.

Samaras acknowledged that mergers of public sector agencies and cuts in DEKO (public utilities and organisations) spending are needed, but stressed his absolute disagreement to prospective layoffs in the public and wider public sector, warning that that would be a mistaken policy.

He further warned that if the government continues with the same policy "we will soon realise that that which appeared as a 'bail-out' for the country was disaster".

The ND leader also stated satisfaction with the results of the recent local administration elections, noting that his party's 10.4 percent difference behind the ruling PASOK party in last year's general elections had been bridged to just 2 percent in the local elections earlier in November.

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[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The state of the Greek and European economies and Greece's draft 2011 state budget were the main front-page items in Athens' Sunday newspapers.

AVGHI: "Memorandum...with crutches - Prime minister to hold meetings with 'old and new' party leaders, seeking officials willing to back the budget and prospective new harsh measures".

AVRIANI: "We're heading full-speed to bankruptcy in February, markets predict".

CHORA: "Human sacrifices on the Troika's altar".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Burning quarter for Greece and the euro".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "10 reasons for someone not to live in Greece".

EPOCHI: "Dark Europe".

ETHNOS: "Kallikratis (public administration reform plan) recipe everywhere - In hospitals, universities and Tax Bureau offices".

KATHIMERINI: "The economy amidst the Symplegades (Clashing or Cyanean) Rocks".

LOGOS: "Budget from...the past - Places Greece on threshold of artificial bankruptcy".

NIKI: "Ultra-luxury cars which have been put in hock (at vehicle pawn shop), for a handful of euros

PARON: "They're turning us back 30 years...Tears and poverty".

PROTO THEMA: "They're also eyeing the retirement superannuity".

REALNEWS: "Merkel 'cutting' the euro in two!".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Front of counter-attack everywhere, for development that benefits the people".

TO ARTHRO: "Eurozone with 'dual' euro".

TO VIMA: "Sudden death for thousands of public sector agencies".

VRADYNI: "Drastic salary cuts - Labor relations turned topsy-turvy".

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