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Initiative of Five Meet to Solidify Proposals

governance/political movement: Giorgos Kaminis (Athens), Yannis Boutaris (Thessaloniki), Yannis Dimaras (Patras), Panos Skotiniotis (Volos), and Filippos CFilios (Ioannina).
After a rather prolonged session they decide oon the following announcement:

"The attempt of the "initiative of five"is a political intervention focusing on the local governance and democratic reform and fights against counter-reformation, conservativism, and polarization.

Its main characteristics are institutional and jurisdictional self-governance, emancipation of local self governance from the party and state enstranglement. This intervention by localgovernence aims at re-defining and improving self-governance in the framework of a National Plan that will supercede a post-memoranda era.

The "initiative of five"has set its targets of utmost sinificance:
1. Reform in local governance aiming at command and economic autonomy.
2. Reinforcing development and creation of new jobs.

3.Sosial Policy.

4.Improving the quality of services to citizens.

5. Reinforcing citizen participation in local decisions and activities.

On the basis of these priorities it was decided to organize five themetic interventions with he first at Volos, on 30 October

The aim of the interventions is to formulate complete proposals towards the state and citizens and to contest those changes necessary and crucial for te role of local governance for the benefit of the cities and the citizens of this country."

It must be noted that local elections are slated for May, along with European Parliament elections.

Health Minister Warns State Health Sector Workers

Public servants in the health sector that have been placed on "availability" will be shown the door if they have not tendered applications for transfers to different hospitals by due dates, according to health minister Adonis Georgiadis.

The health minister accused SYRIZA cadres direcly of inciting employees and telling them to desist from tendering applications. "Whoever says such things is dooming workers," Adonis Georgiadis told the Athens News Agency APE.

The minister also stated that the the new bill for pharmaceutical policy will foresee the decrease of particpation of insured persons in the price of their medicines from 25% to 12.5% if they choose a generic drug.

The bill will also foresee incentives for pharmacists that will forego rebates on every package of generic drugs they dispense, and will forego all rebates if the drugs they supply are generic by 60%, or more.

Teachers Shut Down Elementary Schools

The primary schoolteacher's federation of Greece (DOE) has announced it will be participaating in the strike called by civil servants confederation ADEDY, on 18 and 19 September.On Friday 20 September the federation will meet again to consider further action. Teachers also decided on a three-hour work freeze for 16 September in order to participate in rallies of secondary education teachers. Secondary schoolteachers have decided on rolling five day strikes starting this Monday, while private school teachers will strike on 16 an 17 September.

At the same time, turmoil continues for tertiary education institutions over the issue of non-teaching staff transfers and lay-offs. The University of the Peloponnese has decided to cease functioning starting Monday and for a whole week after a decision by its board protesting proposed government measures.

Soaring Unemployment

Unemployment is surging, having reached 27.9% in June, as against 24.6% in June 2012 according to the Hellenic Statistics Authority (ELSTAT). Unemployment for the young (up to 24 years of age) has broken all records reaching 58.8%, while for the age group 25-34 it stands at 37.4%.
The areas hardest hit by unemployment are Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, and Attica.
The number of employed person during June 2013 stood at a little over 3.6 million, while the unemployed came to 1.2 million. The economically inactive population was 3.3 million, during this time.
However, the rate at which jobs were lost fell slightly year on year in June registering 129,000, a decrease of 3.4%.
Unemploed persons registered with state employment bureau OAED, a portion of those accounted for by ELSTAT, surpassed the 1 million mark, after the agency recently released latest figures, after much delay.

Illicit Antiquities Arrest Yields Precious Find

A 30-year old man has been arrested in Istiaia, Evia, after police found a host of illicitly acquired antiquities in his possession. Authorities were responding to information concerning unlicensed digging.
The man was found in possession of a marble grave marker (70cm x 55cm) showing two women, one seated on a throne and one standing facing her, dating to the early Hellenistic period, around the 3rd century BC. The stele bearing the inscription "NIKARETE STRATOKLEOUS" is of especial archaeological value.
The 30-year old also had twenty silver coins, 12 of which from the period of the 1st to the 4th century BC, four from the Roman period (1st - 5th centuries AD) and four of indeterminate dating.
The suspect has been remanded into the custody of the Halkida misdemeanor prosecution.

