BALKAN STUDIES

Professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic of the University of Applied Sciences in Krems, Austria gave a printed interview to the Greek weekly newspaper “Ependytis” for the Greek financial crisis and the role of Germany and European Union.

RIEAS publishes the interview of Prof. Bajrektarevic exclusively in English language.

By George Protopapas
(RIEAS Media Analyst & Journalist)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Do you think that Germany accepts as only means to deal with the financial crisis the tight fiscal policy? Are there any alternatives possible? 
The current so-called financial crisis and the weak euro that came along is actually a big time for German exporters. They are many losers in Europe right now, but we should not miss from our sight who are the winners......  Read more

Σημαντική υστέρηση της Ελλάδας στην έρευνα και την καινοτομία

Copyright: www.oecd.org

Σημαντική υστέρηση στον τομέα της έρευνας και της καινοτομίας, παρουσιάζει η Ελλάδα σε σχέση με τις υπόλοιπες χώρες-μέλη του ΟΟΣΑ, σύμφωνα με τη νέα έκθεση του Οργανισμού «OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012», στην οποία επισημαίνεται ότι η οικονομική κρίση οδηγεί σε περαιτέρω συρρίκνωση τόσο των δημοσίων όσο και των ιδιωτικών επενδύσεων για έρευνα και ανάπτυξη στην χώρα μας. Read more (Full Report)

Harris Ikonomopoulos
(President, British-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce)

Copyright: Harris Ikonomopoulos on line

Following the Greek State’s reconciliation agreement with Siemens AG and OECD’s recent anticorruption compliance report, Harris Ikonomopoulos, the Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, by letters to the Chairman of the Central Association of Greek Chambers and presidents of professional, local and bilateral chambers of commerce in Greece calls for a joint anticorruption initiative from professional associations of the Greek private sector. 

Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΣΕ ΚΑΘΕΣΤΩΣ ΕΠΙΤΗΡΗΣΗΣ ΛΟΓΩ ΔΙΑΦΘΟΡΑΣ

Copyright: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/greco/default_en.asp

Η Ελλάδα τίθεται (με βάση το άρθρο 32 του Κανονισμού της Επιτροπής) σε καθεστώς αυστηρής επιτήρησης μέχρι το τέλος του έτους, διάστημα κατά το οποίο οι ελληνικές αρχές θα πρέπει υποβάλλουν έκθεση, σχετικά με την ενδεχόμενη πρόοδο που θα έχουν παρουσιάσει στον τομέα πάταξης της διαφθοράς.  Read more (Full Report)

Petros Makris-Kourkoulos
(RIEAS Research Associate and Energy Security Analyst)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

It was quite obvious and more than expected. Burgas, the fourth-largest city in Bulgaria and an important industrial, transport and tourist center in the Black Sea, became the place of an outrageous terrorist incident when five Israeli tourists were killed by unidentified suicide bomber, whose roots are suspected to come from Hezbollah or Al Qaeda Islamist groups. It was the second attempt against Israeli targets the last month but the first was successfully deterred in Cypriot ground by the Cypriot Intelligence Service when a supposed member of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was trying to strike on Israeli citizens. The incident gives a chance for further reflections on co-existence between Islam and the European Security Model. .......  Read more

Effi Lambropoulou
(Professor, Criminology, Department of Sociology,
Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences, Athens, Greece)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Greece’s debt crisis, shrinking economy, surging unemployment and the continuous waves of illegal immigrants have transformed Athens, once considered one of Europe’s safest capitals, into a city with a growing public sense of insecurity.  Today, a part of the city centre of Athens is actually being divided into 'sectors of influence' by several criminally-involved immigrant groups,  while two out of seven Athenian communities are largely controlled by organised crime. Previously bourgeois quarters have been gradually 'colonised' by 'legal'-illegal immigrant groups with the support of certain locals and in particular real estate 'gangs' and proprietors, bookkeepers, civil engineers and lawyers. For years now, with the inertia of Greek governments, national and local, concerning immigration, this deteriorating situation has occurred relatively quickly........    Read more