by ERIC TOUSSAINT In July-September 2011 the stock markets were again shaken at international level. The crisis has become deeper in the EU, particularly with respect to debts. The CADTM interviewed Eric Toussaint about various facets of this new stage in the crisis. CADTM: Is it true that Greece has to commit to paying about 15% interest rates to be allowed to contract ten year loans? Eric Toussaint: Yes, ...

Sep 12th 2011, 18:13 by R.A. | WASHINGTON MANY people have been linking to this Spiegel piece, on how the Germans are preparing for the possibility of a Greek default. It's a remarkable read. Consider: "The rest of Europe is losing patience with Athens. And after 18 months of crisis in the country, there is still no improvement in sight. Key economic figures are worsening, and there are growing doubts over ...

By LANDON THOMAS Jr. LONDON — No bank likes to take a loss, especially those in Europe that already suffer from a toxic mix of thin capital, troubled financing and weak loan books. But in the case of the proposed second bailout for Greece — the one that is supposed to make private investors feel the financial pain along with taxpayers — the biggest banks in Europe are on the road now promoting the plan. It’ ...

via www.occupiedlondon.org At least 45 departments across the country are now under student occupation – General Assemblies are happening all of this and next week and it is very likely that the number will increase dramatically. There seems to be a completely unprecedented agreement between students across almost the entire political spectrum for mobilisations against the voted law: this is rapidly becomin ...

According to a Greek prosecutor, the US embassy in Athens was apparently behind the wiretapping of former prime minister Costas Karamanlis as well as other officials in the period 2004 – 2005. In today’s edition of “Kathimerini on Sunday” it was revealed that four of a total of fourteen mobile phones used by the former prime minister and his associates, were purchased in the name of the US embassy. Apart fr ...

by wikileaks. All of these factors have contributed to a general feeling that the carefree days of generous salaries and easy borrowing have passed, and that the future looks dim and uncertain. Already Eurostat estimates that 20 percent of the Greek population lives under poverty levels, the highest rate in the Eurozone together with Spain. A European eurobarometer report publicized in early February reveal ...

We found it on www.trouw.nl and you cand find the translation in Greek here. Een onderpand in ruil voor nieuwe leningen aan Griekenland is en blijft een harde eis voor de Finse regering. Maar wat dat onderpand precies moet zijn, daarover valt te praten. Geld, grond, staatsbedrijven en goud zijn de opties. Ze hebben allemaal voor- en nadelen. Geld. Die optie heeft de Finland met de Griekse regering afgesprok ...

In the last few years, a wave of ‘reforms’ within the European Union and throughout the world has subjected Higher Education to the logic of the market. Higher Education has increasingly been transformed from a public good and a civil right to a commodity for the wealthy. The self-government of Universities and the autonomy of academic processes are also being eroded. The processes of knowledge production a ...

www.occupiedlondon.org There may be no better proof of the rupture that is brought about by the “movement of the squares” other than its open, participatory, directly democratic way of organising and functioning. Within a single week it has given birth to a political culture of a different type, one that literally overcomes all known models of organising and struggle to date. Even if the issue of its proced ...

by Harald Hau* Last week, the European heads of government added €109 billion to the existing €110 billion rescue plan for Greece. As Europe’s financial sector would have otherwise taken a huge hit, this column address the question: How did the financial sector manage to negotiate such a gigantic wealth transfer from the Eurozone taxpayer and the IMF to the richest 5% of people in the world? When the deal w ...