Daily Archives: May 19, 2015

In 2011, overwhelming opposition from Greece’s European partners forced Prime Minister George Papandreou to withdraw a proposal for a referendum seeking a “clear mandate” from voters to carry out European Union-backed policies. Last week, the opposite scenario unfolded: Germany suggested that the Greek government hold a plebiscite on whether to accept creditors’ demands for economic reforms or ultimately leave the euro zone. This time, however, it was Greece that demurred.

This role reversal reveals at least three consequential aspects of the changes, real and perceived, in the interactions between Greece and its European partners:

* First, having achieved progress on containing and isolating the Greek crisis, Europe seems a lot less worried about the potential for negative spillover effects should the multiyear drama now end in tragedy.

* Second, Europe is becoming less resistant to the notion of Greece exiting the single currency, especially if this were the result of a Greek decision rather than one imposed by its EU partners.

* Third, the proposed referendum would push the Syriza-led government into a lose-lose situation.

To understand these three developments, it is worth recalling why Europe crushed the referendum proposed by the Greek government in 2011.

Confronted by pockets of internal opposition, Papandreou saw the referendum as a way to mobilize broad-based voter backing to implement difficult economic reforms. His European partners strongly opposed this idea for two reasons: concern that a Greek referendum would set the wrong example for other peripheral economies that were struggling to restore market confidence, including Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain; and concern that a bad referendum outcome would push Greece out of the euro zone while Europe still lacked the instruments and institutions to contain the collateral damage.

Almost four years later, Europe is far less worried about the adverse consequences of a Grexit.

Markets are calmer, peripheral economies have taken steps to clean house, regional institutions have been strengthened and officials are confident they have many more tools to contain the damage from a single member country. And although no European official would wish to go down in history as the person responsible for the first euro zone exit, more seem to be coming around to the view that such an outcome could be in the longer- term interest of the union.

The change in Europe’s attitude has also been influenced by events in Greece. Syriza’s election success was fueled by repeated promises to alter course on economic policy, including by being less compliant with the austerity demands imposed by Greece’s European partners and the International Monetary Fund. At the same time, the government’s ability to secure agreement with its creditors has been repeatedly undermined by public disagreement, a trust deficit, and rookie governing mishaps. In such circumstances, a referendum presents a lot more downside for the Greek government than in 2011.

A referendum that showed broad-based support for EU-imposed measures would undermine both the unity and electoral credibility of Syriza. And it could force a general election, with highly uncertain prospects for the party. It also would allow Europe to take a firmer negotiating stance on what Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras again described Friday as his “red lines,” in particular cuts to pensions and wages.

Even the rejection of EU-imposed measures in a referendum wouldn’t be a good outcome for Syriza. The vote would accelerate capital outflows, risk a large-scale run on banks and make it very hard for the European Central Bank to continue to provide Emergency Liquidity Assistance, all of which would bring closer the country’s economic and financial implosion. It would be a matter of time (and not much time) until Greece was forced out of the euro zone in a messy, disorderly and costly fashion.

The Greek government’s hope is to retain control as it secures time to compel creditors to agree to an easing of austerity measures, a reorientation of some structural reforms, greater debt relief and a large injection of immediate funding beyond what is being provided by the ECB. That is why it will resist a referendum; and why its European partners will continue to insist on such a vote.

source: ekathimerini.com

Dilemma … would ISIS defectors pose a security threat back in Australia, or could they be useful in preventing the radicalisation of other Muslims? Picture: CBS Source: Supplied

THREE Australians who went off to fight a bloody battle in support of an Islamic state in the Middle East are having second thoughts and want to come home.  

But should they be allowed to return? Take our poll below

The Australian reports that the federal government has been approached by legal representatives for three men currently in Syria, seeking information about penalties they may face upon their return to Australia.

Abu Ibrahim reportedly wants to return to Australia so he can educate would-be jihadists why they shouldn’t join Islamic State. Picture: CBS Source: Supplied

Two of the men are affiliated with Islamic State and one is associated with the group Jabhat al-Nusra.

