Over the last decade, Greece went on a debt binge that came crashing to an end in late 2009, provoking an economic crisis that has decimated the country’s economy, brought down its government, unleashed increasing social unrest and threatened the future of the euro.
Since a change in government revealed the true size of the country’s massive deficits, Greece has been kept afloat by its fellow euro zone countries, but at a steep price: the austerity measures demanded by France and Germany in return for two massive bailout packages, totaling 240 billion euros, have ripped holes in the Greek safety net and plunged the country into a recession of near-Great Depression dimensions.
After long resisting the idea of a default, European officials in March 2012 helped Greece negotiate a landmark debt restructuring deal with the vast majority of its private sector lenders, who agreed to swap $77 billion in Greek debt for new bonds worth as much as 75 percent less. It was the largest default in history.
The deal cleared the way for the so-called troika — European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — to begin releasing funds from the second, 130 billion euro ($163.4 billion) bailout package, avoiding an uncontrolled default. But many economists said it still left Greece saddled with unsustainable debts and little prospects for growth.
While Greece received billions of euros in emergency assistance from the lenders overseeing its bailout, almost none of the money is going to the Greek government to pay for vital public services. Instead, much of it is flowing directly back into the troika’s pockets. The European bailout that was supposed to buy time for Greece is mainly servicing the interest on the country’s debt; other funds have been set aside for propping up the nation’s shaky banks. Meanwhile, the Greek economy continues to decline.
In early May 2012, voters upended the country’s political system in a parliamentary election that saw the crushing defeat of the dominant parties, who were blamed for Greece’s collapse. Parties representing the left and the far-right made gains, as Greeks protested the austerity pact. After the leading parties failed to form a coalition, a caretaker government was installed until elections in June.
Greece accumulated high levels of debt in the decade before the financial crisis when markets were liquid. This led to a sovereign debt crisis as the financial crisis deepened and liquidity dried up, making borrowing more difficult and expensive. The crisis impacted Greece through lower incomes, savings, capital flows and sector output like tourism and shipping that contribute significantly to GDP. The European Union, IMF and ECB implemented measures like bailout loans and austerity programs to reduce Greece's deficit while the ECB also engaged in bond purchases to increase confidence. Protests have occurred against austerity cuts while leaders debate solutions to the dilemma of whether to continue supporting Greece or risk default.
This document provides an overview of key facts about Greece's geography, people, religion, economy, natural disasters, government, customs and beliefs. Some of the main points covered include that Greece has over 9,000 miles of coastline, a population of over 10 million people who primarily speak Greek, the dominant religion is Greek Orthodox which worships 12 major gods, tourism accounts for over 45% of GDP, and the country experiences occasional earthquakes.
This document provides an overview of human resources practices in Greece. It begins with background on Greek history, culture, and society. It then discusses the country's economy, noting its struggles during the recent economic crisis. The document outlines key aspects of doing business in Greece, including recruitment, compensation, employee rights, and challenges facing young workers. It notes issues of gender pay discrimination and efforts by the government and organizations to promote social justice.
Greece Country PowerPoint Presentation ContentAndrew Schwartz
39 slides include: 17 Points on General Information, 9 Points on Family Life, 22 Points on Food, 19 Points on Food Etiquette, 9 Points on Social Etiquette, 19 Points on Business Etiquette, and 14 Points on Trivia.
Over the last decade, Greece went on a debt binge that came crashing to an end in late 2009, provoking an economic crisis that has decimated the country’s economy, brought down its government, unleashed increasing social unrest and threatened the future of the euro.
Since a change in government revealed the true size of the country’s massive deficits, Greece has been kept afloat by its fellow euro zone countries, but at a steep price: the austerity measures demanded by France and Germany in return for two massive bailout packages, totaling 240 billion euros, have ripped holes in the Greek safety net and plunged the country into a recession of near-Great Depression dimensions.
After long resisting the idea of a default, European officials in March 2012 helped Greece negotiate a landmark debt restructuring deal with the vast majority of its private sector lenders, who agreed to swap $77 billion in Greek debt for new bonds worth as much as 75 percent less. It was the largest default in history.
The deal cleared the way for the so-called troika — European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — to begin releasing funds from the second, 130 billion euro ($163.4 billion) bailout package, avoiding an uncontrolled default. But many economists said it still left Greece saddled with unsustainable debts and little prospects for growth.
