The ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes took simple living to the extreme, and lived in an old wine barrel. Painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
680,000 Greek Children at Risk of Living in Poverty –
Greece, genocide, Greek to me ! http://www.greek2m.org/the –genocide
Risk of poverty in Greece rising to alarming levels ( article, one year old , since October 2013), by macropolis.gr
We enjoyed an idyllic life of
wine and roast pig barbecues…
now we go to bed early so we don’t
have to hear our stomachs rumbling
How Shirley Valentine dream became a Greek nightmare
Greece is the only EU country not to have implemented a guaranteed minimum income and is among the most sluggish in adopting programmes to address social inequality and aid citizens living in extreme poverty and social exclusion, a new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office has found.
This is despite the fact that six in ten citizens are living in or at risk of poverty, the PBO report (pdf), which was published on Thursday, said.
The shocking report of the Parliamentary Budget Office for the economic situation of Greek households revealed that approximately 6.3 million Greeks (some 58.3% on a total population of around 11 million according to the census of 2011) are threatened by poverty leaving 2.5 million Greeks below the poverty line, and 3.8 million in direct danger of crossing the poverty line.
“The demand for social responsibility on the part of citizens is pronounced but what the state offers is characterized by fragmentation and administrative problems. Thus the social safety net is characterized by inefficiency, while at the same time there are no expectations that income loss due to the economic downturn will be replenished in the near future,” the report stated.
The Greek government announced that, starting from September 2014, a new €20m, six-month pilot program will begin in 13 municipalities which will provide what it says is a minimum income. Monthly payments will range from €200 a month for a single person on no income to €400 for a married couple with two underage children with no other earnings. This is announced by the Greek government as a great , and brave, support to the Greek households, on the same moment when monthly budget for the illicit immigrants daily food is over 300 Euros monthly, paid by the European Union Programs, to cover the illicit immigrants’ meals and only, apart from the rest of their accommodation , medical treatment, diagnostics etc, (which is another tragic story… )
Greeks, are valued by 200 Euros monthly, to cover their survival, food, electricity , rent and taxes, which makes it almost impossible to survive even for one and only month. Those payments will still leave recipients below the poverty line, which the PBO report sets at €432 a month for one person or €908 for a family of four.
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