Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-11-15

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou chairs SI meeting in Paris

[02] Troika arrives in Athens on Monday

[03] LAOS leader says people tell politicians 'get serious'

[04] SYRIZA leader comments on election results

[05] ND emerging strong

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Papandreou chairs SI meeting in Paris

The Paris meeting, being held at the Organisation for Economic and Cooperation (OECD) headquarters, is the SI Council's second meeting in 2010. The first was held at the UN headquarters in New York in June.

In the first main theme, under the title "The World Economy: mapping out a sustainable recovery that works for all", the Council will discuss the latest developments in the global economy, including the G20 Seoul Summit and its outcome. Looking at recovery from a social democratic perspective, contributions will be heard on ways to ensure that the recovery is fair, equitable and sustainable, and to the benefit of ordinary citizens.

The second theme is "Facing the Consequences of Climate Change: The urgent need for a meaningful agreement at COP16". With the Sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10 representing another vital opportunity for leaders of the world to unite and take meaningful action on climate change, the SI will once again put this theme at the heart of its agenda, to define the social democratic priorities on this most crucial of issues, which will shape the future of the planet.

The discussions on the third main theme, "Overcoming Conflict: Strengthening democracy and security", will concentrate on the positive effect that resolving conflicts wherever they occur can have on the ability of a country and a society to have a stable democracy and provide security for all. In 2010, the SI has actively promoted conflict resolution in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, continued to develop its platform on disarmament issues, supported democracy in different regions of the world and sent electoral observation missions.

The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. Greek time) on Monday and close at 13:00 hrs (14:00 hours Greek time) on Tuesday. At the opening, following remarks by the SI Secretary General, speakers will include Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD, Martine Aubry, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party (PS) and Greek premier and SI president Papandreou.

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[02] Troika arrives in Athens on Monday

The troika discussions with the Greek government will mainly focus on taxation and spending of the new budget for 2011, which is slated to be tabled in parliament on Thursday.

A determining factor for these decisions will be the revised figures for the country's budget deficit for 2009, to be published by Eurostat on Monday.ANA-MPA

According to information, Eurostat will raise the country's budget deficit to above 9.0 pct of GDP, from 7.8 pct envisaged in the budget draft plan. Covering this difference will be the subject of continuous meetings between the government's economic team and the troika group this week, based on commitments contained in a memorandum signed between Greece, the IMF, the EU and the ECB.

Prime minister George Papandreou has stressed that the effort to reduce the deficit will continue "without new taxes, cuts in pensions and civil servants' salaries, but with larger structural changes in the state, the DEKO (public utilities and organisations), the business environment and the country's growth model".

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[03] LAOS leader says people tell politicians 'get serious'

He focused on the great abstention and stressed that it is a warning shot that "cockerel fights and dogfights are not liked by the people, who say 'think and provide a solution'."

According to Karatzaferis, Prime Minister George Papandreou "appeared to have understood the message and left an opening," while terming a "fictitious reality" what the main opposition New Democracy (ND) was saying about its total return.

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[04] SYRIZA leader comments on election results

Tsipras said that in the first round of elections on Sunday November 7, citizens had sent with their vote "a clear message of condemnation of the memorandum and troika policies," adding that those who abstained from the vote sent also a clear message of protest "that concerns all of us".

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[05] ND emerging strong

He congratulated those who won for their victory, as well as those who lost for their struggle and reassured that ND will stand by those elected.

"ND is emerging renewed, strong and responsible," Samaras said and explained that it is emerging strong because it won 33 prefectures as against six that it would have won with the percentages of 2009, renewed because it won five regions, responsible because in cases, such as in Attica, it dared to break establishments and propose new persons.

Samaras referred to the percentage of the first Sunday, saying that PASOK's lead fell from the 10.5 units of last year's elections to a difference of less than two.

The ND leader also spoke of the abstention, saying that public opinion showed that it rejects the deadlocks.

"We received the message," Samaras said, adding that "with our proposals and positions we want to give hopes to the people. And those who voted and those who did not vote, called for a change in course, because with its policy the government is leading economy to suffocation and society to desperation."

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[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The results of the second round of the local government elections with major reversals in the municipalities of Athens and Thessaloniki and huge abstention, and the government's deliberations with the troika (EU, ECB, IMF) dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "And now, the additional austerity measures".

AVRIANI: "The party of 'rage' received 70 percent (referring to abstention)".

ELEFTHEROS: "Resounding messages to Prime Minister George Papandreou and main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Abstention and Left and Right wing voters' support saved the government from the edge of the cliff".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Vote/breather ahead of harsh measures".

ESTIA: "Who won the elections".

ETHNOS: "Landmark victories in the municipalities of Athens and Thessaloniki".

IMERISSIA: "Post-election reversals"

NAFTEMPORIKI: "The post-election fronts of the economy open".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Protest rally at Syntagma square (downtown Athens) against government and troika".

TA NEA: "PASOK won in 8 prefectures and 185 municipalities".

VRADYNI: "Abstention mirrored the citizens' rage".

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