News archive of June 2019

Transparency is a great thing - so great that every democratic country should have it. In that sense, a recent opinion piece in Ta Nea newspaper by Movement for Change (KINAL) MP and former health minister Andreas Loverdos in which he asks for the next Parliament to examine "SYRIZA's attempt to establish a state separate from the democracy of transparency" makes sense.

The main opposition's expected election victory has created a euphoric mood on the markets. Those in the know believe there will be a rally that will last for several months (unless the investment "shock" New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged does not happen). Concerns over various political land mines have almost dissipated.

Fears of violence receded in Albania on Sunday in contested local elections that most of the opposition parties boycotted. However, a low turnout by mid-afternoon suggested that the Socialist-led government would struggle to present the election results as democratically legitimate.

PAOK is looking for a new manager after the unexpected departure of Razvan Lucescu on Friday, with Abel Ferreira being the likely successor according to reports.

DeepBlue Technology, a leading Chinese firm in the artificial intelligence technology industry, announced at a press conference in Athens last Wednesday its dynamic entry into the Greek market with AI applications that are set to radically change public transport, payment methods, retail and the overall urban environment.

Taxable incomes are set to decline again this year, resulting in a further drop in takings for the tax authorities.

In the last four years, according to the tax declarations of the country's 6.3 million households, Greece has failed to see confirmation of the rule that economic growth brings higher incomes and therefore greater income tax revenues for the state.

Why should a party achieve a parliamentary majority? Aren't single-party governments more prone to autocratic practices? Isn't a coalition government more politically and institutionally balanced, with the two partners operating as political counterweights?

State corporations (DEKO) have been left in a sorry state following SYRIZA's four-year term in government and the next administration following the July 7 election will have to deal with explosive conditions, especially at Hellenic Post, the Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization (OASTh), Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) and of course Public Power Corporation (PPC).

Budget revenues fell in June while expenditure grew, reinforcing the Bank of Greece's view that the primary surplus will miss the 3.5 percent target and come in instead at 2.9 percent of gross domestic product.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will appear on Skai TV on Tuesday, putting an end to the embargo he himself had instituted on appearances by MPs and ministers of his Syriza party in response to the station's criticism of his government.