One of the men, who worked in the health sector in Victoria, had previously told CBS reporter Clarissa Ward that the reality of life with the Islamic State was not what he had anticipated.

“A lot of people when they come they have a lot of enthusiasm about what they’ve seen online, what they’ve seen on YouTube,” the man, known as Abu Ibrahim, told CBS.

“They see it as something a lot grander than what the reality is — it’s not all military parades or victories.”

The Australian reports that Ibrahim has told Australian authorities he wants to come back so he can tell would-be jihadists why they should not join Islamic State.

‘Not all military parades or victories’ … life as an ISIS defector proved to be disappointing for Abu Ibrahim. Picture: CBS Source: Supplied

The Australian reports that the overtures from the jihadis’ representatives pose a dilemma for security authorities. The approaches were made separately — one to the Australian embassy in Turkey, one to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and one to the Australian Federal Police.

Ibrahim’s lawyer, Rob Stary, said his client realised he had made a mistake.

“If the Australian government is going to embrace de-radicalis­ation, it has to embrace it at all levels,” Mr Stary told The Australian.

“This includes those who know they may be charged for what they have done but who now want to renounce these groups and be co-operative.”

De-radicalisation has to be embraced … criminal defence lawyer Rob Stary. Source: News Corp Australia

Disillusioned with Islamic State, Ibrahim is currently in Turkey and wants to return to his wife and young children in Australia.

“My main reason for leaving was that I felt that I wasn’t doing what I had initially come for and that’s to help in a humanitarian sense the people of Syria,” he said.

“It had become something else. So, therefore, no longer justified me being away from my family.”

source:news.com

Millions of tiny spiders recently fell from the sky in Australia, alarming residents whose properties were suddenly covered with not only the creepy critters, but also mounds of their silky threads. But that’s not where the frightful news ends: Experts say that such arachnid rains aren’t as uncommon as you might think.

This month’s spider downpour in the country’s Southern Tablelands region is just the most recent example of a phenomenon commonly known as “spider rain” or, in some circles, “angel hair,” because of the silky, hairlike threads the spiders leave behind. Ian Watson, who lives in the region affected by the spooky shower, took to Facebook to describe what this strange “weather” looks like, according to the Goulburn Post.

“Anyone else experiencing this “Angel Hair” or maybe aka millions of spiders falling from the sky right now? I’m 10 minutes out of town, and you can clearly see hundreds of little spiders floating along with their webs and my home is covered in them. Someone call a scientist!” Watson wrote on the Goulburn Community Forum Facebook page.

So, here at Live Science, call a scientist (or two) is exactly what we did. Rick Vetter, a retired arachnologist at the University of California, Riverside, said Watson and his neighbors likely saw a form of spider transportation known as ballooning.

“Ballooning is a not-uncommon behavior of many spiders. They climb some high area and stick their butts up in the air and release silk. Then they just take off,” Vetter told Live Science. “This is going on all around us all the time. We just don’t notice it.”

The reason people don’t usually notice this ingenious spider behavior is that it’s not common for millions of spiders to do this at the same time, and then land in the same place, said Todd Blackledge, a biology professor at the University of Akron in Ohio.

“In these kinds of events [spider rains], what’s thought to be going on is that there’s a whole cohort of spiders that’s ready to do this ballooning dispersal behavior, but for whatever reason, the weather conditions haven’t been optimal and allowed them to do that. But then the weather changes, and they have the proper conditions to balloon, and they all start to do it,” Blackledge told Live Science.

This is likely what happened in New South Wales, where certain species of small spiders — as well as the tiny hatchlings of larger spider species— are known to balloon around the Outback during late autumn (May) and early spring (August). But, as Blackledge explained, an abrupt change in the weather or wind pattern may have carried these migrating spiders up and away and then back down to earth en mass — not the orderly dispersal that they (or the residents of the Southern Tablelands region) were expecting.

source:nbcnews.com

Public broadcaster ERT will reopen in a week, two years after it was shut down, leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Monday.

