Situation In Greece Research Articles

The Results of the Adjustment Program for the Greek Economy

Abstract The adjustment policy for the Greek economy in the period 2010-2014 proved that improvement was not achieved. Quantitative economic targets connected to the adoption of internal devaluation provided results in regard to fiscal adjustment (a primary surplus) and the balancing of the budgetary situation in Greece, but without being connected to a plan either in the framework of the program or outside it, that would attempt systematically to create areas, sectors, and policies that would constitute the basis for economic recovery. The requirements of service of the country's obligations (debt) do not, under currently valid conditions, allow for the creation of positive prospects to free it from the vicious circle of debt service and adjustment and for potential progress of the Greek economy. The necessary reorganization of the economy, for multiple reasons, by obligation presupposes a new plan and agreement with Europe, which will put forward conditions and policies capable of creating a dynamic framework for the growth of the economy in the present and in the future.

Library bookbinding in Greece

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of library bookbinding in Greece. Design/methodology/approach – Two surveys were circulated among libraries and bookbinders. They aimed at determining the extent of use of bookbinding, the necessary characteristics of durable library bookbinding according to the respondents’ opinions and the relationship between bookbinders and libraries. Findings – The gathered data reflect the attitudes of Greek librarians and bookbinders and outline the current status of library bookbinding in Greece. They showed that bookbinding is extensively used as part of the preservation strategy for the majority of the Greek libraries. Most libraries resort to outsourcing. The specifications set by libraries are usually minimal, and it is left to the bookbinders to recommend the best solutions. Both librarians and binders emphasised openability and durability as the most important qualities of the bound volumes and quoted several relevant technical details. A model library binding technique is suggested in this study. Originality/value – Such an investigation has never been attempted before. This research can be useful to the Greek Libraries Central Administration and also to the whole Greek library community for the improvement of the current situation, and may help towards the development of a national standard. It may also be useful for the international library community as a case study, presenting the situation in Greece.

Tracing aspects of the Greek crisis in Athens: Putting women in the picture

In the political fluidity of our times, the dismal economic situation in Greece is perhaps extreme but indicative of a deepening crisis in Europe, which is expanding, both geographically and socially. Contrary to the dominant rhetoric, austerity measures and pacts imposed on Greece, Portugal, Spain – and later Cyprus – do not seem to provide effective remedies. On the contrary, they seem to plunge entire areas and groups of people into a vicious cycle of rising unemployment, shrinking incomes and deep impoverishment. In the context of this rhetoric, an almost exclusive emphasis on the macro-economic aspects of the crisis, seems to “expel” from public debate the fact that there are effects of austerity policies that are unevenly distributed, inscribed as they are on existing inequalities: inequalities among places, between women and men, locals and migrants, big and small employers, secure and precarious workers and, most importantly, intersections of these. This paper engages with some of the less debated aspects of the crisis in Athens, with a focus on the complex and usually invisible ways in which it impacts on women. It draws upon research in a low-income neighbourhood of Athens and focuses on changes in women’s everyday lives, which have to do with job precarity and job loss, destruction of social services and the re-shaping of care, as well as practices of coping with/resisting the crisis.

