Currently, the Greek ministry of education is unfolding its plans for the reform of education. In accordance with the harsh austerity policies that are agreed with the Troika (EU, ECB, IMF) thousands of teachers and administrative employees will be fired, while hundreds of schools will shut down. At the same time, the ministry is imposing a new system of evaluation for education at all levels. The principle ...

Montism after Monti and the constituent challenge for movements. by Francesco Raparelli http://www.dinamopress.it/news/italy-from-crisis-to-crisis   The scenario is very uncertain, yet it is worth to try and guess some developments. Uncertain, because the financial markets attack on Italian bonds has not fully unfolded yet. Within hours, we will hear how dramatically our yield spread over Germany has w ...

Reuters has disclosed the outcome of the Greek debt buyback, citing a Eurozone official, which while completed at €32 billion, has missed it hard goal by €450 million, and as a result the completely unbelievable Greek 2020 debt/GDP target will be 126.6% instead of 124%. Reuters also reports that the average price on the buyback was 33.5 cents on the euro. As a result of the higher price paid for the buyback ...

Associated Press THESSALONIKI, Greece –  In a tragedy related to Greece's financial crisis, three children died in a northern village Saturday when a fire burned down the home of their grandparents, who were using a wooden stove because heating oil prices have soared, officials said. The blaze started in the stove and quickly engulfed the house, whose roof collapsed on two of the victims, aged 5 and 7. The ...

Doctors are left "playing God," having to choose which patient will get the costly treatment.   By Benoît Vitkine LE MONDE/Worldcrunch THESSALONIKI - It was in 2009 – what feels like ages ago now - that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the Greek healthcare system was "rather efficient." Around that very same time, doctors in Thessaloniki successfully cured ...

[ Scroll down for Dutch.] Source: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Content/Documents/PDFs/greece2ndbailout.pdf   A new restructuring of the Greek debt is in sight. After 2 loan agreements with the IMF and the EU and one debt restructure in February 2012, politicians and analysts consider a new restructuring inevitable. The new element that is politically-speaking extremely sensitive in central and northern Euro ...

PARIS — Its membership in the euro currency union hanging in the balance, Greece continues to receive billions of euros in emergency assistance from a so-called troika of lenders overseeing its bailout. But almost none of the money is going to the Greek government to pay for vital public services. Instead, it is flowing directly back into the troika’s pockets. The European bailout of 130 billion euros ($163 ...

Is Greece the Weimar Republic of today? What is the reason for the rise of fascism in Greece and Europe? Is there a relation between fascism, the economic crisis and EU austerity policies? How does the Greek neo-nazi party Golden Dawn take advantage of people's desperation to promote racist violence? What is the role of economic elites in the uprising of fascism? Finally, does fascism help the Greek governm ...

To my students, to their parents and to my colleagues, to my comrades at work and in fight. As a teacher, a thinking man, as much as a politically active citizen for more than 30 years I would like to address you those few words. ...

Spain: Fernando Lezcano: 'The sacrifice is not being shared'   The European Trade Union Confederation has called a day of action and solidarity throughout Europe on 14 November to fight against the austerity policies being deployed throughout Europe. This day of action will mean a general strike in this country, which, for the first time in recent history, will also be simultaneously held in other Euro ...