Meeting with ERT chairman Dionysis Tsaknis and CEO Lambis Tagmatarchis, Tsipras urged the newly installed executives to work for a “pluralist and independent” network.

“Your responsibility is to restore people’s bond with ERT, which was severed by the blackout,” he said.

Tsipras added that June 11, the anniversary of ERT’s shutdown by the previous government and its replacement with NERIT, will be a day to celebrate “the victory of democracy.”

source:ekathimerini.com

Following a barrage of criticism after blocking the unveiling of a memorial to the city’s 1,484 Jews who perished in a Nazi extermination camp, the mayor of Kavala in northern Greece has apologized to members of the Jewish community and pledged that the inauguration, originally scheduled for last Sunday, will be held next month.

Mayor Dimitra Tsanaka, who had objected to the presence of the Star of David on the monument, said she had done so out of concern that the symbol would become a target for vandals.

Accusing the previous municipal authority of postponing the unveiling five times, Tsanaka said the monument would most likely be revealed on June 7.

source:ekathimerini.com

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks at the annual general assembly of the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEV) at the Athens Concert Hall, on Monday.

 Athens sent its proposals to creditors on Monday for an overhaul of the value-added tax regime as Greek officials indicated that an agreement on a reforms-for-cash deal was close.

In a bid to secure progress on the technical level of negotiations to enable a political decision that would unlock rescue loans, officials of the so-called Brussels Group were to hold a late-night teleconference on Monday that was expected to address these proposals.

Greece’s VAT proposal is said to foresee two rates of value-added tax instead of the current three. The highest would be set at 18 percent and relate to virtually all services and commodities except food and medicines, with a discount of 3 percentage points for non-cash transactions. The lower rate would be set at 9.5 percent and would relate to food, drugs and books, with the same discount applying to cash-free transactions. The proposals appear to be part of a broader bid by the government to boost non-cash transactions while curbing tax evasion. VAT evasion in Greece is estimated at 9.5 billion euros per year.

The Greek proposal was sent to creditors at around the time that To Vima reported that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had pitched a compromise proposal to Greece, foreseeing low primary surpluses and some 5 billion euros in reforms, chiefly tax measures. The report was quickly rebuffed by Greek and EC officials.

Speaking generally and apparently not referring to a rumored Juncker proposal, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Greece was quick to turn down proposals on reforms but slow to offer alternatives. “They are more eager to say what they don’t want to keep in the program than to propose alternatives,” Moscovici told a news conference in Berlin, while noting that “some progress” had been made in recent days.

In a speech at the annual general meeting of the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEV) Alexis Tsipras was much more upbeat, claiming that Greece was “in final straight toward an agreement,” which, he said, “will come very soon.”

“We are working, with absolute honesty and dedication, to reach a solution,” he said. He echoed the conditions he set out last Friday for a deal, saying it should include debt restructuring, no further cuts to wages and pensions, and an investment plan. He added that Greece is ready to compromise but that he wanted a deal that would allow Greece to return to markets soon.

Liquidity restrictions are not the choice or responsibility of the Greek government but “a tough negotiating tactic” by creditors, Tsipras said.

In a speech at the same event on Monday, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Greece has to be more competitive and its creditors need to realize that bailouts failed to control the country’s debt. He also reiterated comments of his last week, according to which the European Stability Mechanism should pay Greek bonds held by the European Central Bank that mature in summer.

Once an agreement is reached, Tsipras said, his government will turn to address the “ailments” of the Greek economy, which would involve restructuring ministries, simplifying the public administration and the tax system, fighting cartels and speeding up the dispensation of justice.

Although Tsipras, and many of his ministers, on Monday emphasized the government’s “red lines,” creditors are meanwhile said to be determined on reducing wages, at least those of civil servants, while also pressing authorities to dismiss public workers.

source:ekathimerini.com