San Francisco

I have never been to California, or anywhere on the west coast before. My whole life I’ve been a resident of the east coast of the US. I’ve seen more of Europe than I’ve seen the parts of the US west of New Jersey, so this was a fun and unique travel experience for me. I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco, more so than any other west coast city. Growing up with the TV show Full House, and movies like Ms. Doubtfire and Homeward Bound, San Francisco always looked cool on TV. The city itself seemed to have a certain urban style that I, a native New Yorker, could really appreciate. Let’s just say, I was not disappointed.

Taken from the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco in the background

I sparked the idea of a weekend trip to San Francisco with two very good friends of mine. I had more than enough points for a free night at a Marriott hotel. With many direct flights liking the two major US cities, we went ahead and planned out two full days, a free hotel overnight, and low-season flight fares to San Francisco, California!A ridiculously early 6 hour flight Saturday morning, and we arrived at SFO airport, still late morning with the 3 hour time difference. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train took us downtown walking distance from our hotel. Or so we thought. On a map, it was just 7 blocks. That usually never phases New Yorkers like us. But in New York we don’t have the incredibly steep hills that San Fran has. Walking  just 3 blocks up the California St. incline to Nob Hill was like walking 2o blocks in Midtown Manhattan. When they say something is a hike to indicate great distance, in San Francisco it could quite literally be a hike even if it’s just a few blocks.

The first place we went to after checking in at our  hotel was Chinatown since it was right around the corner. We were starving, and all fans of Chinese food, so putting 2 and 2 together, we found a nice Chinese restaurant and ate there. I thought about being a little more adventurous than I am when I have Chinese take out delivered at home, but ended up getting house special lo-mein like I usually do. The difference was that it was indeed better and of a higher quality than a regular take out place, and was surprisingly just as cheap anyway. We walked around a little more in Chinatown, checking out the shops and observing the atmosphere there. Looked very different from the Chinatowns back home in New York because of the different style of buildings, yet looked similar when you take a much closer look at the individual shops and decorations.

San Francisco Chinatown

After Chinatown we walked up to Coit Tower. We were not disappointed here for sure. After waiting 20 minutes in line to get up to the top of the tower (something I was not expecting for some reason) we got to enjoy a panoramic view of the Bay Area. You could see everything from Oakland and the Bay Bridge to the skyscrapers of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the rest of the bay and land across from the bay.

Coit Tower

We then went down to Fisherman’s Wharf. We thought we’d spend more time than we did here, but it started getting dark already. The irony of the warm, sunny California weather but it still being November and getting dark early. We decided to have dinner at the Franciscan once we reached that part of Fisherman’s and had some fresh seafood. The restaurant was upscale, right on the dock with pleasant outdoor seating, and of course a little bit of tourist pricing added to the price of the fresh seafood itself. But we figured we’d make this dinner the one fancy meal of our trip and we were not disappointed in the seafood. We could have done without the computer glitch that caused a half hour of confusion over our bill and time-wasting at the end of dinner, but during dinner itself was amazing. I recommend the shrimp, mussels, and crab legs there for sure.

We then walked over to Hyde and Beach street to get the cable car back to the hotel. Or so we thought. After waiting in line for over a half hour, we decided to just take a cab. It ended up being cheaper split between the three of us anyway. The cab driver instantly knew why we’d come to him greeting us with a “so, the cable car fucked you over, huh”. Exhausted after being awake for almost 2 days straight, we all but gave up on the plans for bar hopping, and threw in the towel after just one drink at the hotel that night.

Golden Gate Bridge

We began our 2nd day in San Francisco by heading right for the Golden Gate Bridge. We took the Muni bus there, and I must say it was quite fast and convenient. On our way we met a very nice local named Heather who gave us a few tips on places and ways to get around in San Francisco. Like anybody, she was able to pick up very easily where we were from and asked us about Superstorm Sandy, which had hit New York City less than a week before this trip. A man sitting next to us on the other side chimed in, citing his former residence in New York and what he’d been hearing, and many others on the bus all tuned in to our descriptions of what was going on back east. It’s amazing how people out and about in San Francisco really do send a friendlier and more laid back vibe than back east. I used to think that was all cliché from television, but to some extent it is true.

