EPA photo The most important statistic that came out of Greece this week had nothing to do with the economy. The EU said that 300 migrants are illegally crossing the border from Turkey every single day. Frontex, the EU Border Control agency which has monitors on the Greek-Turkish border, said that the total number for the month of October was 9,600, representing "an absolute monthly record". It describes th ...

By George Friedman at  STRATFOR Everyone is wondering about the next disaster to befall Europe. Italy is one focus; Spain is also a possibility. But these crises are already under way. Instead, the next crisis will be political, not in the sense of what conventional politician is going to become prime minister, but in the deeper sense of whether Europe’s political elite can retain power, or whether new poli ...

In Berlin, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid and Brussels, different actions will be carried out in solidarity to the Greek people.   Today is the first day of the usual 3-days celebration for the anti-Junta revolt in 1973, in Greece. Back then, students, joined later on by other people, occupied the Polytechnical University in Athens demanding democracy and denouncing the “fake elections” the Junta had o ...

By Renee Maltezou (Reuters) - From Berlin to Bratislava, indignant Europeans have gasped at stories of the relatively high wages and generous benefits enjoyed by Greek workers, whose fabled laid-back lifestyles have been blamed for helping bring the euro zone to its knees. Athens' international lenders have pushed for cuts to the 750 euro minimum monthly wage to boost competitiveness, a welcome call for Ger ...

Documentary and discussion evening 'Bread, Education, Freedom !' The junta is back to Greece Beursplein Occupy Amsterdam Wednesday, November 16 8:30pm - 10:30pm     Thirty seven (37) years after the fall of the dictatorship in Greece, the historical time clock seems to be turning back. Instead of the US-backed military dictatorship of 1967-1974, a new IMF-EU-back economic dictatorship is being est ...

by George Gilson: George Papandreou, Antonis Samaras and Yiorgos Karatzaferis have turned Greece into a three-ring circus, and both the people and the press are enraged. The unconscionable collusion of the prime minister and his old college chum, conservative leader Antonis Samaras, in choosing Papandreou’s alter ego – parliament speaker Filippos Petsalnikos – as premier in a “unity” government created an u ...

ROXANE MCMEEKEN from ATHENS Greeks furious at 'intact' arms spending as eurozone leaders insist on cuts to their public services.   As Greece is forced by European leaders to abandon a referendum to allow the people the chance to vote on its latest bailout conditions, the country is preparing for yet another dose of austerity. The conditions of the next €130bn rescue package will be severe, yet there i ...

The day starts in a heavy ambiance due to Ms. Merkel's and Mr. Sarkozy's  statements, who made it clear that the only eligible question for a referendum would be "yes or no to the Euro" and that the only (acceptable) answer on behalf of the Greek people could be "yes". Until the Ministerial Council starts, there is just confusion and ongoing political negociations.Until noon, five Socialist Party MPs  (Kail ...

ATHENS — After a tumultuous day of political gamesmanship, Prime Minister George Papandreou called off his plan to hold a referendum on Greece’s new loan deal with the European Union, withdrew his previous offers to resign and opened conciliation talks with his conservative opponents. By RACHEL DONADIO and NIKI KITSANTONIS   In an address to his party’s central committee on Thursday evening, he said th ...

This Monday, I will not wake up at 5am, I will not make my lunchbox, I will not travel 100km to get to work. Because I have no job anymore. My employer decided that there is no place for me at his company, he paid my severance pay and send me to queue for the dole. You would expect from a union leader like me to say ‘nothing is lost, heads up colleagues, we will meet again in the streets’ and ‘all together ...