eKATHIMERINI.com – Editorial: Greece’s politicians seem unable to comprehend people’s anger at the manner in which they have handled the money in the public coffers, even though the signs are visible to even the most uninformed observer.
At a time when the public sector is putting a freeze on any new hirings and thousands of young people are being forced to join the unemployment line, parliamentary deputies have voted to award permanent status to a group of temporary employees in the state sector.
Defenders of the move have said that the law was put in motion during the days of the previous parliamentary president. But this is not an adequate excuse.
A poorly planned decision cannot be made legitimate after the fact and, in any case, the country’s public finances are in a state of code red due to the fiscal crisis and outstanding debt.
Gestures such as giving permanent jobs to staff who have been hired to carry out short-term tasks only pour more oil onto the flames. [Source: eKathimerini.com] | Saturday, March 06, 2010
eKATHIMERINI.com – Editorial: One thing has become strikingly clear as Greece’s great economic drama unfolds: The Greeks will have to pull themselves out of the mess on their own. Despite the danger that the eurozone faces as a whole, despite the threat its debt crisis poses to Europe’s political unification and irrespective of the responsibility of predatory investors, the rest of Europe sees Greece’s problem as comeuppance for years of profligacy and political cowardice. European policy is now being shaped by public opinion in each country – and the public is in no mood to see other countries benefit when its own is facing benefit reductions and a shaky future. This is a logical reaction. But it is also undeniable that European governments have been very slow to formulate policy toward the Greek crisis and, at least in some cases, they have been at the forefront of criticizing Greece and, thereby, isolating it. (This may be aimed at taking the focus off their own possible problems, letting off steam or warning other possible fiscal miscreants that they can expect no bailouts.) Curse and Godsend >>> | Friday, February 26, 2010