Greek crisis fallout is an opportunity for health

Q: How has the economic crisis affected health in Greece? A: The prevalence of clinical depression and of suicide has increased over the last three years. Also, the prevalence of HIV infection is increasing, perhaps because injection drug use has grown and programmes supporting people who are dependent on such drugs have been slashed. Access to the health services has been reduced and pressure on the public services is greater. People can no longer afford private health care and are going to public hospitals. Hospital admissions have been increased by 28% to 2.2 million in 2013 from 1.6 million admissions in 2009. Many people with health problems, who lack the money, are not seeking health care at all. In addition to poor access, an increase in co-payments for medicines and the imposition of other user chargers have compounded these problems. Hospital budgets are continually being cut, resulting in shortages of medical materials, particularly laboratory materials, undermining the quality of care. People's health and the health system have both suffered. Q: What is being done to protect people from financial ruin and make health services more accessible? A: Unemployment is increasing every year and, today, 27% of the adult population, nearly 1.5 million people, is unemployed. About 18% of the overall population (11 million) no longer has health insurance coverage, as people who become unemployed now lose this after one to two years. This has grave social implications. To address the problem, the government is issuing health vouchers for certain groups, such as low-income families and the disabled. Local governments and the Greek Orthodox Church are also trying to establish solidarity centres that would provide basic health services and medicines to those in need. In addition, nongovernmental organizations, which used to attend to immigrant populations, are now providing free health services to Greeks as well. Q: Was the reform long overdue or is it a desperate attempt to address the current budget deficit? A: Our current health policy and any changes to the health sector are determined mainly by the crisis and, in many ways, dictated by the memoranda of the Troika [representatives of Greece's official lenders: the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund]. The fact is that Greece has taken out loans and that obliges us to fulfil certain conditions. Q: Given the anti-Troika demonstrations in Greece in recent years, does it help that the terms of your country's health sector reform are dictated from abroad? A: While there is unease about this situation in Greece, a large part of our society recognizes that the health-care system had reached the point of unsustainability and was in urgent need of reform. Many people are understandably inclined to be negative and say that our health policy is being manipulated by outside forces. But, while the broader terms are being dictated by the Troika --i.e. by how much certain spending should be cut--we have a certain degree of freedom to decide how to implement these cuts and certain policies that were long overdue are now being implemented. Q: If all the cuts stipulated by the Troika are made, can the Greek health system function properly, within the budget foreseen by the memoranda? A: No, not at the moment, because the health system lacks the structural elements needed to allocate and control the money in a more efficient and rational way. It's a paradox. On the one hand, we accept that there was a lot of 'fat' in the health sector, which had to be eliminated, i.e. a lot of unnecessary expenditure that had no effect on the quality of health care. But, on the other hand, these cuts have brought health services and outcomes to a lower level than before, because the structural changes that should have been in place have not been instituted. It's a vicious circle of the need and will for reform on the one hand and the inability of the system to proceed with the required changes, on the other hand. …

A review of anti-bullying prevention and intervention programmes in Greece

This paper describes several anti-bullying programmes implemented in Greece, aiming at preventing and tackling the phenomenon in school environments. The aims of the study were to present the situation in Greece (including the prevalence of bullying and description of programmes implemented) according to the approaches characterizing anti-bullying projects in general. Anti-bullying interventions in Greece include a variety of methods; however, they are not applied in a systematic basis. As conclusion, limitations and recommendations for future actions are mentioned in order to increase the effectiveness of interventions and establish a formal anti-bullying policy supported by not only school communities, but also the wider community in an expansive form of adaptation.

Undergraduate studies in energy education – A comparative study of Greek and British courses

Undergraduate energy education in Greece is compared with relevant accredited courses of the United Kingdom, with the aim to transfer good practices applied in the latter for the development and improvement of the Greek courses. Despite the encouraging prospects for energy engineering courses, the situation in Greece seems declining, with only one course being offered in this period. The (unique) Greek course seems to share the same basis with the majority of the British accredited courses, but also a few peculiarities that could be amended for the improvement of the course.

Investigating Unmet Health Needs in Primary Health Care Services in a Representative Sample of the Greek Population

Unmet health care needs are determined as the difference between the services judged necessary and the services actually received, and stem from barriers related to accessibility, availability and acceptability. This study aims to examine the prevalence of unmet needs and to identify the socioeconomic and health status factors that are associated with unmet needs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Greece in 2010 and involved data from 1,000 consenting subjects (>18 years old). Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the predictors of unmet needs and to determine the relation between the socio-demographic characteristics and the accessibility, availability and acceptability barriers. Ninety nine participants (9.9%) reported unmet health needs during the 12 months prior to the research. The most frequently self-reported reasons were cost and lack of time. Youth, parenthood, physician consultations, and poor mental health increased the likelihood of unmet needs. Women were less likely to report accessibility and availability than acceptability barriers. Educational differences were evident and individuals with primary and secondary education were associated with significantly more accessibility and availability barriers compared with those with tertiary education. Unmet health needs pose a significant challenge to the health care system, especially given the difficult current financial situation in Greece. It is believed that unmet health needs will continue to increase, which will widen inequalities in health and health care access.