SYRIZA-ND Neck to Neck in Polls

The recent "Barometer" poll by Public Issue pollsters for SKAI television shows SYRIZA leading by one percentage point over New Democracy (ND). More specifically, as concerns voter intentions SYRIZA is shown with 29% (as against 27.5% in July), while ND with 28% (28.5% in July).

Golden Dawn stands third with 13% (11%), PASOK fourth with 7% (8%) and the Communist Party (KKE) fifth with 6.5% (7%). Independent Greeks follow with 5.5% (7%), and Democratic Left (DIMAR) with 2.5% (3%). the category "another party" garnered 8.5% (8%).

As concerns expectations for final results ND is ahead with 46% (53% in July) followed by SYRIZA with 40% (34%).
In the question "Who do you consider more suitable for prime minister, Samaras or Tsipras," 35% chose Samaras (as against 41% in July) and 31% chose Tsipras (30%). None of the two was the answer chosen by 32% of respondents (27%)
Greeks showed an increasing euro-skepticism, with 43% answering that they had a positive view towards the EU/euro as against 52% last year this time, while 55% were negative (44% last year). As concerns the common currency, specifically, 51% were positive (67% last year) and 47% were negative (31% Sep. 2012).
The poll covered all of Greece and took place between 5 – 10 September.

Samaras Calls Abe

Greek PM Antonis Samaras held a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, at noon today, Athens time.
Mr. Samaras congratulated Mr. Abe on Tokyo being given the task of hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. The two prime ministers agreed to collaborate so that Japan can make use of Greek Olympic Games know-how. The Greek PM invited Mr. Abe to visit Greece within 2014.

The two leaders also agreed to a fruitful cooperation within the framework of the free trade agreements between Japan and the EU, given that Greece will undertake the EU presidency for the first half of 2014.

FinMin Probes Uninsured Labor

Labor minister, Yannis Vroutsis has announced an all-out assault on the labor market and massive fines for undeclared employees, following a broad meeting at the ministry on this issue. Checks will begin on Sunday.
According to ministry information, 1175 controllers along with the police financial crime squad will conduct spot checks to ferret out "black" employment, which is estimated to have cost the state and social security funds 6 billion euros in revenues in 2012.
The fine for each uninsured foreign national employed is now pegged at 16,050 euros, while for Greek nationals at 5,000 euros less. Now, it will rise to 26,000 euros for any uninsured/undeclared employee. In the case of a repeat of the phenomenon the business will be shut down temporarily, or permanently, depending on circumstances.

Tsohatzopoulos Addicted to Crime Says Prosecutor

The guilty verdict for 12 of the 19 defendants in the Tsohatzopoulos case was demanded today, by criminal tribunal prosecutor Georgia Adilini.
More specifically she demanded that the court find guilty former minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, his wife Vicky Stamati, His daughter Areti, his erstwhile associate, and foormer secretary general for military procurements Yannis Sbokos, as well as for five more defendants (including Tsohatzopoulos' ex-wife Gudrun) but without the charges of continuous misdeeds. The prosecutor asked that two defendants be found not guilty.
Ms Adilini fiercely attacked the former minister in her closing statement, saying that he ignored those that trusted him. She also spoke of overwhelming evidence of his accepting bribes to such an extent that he himself was unable to calculate their sum.
The second prosecutor in the case, Panayotis Panayiotopoulos, said Tsohatzopoulos was addicted to crime.

Chairman of JCS Cancels Visit to Greece

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Martin Dempsey has postponed his scheduled visit to Greece because of the conditions in Syria and the general turmoil in the SE Mediterranean. General Dempsey, was scheduled to visit Greece on 15 September, after an invitation extended by his Greek counterpart, general Kostarakos.
The Chairman JCS was to be in Greece, between 15-17 September for crucial talks on the realization of measures agreed upon during the recent visits, to the US, of defense minister Avramopoulos, and later the PM, Antonis Samaras.
According to our sources at the ministry of defense, the visit has been postponed and will be rescheduled, for an unspecified time, as general Dempsey's schedule has been totally overturned by events.

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