Brief Policy: Grexit Fallout Management: How to maintain the credibility of the euro

Brief Policy: Grexit Fallout Management: How to maintain the credibility of the euro

With the announcement of the referendum in Greece, a Greek exit from the euro area has become a possible scenario. A so-called “Grexit” would have a high price for both sides. The other euro area members should be ready to take steps that would reestablish the credibility of the euro area as a monetary union built to last. If markets perceive the euro area as just another system of fixed exchange rates that countries can leave and join freely, this can drive the monetary union apart.

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Zero hour is approaching: The Israeli-Syrian, Lebanese, and Iranian wars

Zero hour is approaching: The Israeli-Syrian, Lebanese, and Iranian wars

In February 2010, I published an article on Lieberman’s threats in Syria. The point I made was that the Lieberman threats are motivated by fear. Now, three years later, the threats of the West against Syria escalate, and in the same time, threats to Israel with the possibility of a military conflict with Syria and Iran. The next hour of the Israeli attack is now expected in Iran. The threats are staggered with the two fronts on the one hand being Israel and on the other Syria, Iran and Lebanon.

It should be noted that US Secretary of State John Kerry recently met with Arab officials and mentioned to them that Israel’s direct attack on Iran is a matter of time, zero time is coming, and Arab countries will have to take the necessary measures. Read More

Society – Family

Society – Family

If you put together all existing families you will come up with what we call society. It is very easy. So the higher the level of education within a family, the higher the level in the whole society.


One can see the quality of a family life in the mirror of society.

Family is the basic cell of an organized community. The institution of a family has been established even from the first steps of human existence, and until today it is of vital importance for the society as well as each person separately.

The purpose of having a family is to multiply. But it does not end there. After one forms a family, especially after children are born, there are plenty of unique moments and experiences that one could never feel outside the scope of the family life.

Within the family, the couple can see in each other the committed partner, the supporter in any difficulty, the one that will assist, advice, and provide sincere help in any case. In the face of their kids, parents see the source of happiness, their hope and the purpose of their life. On the other hand kids, see in their parents the guards of their safety, the guarantee of their rights, their source of inspiration, education and development, their leads in their way in life that is full of traps.

The important role of the family originates from the very past. During the centuries parents are devoted to raise their children. The result of this longstanding experience is that some kinds of rules have been developed. These rules are based more in the habit, rather than the science. They are passing from one generation to the other orally without examination, although the conditions of life have changed during this period. Nowadays the terms of life, raising, health, clothing, education, entertainment and behavior have been completely transformed. They are more complex so the role of the family needs to catch up these changes too.

In a society that is continuously changing, the family struggles to adapt in such a way to catch up with the new conditions. It is a fact that traditional forms of family are diminishing. What is more multi-member families also become scarcer and singles as well as divorce rates are multiplying. The scope also changes since after the divorce new families or single parent families are created.

Scientists started talking about demystification of traditional family model and its replacement of other types of families.

During the last years, the crisis has created insecurity among the youth hesitate to make their own family and have children. Even young couples do not wish to have children because of the crisis. We have reached the point of an IMF Greece becoming a childless country.

In order for a society to be healthy education, continuous information and social solidarity are fundamental.

It needs to be underlined that, the last years, with the crisis, this tendency is getting slightly vanished since numbers show that there are 1,522 children per woman during 2009, 1,504 for the year 2010 and even lower number in 2011.

Insecurity about future is all over the country a fact that acts as a constraint for the plans of creating a family since having children adds more costs to the family budget. Apart from that, couples are skeptical because they do not want to raise children in such a difficult environment and conditions.

A society, in order to be healthy, should provide:

  • Good education for children.
  • Constant briefing to parents.
  • Social solidarity.
  • Reinforcement of single parent and multi-child families.
  • Develop modern guidelines for adoption and foster care for underaged children.
  • Protection and social care for the elderly.

 

Environment and Energy

Environment and Energy

It is scientifically proven that climate change has been caused by human activities and their effects on the planet are expected to be disastrous. Ecosystem degradation, water scarcity, temperature rise, heatwaves, fires, floods, unhealthy atmosphere, pollutants, public health risk, reduced tourism and eventually economic downturn.

To prevent this scenario, we need to change the way we produce, consume and perceive energy. We need to implement a new energy resource management plan. And we owe it to our children above all. At national level, tackling climate change must be one of the key priorities of the ruling.

Required: Updating the existing development model by combining the protection of ecosystems with the use of new technological. Turning  to a low-carbon or zero carbon green economy using state-of-the-art technology. Horizontal co-ordination of all relevant actors involved towards mitigation and adaptation policies in the fields of energy, industry, agricultural production and many others.  Intensive control of the purity of the marine regions and all water resources in the country. Raising awareness and educating citizens on the impact of climate change on the natural environment as well as on preventive maritime protection and forest protection. New modern forest protection model with computerization and continuous monitoring of forest maps. Promoting eco-tourism in Greece.

Youth in action

Youth in action

Young people that experience the reality of today, are invited to take the reins and reform a new world; a better world both for themselves and for future generations. They live in doubt, stress, lack of trust and communication. According to surveys, the degree of hopelessness reaches 4.3 on a scale of 10. They face unemployment, accuracy, poverty, drugs, corruption, alienation and more!


In the face of unemployment and the problems outlined above, it is important to find outlets for young people. The main recourse of the “nervous” generation, as characterized, seems to be the “sanctuary” of family in which young people find the financial and emotional support they need.

