Greece

Europe: Economic Crunch Prompts Strikes Across Continent

Date: February 24th, 2010 |

Strikes hit both the public and private sectors of several countries as the financial crisis put increasing pressure on workers and businesses, and some walkouts will carry on into March. Lufthansa pilots struck, French air traffic controllers walked out for four days, Greek unions blockaded the Athens stock market, and prepared to shut down much [read more]

Greece: Farmers to Block Roads, Border Crossings

Date: January 13th, 2010 |

No Comments

Farmers around the country plan to block roads beginning Jan. 20 to protest low produce prices and higher production costs. Last year at this time they paralyzed commerce and disrupted travel when they closed major highways and several border crossings. This year they again hope to raise awareness of their difficulties and obtain more subsidies [read more]

Greece: Binge-Drinking by British Tourists Still Plagues Islands

Date: June 17th, 2009 |

No Comments

Unruly behavior by British tourists and others in island beach resorts has started off the summer season in just the way local authorities and residents had hoped to avoid. Binge drinking led to the rape of a British woman by fellow Britons in Mallia on Crete, and a Dutch woman was attacked by two Greeks [read more]

Greece: Riots, Strike Hit Athens

Date: December 11th, 2008 |

No Comments

Five days of rioting occurred in Athens and other cities after the shooting death of an Athens teenager by police Dec. 6. The violence was the worst Greece has seen in decades and the shooting may have been a catalyst for releasing pent up anger at the conservative government and its policies. A long-planned 24-hour [read more]

Greece: Authorities to Clean Up Tourist Behavior at Coastal Resorts

Date: August 7th, 2008 |

No Comments

Authorities vowed to clean up the tourist scene in its seaside resorts after a 20-year-old Australian was beaten to death by bouncers at a Mykonos bar. Many coastal resorts have become notorious for drunken revelry by young foreigners, and Greece’s tourism minister said that much of the violence and indecency that results comes from profit-hungry [read more]

Greece: Strikes Greet EU Economic Pressure, More to Come

Date: February 17th, 2010 |

No Comments

A financial crisis prompted the EU to pressure the government to impose austerity measures, triggering strikes across the country, first with civil servants shutting down schools and grounding flights, then customs officials walking out for three days to disrupt imports and exports and possibly cause fuel shortages. A broader strike is scheduled for Feb. 24 [read more]

Greece: Wildfires Near Athens Raised Concerns about Fire Danger Throughout the Country

Date: August 27th, 2009 |

No Comments

Wildfires burned out of control in the forests of Athens’ northern suburbs for four days before firefighters contained them. The fires were the most destructive in decades in the Attica region and the worst in Greece since the devastating fires of 2007. The threat to Athens has diminished but fire danger is high throughout the [read more]

Greece: Poll Shows Crime Is Much Worse This Year

Date: March 25th, 2009 |

No Comments

Following several incidents of rioting and anarchist bombings, a poll conducted for Athens’ Kathimerini newspaper shows that 72 percent of Greeks feel crime in the country has become much worse in the past year while only 9 percent feel there has been no change. Sixty percent have little or no faith in the government’s ability [read more]

Greece: Transport Workers to Strike

Date: October 16th, 2008 |

No Comments

Transport workers will strike Oct. 21 to protest plans to privatize Olympic Airlines. Earlier strikes over the same issue forced cancellations of dozens of flights and brought bus, train and ferry traffic to a standstill. Significant disruption is likely. In unrelated walkouts, service on the Athens metro will be disrupted at the following times: Oct. [read more]

Greece: Country Tries to Recover as Wildfires Come Under Control

Date: August 29th, 2007 |

No Comments

Six days of wildfires burned wide swaths of Greece’s forests, primarily in the Peloponnese region, with firefighters from some 20 countries finally getting the blazes under control Aug. 29. Continuing dry, hot weather, however, could rekindle the flames. The conservative government has been roundly criticized for its slow and ineffectual response to the disaster and [read more]