Greece is one of the 28 countries that are part of the European Union including the United Kingdom. It is also one of the 19 countries that uses the Euro. Unfortunately Greece has been suffering from a financial crisis that came to light in 2008 which was temporarily solved with a bailout amounting to 8.4 billion Euro. In return, austere measures were demanded, particularly by the Germans to decrease the bloated Greek governmental apparatus throwing Greece into a social and cultural crisis. Up to then, government jobs were believed to be secure; one in four people were employed by the government. This in a country, whose well-to-do citizens are good, it is said, at avoiding paying their taxes.
Thus the government had to trim its waistline and unemployment, never low, soared to about 25%. Also employers try to cut corners wherever they can. So, for example, a technician is let go because a law demands a greater salary after a 5-year low salary contract has been fulfilled to make room for another cheaper employee. Also, 2016 saw the increase of the existing value added tax from 17 to 21%. Value added tax is usually added to goods and services other than food.
How does one survive under such conditions? On the islands, it appears, many people turn to growing their own food in their gardens. From my vantage point in my apartment I can see into two such gardens which even include an orange tree. Ruth reports that quite a few people from Athens are known to have gone onto the islands fro the prospect of growing their own food which can either be used or sold.
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Sources:
Thus the government had to trim its waistline and unemployment, never low, soared to about 25%. Also employers try to cut corners wherever they can. So, for example, a technician is let go because a law demands a greater salary after a 5-year low salary contract has been fulfilled to make room for another cheaper employee. Also, 2016 saw the increase of the existing value added tax from 17 to 21%. Value added tax is usually added to goods and services other than food.
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| Two vegetable gardens with orange tree in background |
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| Orange tree |
How does one survive under such conditions? On the islands, it appears, many people turn to growing their own food in their gardens. From my vantage point in my apartment I can see into two such gardens which even include an orange tree. Ruth reports that quite a few people from Athens are known to have gone onto the islands fro the prospect of growing their own food which can either be used or sold.
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Sources:
Alderman, L. et al. (2016,
June 17) Explaining Greece’s Dept Crisis. The
New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/international/greece-debt-crisis-euro.html?_r=0
