Bold Measures to Achieve Deficit Target for 2011

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• Bold Measures to Achieve Deficit Target for 2011
• Liberalizing Professions
• Humanitarian Aid to Libya
• Extended Visiting Hours for Museums & Archaeological sites
• "A Painter in the Wehrmacht Uniform" @ Benaki Museum

Bold Measures to Achieve Deficit Target for 2011 Posted: 24 May 2011 02:24 AM PDT During a cabinet meeting held yesterday, the government reaffirmed its determination to continue with the fiscal consolidation programme by taking additional measures of over € 6 billion or 2.8% of GDP in order to achieve the 7.5% deficit target for 2011. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, the detailed measures together with the full Medium-term Fiscal Strategy framework aimed to bring the deficit close to 1% of GDP by 2015 will be announced once the ongoing current review of the programme by the EU-ECB-IMF team is concluded and following consultations with the other political parties. In addition, the Cabinet decided to immediately proceed with the sale of stakes in OTE, the Postbank, the Athens and Thessaloniki ports, and the Thessaloniki water company in order to frontload its ambitious privatization programme, while the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund composed of privatization and real estate assets was also decided in order to accelerate the process. Kathimerini Daily: Midterm economic program eyes taxes, pensions

Liberalizing Professions Posted: 24 May 2011 02:24 AM PDT The Finance Ministry has made public a list of 136 professions that will be liberalized as of July 2 as part of the economic reforms the government has been implementing. The reform means that those seeking to enter these professions can do so freely, without restrictions on the number of people in the sector or limits on where they can set up their businesses.

Humanitarian Aid to Libya Posted: 24 May 2011 02:24 AM PDT An Air Force C-130 aircraft arrived in Benghazi, Libya, on 22 May, carrying diplomatic and medical personnel, as well as a mobile first aid unit and significant quantities of medical supplies. The mission, consisting of three Foreign Ministry personnel and seven medical personnel – including two general surgeons, a general practitioner and a psychologist – will undertake the distribution of the medical supplies as well as the preparations for the arrival of humanitarian aid to be sent on a ship chartered by the Greek government.

Extended Visiting Hours for Museums & Archaeological sites Posted: 24 May 2011 02:24 AM PDT Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Yeroulanos announced new extended visiting hours of a number of museums and archeological sites in Greece on May 18. The ministry said that the list will be further enriched in the future weeks, depending on the availability of staff. The list includes some of the most popular sites and museums in Greece such as the Acropolis of Athens – Archaeological Site, which will be open from 8.00-19.00, all year round; the Thessaloniki Museum of Byzantine Culture; the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki; the Archaeological Site of Philippi; the Archeological Museum and site of Mycenae; the Archeological Museum and site of Epidaurus; the Archaeological site of Mystras; the Archeological site and Museum of Afaia, Aegina; the Archeological Museum of Messenia; the Archeological site of Ancient Messene; the Catacombs on Milos island; the Herakleion Archeological Museum; the Archeological site of Knossos and the Spinalonga island on Crete. The list also includes the Archaeological Museum of Drama; the Church of Panagia Kosmosoteira (Our Lady, Saviour of the World), in Ferres; the Grevena Archaeological Collection; the Museum of Asian Art, Corfu; the Archaeological Collection of Arta; the Byzantine Museum of Ioannina; the Ioannina Treasury; the Fortress of Ioannina; the Igoumenitsa Archaeological Museum; the Nekromanteion of Acheron; the Athanasakeion Archaeological Museum in Volos; the Archeological site of Nea Aghialos, Magnesia; the Byzantine Museum of Fthiotida at Ypati; the Monastery of Osios Loukas; the Corinth Archeological Museum. Ministry of Culture & Tourism:  Brief Guides to Archaeological Museums in Greece Part I & Part II; YouTube: Culture in Greece [VIDEO] [Photo 3: The Nekromanteion of Acheron - Oracle of the Dead]

"A Painter in the Wehrmacht Uniform" @ Benaki Museum Posted: 24 May 2011 02:24 AM PDT The Benaki Museum is hosting until May 29 an exhibition of works by Rudo Schwartz titled Rudo Schwartz, Crete, 1943 : A Painter in the Wehrmacht Uniform. Rudo Schwartz (1906-1983) was an artist who served in the German army, during World War II, but continued with his artistic output. In January 1943 he was transferred to Crete, where he remained for over a year. This period gave rise to a 388-page journal with dozens of inset drawings, approximately 460 photographs and 18 larger painted pieces that are now part of the Historical Museum of Crete. "It is during dusk that I enjoy the view at most, when people go out and gather around tables drinking coffee or raki and begin to chat. […] Their body figures stand out as they sit on the colourful porch, while the shadows created from the light that beams from the oil lamps coming from the shops, slips on the road. This image reminds me of the effect of light depicted on Rembrandt's paintings," Schwartz wrote on his diary.

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