Georges Prévélakis Historically positioning themselves between an unruly, oriental population and the western powers, since 1981 Greek elites have siphoned off EU funds into a bloated public sector favouring corruption, patronage and social climbing. The threat posed to Europe by the breakdown is less contagion to the centre than a wave of anti-western feeling that could exacerbate geopolitical instabilitie ...

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 ...

A lobbyist of the multinational elite was appointed prime minister of Greece, an undemocratic political deviation that must be annulled by massive and decisive popular action. PASOK and Nea Democratia agreed at last, after a marathon of consultations, to commonly appoint Loukas Papademos as prime minister. “Democratic Alliance” and LAOS supported the procedure with enthusiasm, while the “Democratic Left” an ...

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 fear of 'contagion' shouldn't be just about the euro – this Greek resistance could spread across Europe. The Greek prime minister George Papandreou's loss of power is not surprising: the reaction of Greeks to the 27 October agreement with its new tranche of austerity measures and the further undermining of national independence was devastating for the government. The next day, a military parade was aban ...

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet was interrupted during a speech at a university in Berlin today and booed by people in the audience. A woman began shouting as Trichet spoke in an auditorium at the Humboldt University, causing him to stop speaking briefly before resuming. Banners were held up by students in the audience reading “no more money for the banks” and “say ...

EUobserver/ Brussels (23 October) - While heads of states discuss the second Greek bailout over marathon talks in Brussels, members of the local Greek solidarity movement stage a protest calling on Prime Minister George Papandreou to resign. "Greek people don't want any more loans", says Yiorgos Vassalos from the Greek solidarity movement in Brussels who is joined by some of the Spanish "indignants". Belgia ...

In his final dispatch from breadline Europe, Jon Henley finds nepotism, bribery and systemic low-level corruption are as much to blame for southern Europe's crisis as anything else.           Jon Henley in Thessaloniki for   guardian.co.uk It's the system, they say. It sucks you in, makes you complicit. You really have very little choice. It's everywhere, in every corner of your lif ...

By John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Some euro zone countries want a European Commission task force to be given extra powers to oversee the sale of Greek state assets and the country's civil service under a far-reaching plan to tighten supervision of Athens, EU sources have told Reuters. The radical proposal, dismissed by some officials as a form of colonialism and which may be shot down in the face of st ...

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy draw up package to counter debt crisis but will not reveal details before G20 summit By guardian. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel after meeting in Berlin to discuss how to confront the eurozone bank and debt crisis. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP The leaders of France and Germany have announced that they are ready to recapitalise Europe' ...