While Greece received billions of euros in emergency assistance from the lenders overseeing its bailout, almost none of the money is going to the Greek government to pay for vital public services. Instead, much of it is flowing directly back into the troika’s pockets. The European bailout that was supposed to buy time for Greece is mainly servicing the interest on the country’s debt; other funds have been set aside for propping up the nation’s shaky banks. Meanwhile, the Greek economy continues to decline.
In early May 2012, voters upended the country’s political system in a parliamentary election that saw the crushing defeat of the dominant parties, who were blamed for Greece’s collapse. Parties representing the left and the far-right made gains, as Greeks protested the austerity pact. After the leading parties failed to form a coalition, a caretaker government was installed until elections in June.
Greece accumulated high levels of debt in the decade before the financial crisis when markets were liquid. This led to a sovereign debt crisis as the financial crisis deepened and liquidity dried up, making borrowing more difficult and expensive. The crisis impacted Greece through lower incomes, savings, capital flows and sector output like tourism and shipping that contribute significantly to GDP. The European Union, IMF and ECB implemented measures like bailout loans and austerity programs to reduce Greece's deficit while the ECB also engaged in bond purchases to increase confidence. Protests have occurred against austerity cuts while leaders debate solutions to the dilemma of whether to continue supporting Greece or risk default.
This document provides an overview of key facts about Greece's geography, people, religion, economy, natural disasters, government, customs and beliefs. Some of the main points covered include that Greece has over 9,000 miles of coastline, a population of over 10 million people who primarily speak Greek, the dominant religion is Greek Orthodox which worships 12 major gods, tourism accounts for over 45% of GDP, and the country experiences occasional earthquakes.
This document provides an overview of human resources practices in Greece. It begins with background on Greek history, culture, and society. It then discusses the country's economy, noting its struggles during the recent economic crisis. The document outlines key aspects of doing business in Greece, including recruitment, compensation, employee rights, and challenges facing young workers. It notes issues of gender pay discrimination and efforts by the government and organizations to promote social justice.
Greece Country PowerPoint Presentation ContentAndrew Schwartz
39 slides include: 17 Points on General Information, 9 Points on Family Life, 22 Points on Food, 19 Points on Food Etiquette, 9 Points on Social Etiquette, 19 Points on Business Etiquette, and 14 Points on Trivia.
The document discusses the 2nd meeting of the DESIRAS Consortium. It provides progress updates on testing technology and systems for Arissandra Cosmetics, including the installation of sensors and a weather station. Some difficulties were encountered with system communication, requiring upgrades to moisture sensor software and SIM cards. A field audit was conducted in June 2011 and future activities are planned involving software implementations, comparing water consumption, and conserving water.
The document summarizes the progress of the DESIRAS 2nd Consortium meeting. It discusses the challenges encountered in testing technology at Oikozoe Viokalliergies LTD, including difficulties installing moisture sensors that could not communicate with the server and adapting programs for local olive tree cultivation. Next steps include further software implementations and installing equipment for potato cultivation monitoring.
The document summarizes the 2nd meeting of the DESIRAS Consortium. It discusses improving outreach and communication between the Cyprus Organic Farmers Association (COFA) and other organizations such as Agriculture Organizations, the Water Development Department, the Environmental Department, the Federation of Environmental Organizations, and the Ministry of Education. It also lists several newspapers in Cyprus and their circulations that COFA could use to publicize future activities.
The document discusses the 2nd meeting of the DESIRAS Consortium. It provides progress updates on testing technology and systems for Arissandra Cosmetics, including the installation of sensors and a weather station. Some difficulties were encountered with system communication, requiring upgrades to moisture sensor software and SIM cards. A field audit was conducted in June 2011 and future activities are planned involving software implementations, comparing water consumption, and conserving water.
The document summarizes the progress of the DESIRAS 2nd Consortium meeting. It discusses the challenges encountered in testing technology at Oikozoe Viokalliergies LTD, including difficulties installing moisture sensors that could not communicate with the server and adapting programs for local olive tree cultivation. Next steps include further software implementations and installing equipment for potato cultivation monitoring.
The document summarizes the 2nd meeting of the DESIRAS Consortium. It discusses improving outreach and communication between the Cyprus Organic Farmers Association (COFA) and other organizations such as Agriculture Organizations, the Water Development Department, the Environmental Department, the Federation of Environmental Organizations, and the Ministry of Education. It also lists several newspapers in Cyprus and their circulations that COFA could use to publicize future activities.