Ερέτρια—Νέα Ψαρά. Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας by Ferdinand Pajor (review)

Reviewed by: Ερέτρια—Νέα Ψαρά. Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας by Ferdinand Pajor Nikolas Papadimitriou Ferdinand Pajor. Ερέτρια—Νέα Ψαρά. Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας. Trans. Dimitris Grigoropoulos. Athens: Melissa. 2010. Pp. 199. 158 illustrations (incl. maps, drawings, and photos). Hardcover €69.00. Originally published as a research thesis (Pajor 2006) in the series ERETRIA issued by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (heretofore SSAG), this study is now available to a wider audience thanks to its Greek re-publication in a concise, richly illustrated coffee-table version from Melissa Books, a publishing house with a long tradition of popularizing important architectural studies. [End Page 161] Pajor’s study, however, is neither an archaeological treatise nor a purely architectural one. Rather, it is a quasi-historical account of how a new town came into being in the early stages of Greece’s statehood, as a result of economic necessity, political considerations, and the aspiration of leading intellectuals (both Greek and Bavarian ones who accompanied king Otto I) to link the newborn nation-state with Classical antiquity. As such, it adds significantly to recent research on early town-planning in Greece under the impact of Neoclassicism (for references see “Πρόλογος” [Preface] by Alexandros Papageorgiou-Venetas), but also provides valuable material for study to those interested in the ideological uses of antiquity for the construction of Greek national identity (e.g., Yalouri 2001; Hamilakis 2007; Damaskos and Plantzos 2008). The book begins with a methodological introduction (16–21) and continues with a review of the ancient history of Eretria (Ι. Ιστορική επισκόπηση [Historical review] 23–39) and the history of archaeological research (ΙΙ. Η αρχαία Ερέτρια: ανακάλυψη και εξερεύνηση [Ancient Eretria: discovery and exploration] 40–65). Inhabited since the Final Neolithic (3500–3000 bc), Eretria evolved into a typical Greek polis in Archaic and Classical times (7th–4th c. bc). It continued to flourish in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, when many of the surviving monuments were erected. After that, the city started to decline, and by the early 6th c. bc, it was abandoned. The next reference to this area comes from Ciriaco de’ Pizzicolli (Cyriacus of Ancona) who visited the site in 1436 and described visible monuments and inscriptions (44). Among the few European travelers who visited Eretria in the following centuries, the most extensive account comes from William Martin Leake (1805–1806), who described in detail its topography and “remains of antiquities” (46). In 1814, the first systematic recording and drawing of ancient monuments was made by a team of architects and antiquarians (46–51), providing a useful background for the subsequent planning of the modern town. In chapter III (Η επανίδρυση πόλεων στην Ελλάδα μετά τον αγώνα της ανεξαρ-τησίας και ο σχεδιασμός της νέας Αθήνας [The re-establishment of towns in Greece after the War of Independence and the planning of the new city of Athens] 66–77), Pajor summarizes the situation in Greece concerning the establishment of new urban settlements shortly after the declaration of Independence (1827). Special emphasis is laid on the planning of Athens by Stamatios Kleanthis, Eduard Schaubert, and Leo von Klenze (1831–1834), whose work became a reference work for future projects. Chapter IV (Το σχέδιο της Ερέτριας/Νεων Ψαρών του 1834 [The plan of Eretria/Nea Psara] 78–97) describes the planning of a new settlement at the site of ancient Eretria, named New Psara because it was meant to house refugees from the island of Psara, which had been destroyed by the Ottoman navy in 1824. The planning of the new town was commissioned in 1834 to Schaubert and the topographer J.B. Beck, who drew an entirely new topographical plan of the site so precise that it is still used for archaeological research (52). Chapter V (H εφαρμογή του σχεδίου πόλης της Ερέτριας/Νέων Ψαρών [The implementation of the urban plan of Eretria/Nea Psara] 98–105) describes the difficulties that arose during implementation—among others, fiscal strains, speculation in real estate prices, the unhealthy conditions of marshy Eretria, and the fact that the old inhabitants of Psara, trained as they were in seamanship and commerce, were reluctant to leave the thriving harbor of Ermoupolis, Syros, where they had meanwhile settled. The next two chapters describe the development of the new town, focusing on urban planning, streets, plazas, and public buildings (VI. H πολεοδομική εξέλιξη της [End Page 162] νέας πόλης [The urban development of the new town] 106–123) and on Neoclassical architecture both for public and private structures (VII. Τα ιστορικά κτίσματα της Ερέτριας/Νέων Ψαρών [Historical buildings of Eretria/Nea Psara] 124–157). It is in...

An environmental health information system - assessment of the situation in Greece

Presented are the results, with emphasis on the situation in Greece, of the ENHIS-2 project “Establishment of Environment and Health Information System Supporting Policy Making”. The information system is based on a set of Environmental Health Indicators developed and updated by the project, organized according to the four WHO CEHAPE (Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe) Regional Priority Goals (RPGs). In total 30 indicators have been developed and calculated using data from international and national databases. The outcome of the indicator piloting and the collection of information on relevant policies is used to make a preliminary assessment for Greece of the effects of environmental agents to population health in general and to children’s health in particular. The preliminary conclusions are that environmental problems in Greece are similar to those experienced by other European countries. Regarding legislation and policies, Greece as a European member state has a well established legislative framework based mainly on the ratification of E.C. Directives. There is however a lack in more specific policies and action plans , and a lack of a well organized system for inspecting, monitoring and reporting environmental health problems.