At the founding of TILN in Copenhagen 2012 GMF

Friendship, love and entertainment are some of the outlets of young people; areas of an emotional nature that are opposite to their economical and professional problems. The conflict between obligations and desires, challenges and opportunities, deadlocks and vents, characterizes the experience of the new generation. Despite the disappointment, the indignation and fear for the future, young people set goals and strive for their dreams, chasing knowledge through participation, information and volunteering.

Do you belong to these people? Do you have vision and dreams that you wish to materialize? If so, you will surely find some of the actions of the EU program “Youth in Action” interesting.

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism is now the driving force and the most dynamically growing sector of the Greek economy since the participation in GDP is consistently above 15% and at times exceeded 18%. Moreover, it creates employment in a broad range of activities at different levels of knowledge and skill, especially among young people and in our region. Also, we should think that every Euro spent on tourism generates more than twice the secondary consumption in the rest of the economy.


Although tourism has been one of the main pillars of development in Greece for the past 30 years it has many lingering problems:

• 65% of tourism activity in Greece (over-) is concentrated in four areas.
• Under current conditions, the Greek tourism operates almost 80% of its potential.
• Confusion between service and servility sense spirit creates the anti-service syndrome, which possesses substantial part of those directly and indirectly dealing with tourism.
• The primary tourism product in Greece is excellent. However, the added value is not as good. Result, moderate final product, often overpriced, so uncompetitive.
• The disposal of Greek tourism product is made primarily from foreign Tos and distribution channels, which in no way influence.

These lingering problems and poor performance of previous periods, combined with the rise of our competitors and especially with the tourism policy deficit in Greece, confirm the need for active intervention in tourism.

I envision a Greece which, above all, will ensure a high living standard for its citizens, a Greece where all citizens of the world would like to live, either permanently or temporarily. A country which will be pleasant for its permanent residents would be both pleasant and attractive to its visitors as well as temporary residents.

Future tourism must:

  • Connect the values and meanings of Greek civilization to modern needs, expectations and perceptions of the globalized society, highlighting Greece at the forefront of the new age.
  • Contribute to the improvement of living standards of the inhabitants of Greece through the creation of employment and income.
  • Inform and protect tourists-consumers while guaranteeing the right to a quality vacation for all.
  • Take environmental protection and management initiatives with the preparation for tackling climate change.
  • Establish quality infrastructure across Greece to contribute to balanced regional development.Enhance the prestige of entrepreneurship in society while ensuring the viability and profitability of the business.
  • Give glory to the tourism industry and pride to employees.
  • Develop synergies with other sectors and the economy, creating and spreading even more benefits in all regions of Greece and larger sections of the population.Increase the competitiveness of Greece through a quality, value for money, world class “greek lifestyle experiences” tourist product.

 

According to this vision, tourism has got to become the main tool of the Greek government in order to achieve objectives of economic, social and environmental policy.

Defense and Security

Defense and Security

A strategic pursuit for modern Greece must be a strong and firmly oriented defense policy as the guardian of our national security and national dominance.

Over the last decades, a number of changes and rearrangements have taken place, resulting in new geopolitical equilibria and balances. The current international environment is characterized by intense instability, liquidity, high interdependence and fragile balances. The international, regional and national security environment  tend to be characterized as comparatively concentric fields.

In a critical geo-political area and in a rapidly changing geo-strategic environment, Greece is called upon to address reliably and effectively a set of complex and multidimensional potential challenges, risks and problems in a way that favors securing its national interests.

The geostrategic value of our country, as a member of several international organizations, combined with its geostrategic position and strategically important relationships, has greatly increased especially in the light of developments in Europe, Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean and the Black and white areas.

Thus, the general objective of national defense policy must be, through combined actions in the field of defense diplomacy and foreign policy, the strengthening of Greece’s security, its constant presence in the international sphere and its constructive role as a driving force of positive developments in the wider region.

At a graduation ceremony at the Tatoi Airport School with pilots from Morocco and Senegal

 

I visualize the Armed Forces to become a pioneer in the development of environmental management systems, with the medium-term goal of exporting know-how abroad.

Greece must:

  • Enlarge its role, as a factor of stability in the wider region through enhanced participation in international organizations.
  • Enhance the involvement of its Defense Industry as well as domestic construction companies in NATO, European Union, European Space Agency programs, in cooperation with the relevant Ministries. It is necessary to involve the defense industry in co-operations and co-productions with foreign firms, before signing any contract, with a view to introducing know-how and developing research. The extroversion of the defense industry will be supported by foreign policy in the context of Military Diplomacy to bring results in the coming years.
  • Strengthen Greece’s relations with Israel and the US in defense and security issues by establishing a new strategic network of know-how transfer contacts and modern weapon systems.
  • To pursue the extroverted growth and reorganization of research centers by promoting collaborations with other research centers within and outside Greece, for better integration and exploitation of technology while saving resources.
  • Promote an effective and flexible form of force through, the reorganization of military units and facilities.
  • To acquire a modern recruitment system adapted to new technologies as well as to stop the institution and to replace them with soldiers of fortune.
  • Reorganize the structure and organization charts of the Ministry, Offices and Units in order to be in harmony with international practice, new technologies and experience. Emphasis is placed on interoperability and interconnection, which as a power multiplier imparts our operational capabilities. At this point, it should be noted that it is necessary to introduce new procedures for armaments to ensure full transparency, rapid satisfaction of needs and savings.

 

 

  • To acquire a “green” defense by proposing an integrated environmental policy for the National Defense. Gradual removal – replacement of all polluting service vehicles and appliances with new, low cost and anti-pollution technology vehicles. Wide introduction of training simulators and shots to save resources and protect the environment. Intensify the controls of active firing fields to avoid contamination of the soil and the marine environment.

 

No discount on national security issues

Tightening of geostrategic alliances in Greece

Enlarge them to new fields