Athens-Tours-ContemporaryGreece

In 2000, to join the euro zone, Greece provided false statistics halving the numbers of its public décifit (cumulative budget balances of central governments, local and social security). At that time, debts have increased and have forced the country to borrow a large sum of money, and that can not repay, Greece began to go into debt. This is the beginning of Greece's economic crisis.

In autumn 2009, newly elected , the first Greek minister , George Papandreou , announced that the public deficit was 12.7 % of GDP, it has fallen by a quarter in six years. On the other hand , unemployment reaches 26.5% , 60% among young people.

http://economie.lefigaro.fr/espagne-portugal.html

May 2, 2010 , Athens gets help from the European Union and the IMF (International Monetary Fund ) worth 110 billion euros over three years. This money will be used to bail out the country and build infrastructure . The country decided to freeze the salaries of civil servants , increase taxes, to tax more regularly and put in place an austerity potiltique . This reduces the living standards of Greek which causes many events.

http://www.comite-valmy.org/spip.php?article1558

I- Financial difficulties of Greece

        Athens is concerned with the crisis. In 2009, the state of Greece announced a GDP deficit of about 6% whereas it was about 12,7% in reality.

        On 2010, the GDP ( gross domestic product ) dropped of about 14%

        After  many meetings to solve the crisis in Bruxels between State members, the EU gave 45billion Euros to help  the country.

Money lent to Greece in 2011

II- The utility of the EU and the IMF.

            The IMF (International Monetary Fund) lent money for a long time in exchange for economical reforms. Europe wanted to create a special IMF for Greece in 2011.

                                                            http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm

                                                                                                                             http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

        The country didn't manage to pay his debts to the EU reach 113% of its GDP in 2011. Germany and other countries of the EU wanted to reject Greece out of the European area because they thought that their financial problems were the fault of Greece.

        Since the meeting, the EU members  agreed to help  the country. Germany changed their decision after the meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy. So Greece was not excluded from the EU area.

III- Reaction of the Greek population.

            The outraged, the young , the retired and the unemployed demonstrated.

        In 2011 , the Greek met economical difficulties  and wanted a political  revolution. Other people wanted to stay  with the same political and economical system.There were many outraged demonstrate against banks, the drop of incomes and decisions of the governement

http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/International/Grece-FMI-aide-dette-manifestation-Athenes-151312

                                   DEMONSTRATION IN FRANCE

http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/333182-grece-accablee-par-la-dette-la-population-reclame-un-droit-au-defaut.html

Traduction of the posters :

United with the Greek people

Let us resist the dictatorship of the finance