EU GAMBLING AT THE INTERSECTION OF POLICY AND LITIGATION

Given its high level of regulation, the gambling industry must be able to react quickly to litigation and resulting change in policy (and enforcement thereof). Using a case study approach, this short paper highlights how the twin issues of policy and litigation have recently impacted the gambling industry in the European Union. Examples focus on recent developments in the EU that outline the relevant contours of the European Court of Justice’s jurisprudence, with a special emphasis on the dynamic situation in Greece. These examples shape the ensuing discussion of the future of both the regulation and litigation of the EU’s gambling industry.

A Pragmatic Account of the Use of the Historic Present in De corona

AbstractThe aim of this article is to account for the eight Historic Present (HP) forms in Demosthenes’De corona. The starting point is the theory of Sicking & Stork (1997, 165): “The primary function of HP is to lift out from their context those narrative assertions that are essential for what the speaker has stated to be his immediate concern”. It is argued that this approach yields a convincing interpretation of (a) the five HP forms in the narrative of the Amphissian war (141-59), and (b) the three HP forms in 17-52, divided over several small narratives. Finally, it is argued that considerations of presentation and pragmatics help to explain why HP is used only in those parts of the speech where Demosthenes does not so much discuss his own policies as show that Aeschines is to blame for the current situation in Greece.

1467 – Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in patients with thalassemia in a greek transfusion center

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that requires lifelong adherence to a complicated and burdensome medical regimen which could potentially impact emotional functioning of patients. To assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in adult patients with thalassemia. To explore possible demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates of these symptoms. 117 patients (19-61 years old, M age = 37.2Plusmn;9.3; 63% female) took part in the study. Depression, anxiety stress scale (DASS) was used along with SF12 for health related quality of life and a questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 16. Severe depressive symptoms were found in 17 patients (15%), anxiety symptoms in 11(9.6%) and stress symptoms in 35(30.2%). Sex, age, education, marital status and income had no significant correlation with anxiety and stress. In depression there was a significant difference between single and married patients (x2=6.990 p< .05), with 58.8% of single patients suffering from more depressive symptoms. Higher stress symptoms had a significant correlation with symptoms severity (r=.452 p< .001) and the present socioeconomic situation in Greece (r=.632 p< .001). Given these findings, regular screening for anxiety stress and depression symptoms could help to identify at-risk patients to provide them with appropriate psychological support with the goal of improving emotional health.

The Adult Educator of Immigrants as an Intercultural Consultant

Problem statement: Inspired by this multi-cultural situation in Greece and the need of immigrants for participation in adult education, this article examines an aspect of the Adult Educator who has to develop intercultural techniques in the frame of his role in order to become an Intercultural consultant. Therefore the aim of this study is to examine specific characteristics that define the Adult Educator as an Intercultural Consultant. In this way, the Adult Educator contributes to the smooth functioning of educational and thus socialization process in a multinational class. Approach: We present some statements that are likely to occur during an educational program when the student group is culturally different. In particular we focus on situations that are perceived as challenges by the Adult Educator and also recommend practices and guidelines for facing them. Results: The challenges that the Educator has to repeal, expressed in the student group, from the Educator to group and from the group to Educator. The description of possible situations shows up lingering stereotypes, negative attitudes, difficulties in interpreting multicultural communication styles and conflict. Combining practices which the Educator could apply in similar situations, we end up proposing the revision of views through acquaintance with the “other” culture, empathy, promote parity of relationships, humor and cultivating a climate of cooperation. Conclusion: Consequently the Adult Educator as an Intercultural Consultant can adjust the presence of immigrant student in the classroom and contribute to redefining experiences and perceptions of both-culturally diverse learners and the Educator.

The Greek state and the plaster cast

The study investigates the main aspects and the ideological function of the state is a sick person metaphor which was frequently used in the public speeches of the Greek dictator George Papadopoulos and which became emblematic of his regime. A specific variation of the metaphorical imagery, namely the state is a sick person in a plaster cast, has contributed to the creation ofan idiom in Greek, signifying state or other repression and deprivation of civil rights. The idiom seems to be employed nowadays to refer to the current political situation in Greece, after the loan agreement between the Greek state, the IMF, the ECB, and the European Commission. The data examined consists of the public speeches by the leaders of the regime, as well as the Corpus of Greek Texts and recent media texts.

