Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5 Kanellopoulos Museum
ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
This excellent museum, in a 19th-century mansion on the northern slope of the Acropolis,
reopened in 2010 after renovations that doubled its size. It houses the Kanellopoulos fam-
ily's extensive collection, donated to the state in 1976. The collection includes jewellery,
clay and stone vases and figurines, weapons, Byzantine icons, bronzes and objets d'art . (
210 321 2313; Theorias 12, cnr Panos, Plaka;
9am-4pm Tue-Sun;
Monastiraki)
Understand
Greece's Political & Economic Situation
In December 2009 newly elected Prime Minister George Papandreou revealed to the world that Greece's debts
had reached €300 billion (113% of GDP - nearly double the eurozone limit of 60%). Ratings agencies started
downgrading Greek debt and the ultimate spiral of economic depression and possible default began. Greece's
total debt soared, reaching 165.3% of GDP in 2011.
The Bailout
At the time of writing (July 2012) Greece had received two bailout pledges from the European Commission, the
European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (collectively known as the 'troika' in Greece) total-
ing €240 billion. In return the government agreed to cut its debts to 120% of GDP by 2020, and reduce its budget
deficit from 9.3% of GDP in 2011 to 3% in 2014. Each tranche of bailout funding is preceded by financial audits
and negotiations. So far there has been one major restructure and more are in the works.
But the austerity measures and tax hikes demanded by the troika have added to the country's depression: GDP
shrunk by about 20% during five years. Unemployment reached nearly 23% in early 2012, a record. To many, it
looks like trying to squeeze blood from a stone.
The Human Costs
Throughout these events, tumultuous human, social and political repercussions have rocked Greece. These in-
clude mass protests and widespread strikes, the resignation of Papandreou in November 2011, an interim govern-
ment, and two rounds of 2012 elections resulting in both the rise of the anti-bailout far left, the far right, and, ulti-
mately, in the formation of a tenuous coalition government. The reality of lost jobs, cut wages and pensions, and
disappearing social services has been exacerbated by the uncertainty that accompanies each of these political and
economic manoeuvres. Meanwhile, reports of suicides caused by money worries are daily media staples (Greece
historically has had the lowest rate in the EU), as are attacks on immigrants in the Athens area.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search