Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-06-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece needs a new set of reforms to boost growth, says FinMin Tsakalotos

[02] Aim is to settle election law issue before summer ends, Voutsis tells press

[03] UN's Ban Ki-moon to visit Lesvos on June 18

[04] Port employees to continue strike after meeting with ministers

[01] Greece needs a new set of reforms to boost growth, says FinMin Tsakalotos

"Greece is turning a page. It is breaking the vicious circle of fiscal measures that cause recession, which in turn brings more fiscal measures," the minister said in his speech, adding that the sequence of reforms implemented in the country was wrong. "Greece was asked to complete an ambitious fiscal adjustment program very quickly," he said, which was at the expense of employment and the economy.

He also spoke of the significance of investments, not just for Greece but for Europe as a whole, noting that the low or zero interest rates from which some countries are benefiting must be used to stimulate investments.

Commenting on the benefits or problems of globalization, Tsakalotos said he disagreed with the head of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Klaus Regling that all economists agree globalization is good, noting that the main problem is the unequal distribution of profits from increased productivity.

He also said that to fight euro-scepticism you need more than better communication: "There are winners and losers and it must be ensured that losers will have a chance." Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who was in the same panel, said it is cynical to say globalization didn't benefit nations and that it is wrong to give more importance to social inequality versus social mobility.

"More Europe makes sense only if it's more democratic and social," Tsakalotos responded and expressed hope that in the second generation of reforms, Europe will take into consideration the needs of societies.

Asked about the European Central Bank's quantitative easing program, the minister said sounded the alarm on countries with large debts such as Italy and Portugal. "The QE program has problems and will not last forever. We must remember that when it is completed, many economies that have a high debt will have a problem," he said.

[02] Aim is to settle election law issue before summer ends, Voutsis tells press

Voutsis said that there will be a discussion of the election system over the coming month "independent of whether Parliament will also be, as it would like, a part of the Constitutional content to be revised." The aim will be the broadest possible consensus so that the new election law decided on by Parliament will have the Constitutional basis to be implemented at the next elections, due to take place three years and three months from now.

Discussion on revising Greece's constitution will begin at the end of August or early September and be concluded after three or four months at least, in accordance with Parliamentary regulations and the Constitution, he added.

On the issue of introducing simple proportional representation, the Parliament president declined to elaborate, noting only that SYRIZA's position on simple proportional representation, the "bonus" for the party with the most votes and a "minimum" percentage for representation in Parliament was known.

Voutsis also referred to the prospect of referendums and stressed that the revision of the Constitution will be carried out by the next Parliament on the basis of article 110 of the Constitution, while noting that the issue might be discussed in the context of the constitutional revision.

"It was a mistake that no referendum had been held for 40 years. This does not mean we will pass to a Swiss-type process. The Constitution itself, in any case, is strict and gives direction," he commented.

The need for the people to express an opinion on individual issues will be a separate process and not concern the vote on revising the Constitution per se, he clarified. "I say this because a misunderstanding concerning this issue arose in recent days," he added.

Voutsis also informed reporters that the agreement for the sale of the Hellinikon site to Lamda Development will be brought before Parliament for ratification after it is signed in November.

[03] UN's Ban Ki-moon to visit Lesvos on June 18

"I will visit Lesvos to assess the situation and express my solidarity," Ban told journalists speaking at the UN headquarters in New York. "Hundreds of Syrians and other refugees and migrants continue to die in the Mediterranean trying to escape war and persecution," he added.

He will also meet Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens on June 17, before flying to the island.

[04] Port employees to continue strike after meeting with ministers

"The verbal assurances of the government are not sufficient - we have no path other than to continue our action," he said, while noting that the new environment created at the ports "harboured serious dangers for the workforce."

The employees will make decisions on how to further escalate their action on Thursday, while they will carry out a protest rally outside the Greek stock market on Friday, during a Piraeus Port Organisation shareholders' meeting to approve the new concession contract for the port, he said.

In a message to port employees as he arrived at the Posidonia 2016 shipping exhibition, Dritsas said he had just come from a meeting with the port workers, attended by the other ministers involved.

"We presented the government proposals in detail. They are proposals that protect stable and secure labour relations in the ports and, of course, in Piraeus and Thessaloniki. There are a series of proposals and measures that we have already taken and others that we will take in order to avert any risk of disrupting labour relations," he said.

The minister also noted that the government's proposal "was a very good opportunity" that should not be lost.

In the meantime, Greece's importers, exporters but also cruise operators are up in arms over the continued strike, ahead of the expected arrival of eight cruise ships that will let off and take on 6,600 passengers in Piraeus on Saturday, as well as another 2,000 travellers expected to disembark and visit Attica. The head of the cruise company association has warned that many operators are now considering cancelling planned stops at Piraeus in favour of other ports, including those in neighbouring countries.

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