Telling the Greek Story of Europe and the Bull Trap: How U.S. Correspondents Attribute News Value to a Topic-Oriented Country’s Status Within the Eurozone’s Debt Crisis

With the Greek debt crisis unfolding and slowly expanding as an economic crisis all over Europe, coverage of this event was heavy and steady – not only in the Eurozone. American media were closely following the situation in Greece from the very beginning at the start of 2010. Similar long-term coverage of Europe has been rare in the new millennium which begs the question why this crisis became such a big continuous news story in the United States. In this empirical study, it will be argued that the status of Greece as a news topic has been elevated due to the ongoing crisis because it is topically connected and contextualized to a broader story of Europe’s economy. Thus, including topical and contextual considerations in the news factor country status seems necessary. This paper uses news value theories as its theoretical background and is based on qualitative interviews with several Europe-based U.S. correspondents.

FLYER'S CORNER: SOME SIMPLE TRUTHS ABOUT SCHEDULED AIR TRAVEL

Airlines in a state of crisis need to take steps to ensure revenues keep coming in. Repeat business and eventually loyalty is critical in that respect. This paper considers airline customer buying behaviour and preferences and post-flight attitudes with a view to identifying what makes the air travel product more appealing to customers. A structured web-based purposedesigned instrument was used to collect travel and traveller data and perceptions and the findings are prioritised using a consensus decision making approach. A major issue is identified and a two-step model is developed to demonstrate its significance for airline customers’ loyalty. Specific airline customer communications and other priorities and preferences are identified. In addition, it is found that airline customers have a number of complaints, many of which are not communicated to the airline, and it is demonstrated that these complaints impact on loyalty. It is therefore argued that airlines and researchers alike need to study customer complaints in relation to loyalty in greater detail. In view of both the economic situation in Greece and airline deregulation, this research is of significance to Greek airlines seeking to “tie” their customers and maintain market presence.

A Diagnostic on the Greek Fiscal Crisis

This paper explores primarily the level of international competitiveness of Greece and the degree of fit between the conditions prescribed by the optimal currency areas (OCA) theory with the actual situation in Greece. Given that Greece now shares the same currency with Germany, the de facto center country of eurozone, findings indicate that problems in Greece could have been exacerbated by loss of mercantile competitiveness to Germany and/or lack of convergence with Germany in the OCA-related dimensions.

Editors' Note

It has been said that a yacht is the closest that a commoner can get to sovereignty. These days, Greece, with yachts a-plenty, may feel that its country’s sovereignty is a bit at sea as well. The EU/IMF bailout of Greece in May 2010 and the events surrounding it inspired our Board to commission an article last year by a leading expert1 on whether, and, if so, in which circumstances and by what means, an EU Member State could exit the eurozone. CMLJ is often a platform for experienced practitioners and scholars to provide practical advice about what is known. However, the journal has also not been shy to ‘think the unthinkable’ and contemplate what might be. We’re betting that Mr Proctor’s article has come off more than a few shelves for a re-read in recent months. In any event, one year on from that bailout the sovereign debt crisis in Europe appears to have gone from bad to worse. While the situation in Greece seems to have deteriorated, investors view the solvency of a number of other eurozone Member States as similarly precarious. As a result, there is heightened intensity in much of the discussion about financial rescue mechanisms today. Two of our offerings in this issue aim to enlighten the debate.

Convergence of Greek Economy with the EU and Some Comparisons with Polish Experience

The paper aims to analyze economic situation in Greece and in Poland with comparison to the European Union. The basis for the analysis has been made by the theory of economic convergence. The newest statistical data concerning GDP per inhabitant were used in the study. In the analysed countries only for time series approach both unconditional and conditional convergence between the countries was confirmed, i.e. GDP per inhabitant in Greece, Poland and both the EU sections were co integrated. The results of the test for integration and co integration based on the panel data did not support the unconditional convergence.

Greece: How can companies manage the new risks?

AbstractCEOs and CFOs must understand that political risk can have a significant impact on a company's profitability. The current situation in Greece is a prime example of this. But how does the risk of Greece's default affect U.S. firms doing business with Greek companies? The authors examine the impact on two kinds of U.S. firms: those exporting to Greece and those importing from Greece. The authors then look at ways to manage the impact of sovereign risk of default. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.