When we got to the Golden Gate Bridge, we were expecting it to be beautiful, but it was even more so than we thought. The perfect sunny and 75 degree weather helped as well. We walked halfway across, taking in the view of the city on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. I was a bit shocked to see how low the railing was as well. For some reason I thought the history of suicides off the bridge might have made for more of a barrier, but then again, it would ruin the view. Needless to say, it’s very high up and you certainly will not survive the fall, so don’t try it.

Since time and finances were a bit tight to allow us to rent a car and drive to the woods, we decided to take the bus down to Golden Gate Park. We figured this is the closest we’d get to seeing a western forest on this trip. We walked through the Japanese Tea Garden, around Stow Lake, then up a hill where you could see San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from that vantage point. Some trees obscured the view from there, but it was still worth the hike up the hill.

We then made our way up to Fulton St. and took the bus to Alamo Square our last destination in the city of San Fran. This is where the  “painted ladies” Victorian houses are located. Famous from postcards and from the opening theme of “Full House”. On our way there, we also passed by the area where the “Ms. Doubtfire” house was. We did not look exclusively for it, so we don’t know if we saw it or not. When I first got there, I noticed one of the “painted ladies” had Obama/Biden posters on all the windows. Not accidental, I’m sure, being that it was San Francisco, 2 days before the election, and a house hundreds of people look at every day.

The “Painted Ladies” of Alamo Square

The sun was starting to set while we were in Alamo Square, which made it more picturesque and a pleasant end to our last day in the city.

We stopped at a pizza place for dinner to see what San Francisco pizza tastes like. We found it to be not nearly as nice as back home (something we kind of expected anyway), but tried it at least to see. We also may have just not gone to the right place either. At least San Francisco does Chinese food better than back home, so it evens out.

We took the BART back to the airport, and hopped on the red-eye back to New York. It was a quick, but amazing trip across the country to a city I’ve never been to. Well worth the 6 hour flight and lack of sleep to see many of the best San Francisco has to offer over the course of a weekend. I’m sure I will be back to this city someday. There’s certainly more to see. The vibe and the atmosphere there was one of the best out of any place I had been before, and I know sometime in the future I’ll find an excuse to go there again.

My friends Johnny and Hulon traveled to San Francisco with me

My Time in Greece Part II

Athens and the Saronic Gulf

 

I spent the last 2 days of my trip to Greece in Athens. Athens is far from the part of Greece I grew up spending summers in, so I don’t often get to go there. I haven’t been to the Greek capital since 2005, so I knew I would see some changes had probably changed since then.

I arrived at Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport in the late morning hours, said goodbye to my aunt and 2 cousins, and set off on an Aegean Airlines flight to Athens. The flight was only 40 minutes long, yes I still got the standard peanuts+something to drink combo that you get on most short flights. I made sure I had a window seat on the left side of the plane so that I could see the 3 peninsulas of Halkidiki. Looking towards the area where Toroni is, I said my last goodbye to my favorite place in the world until the next time I get to go there. As we approached Athens, I got a nice view of the entire city from above before looping around behind Mt. Ymmitos and landing at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport.

Greek Parliament

I took a bus straight to Syntagma Square in front of the Greek Parliament. This is the battleground for anti-austerity protests, and at times violent clashes with police which have been shown around the world. All was calm and normal the day I was there. Nothing but the hot August sun, and tourists taking in the sights. I couldn’t help but imagine the smell of tear gas and the sound of firebombs and angry protesters going on in this very spot, or imagining seeing the “Aganaktismenoi” or “Indignants” who were camped out here just a year ago. The only sign of dissent I noticed when I was in Syntagma this particular day was the various graffiti on buildings in the area with political messages in Greek saying things like as “poverty needs revolution”.

Later on that day, I met up with a journalist from the English-language newspaper, athensnews.gr, named Damian Mac Con Uladh. Damian and I had become acquainted through Twitter, and so we took advantage of my being in Athens to meet in person. Damian and I went to an area near Omonia Square. We took the metro. For me being a New Yorker riding the subway there most of my life, it’s always interesting comparing public transit in other cities. Athens is of course a much newer and smaller system than New York’s. As such, it looks newer and fresher, although the recent wave of graffiti in Athens which hasn’t spared it’s metro-lines. Some of it was reminiscent a bit of 1980′s New York, just that the graffiti was on newer trains, and there weren’t crackheads all over the place.

Omonia has been notorious for years as a sort of red light district, complete with drugs and prostitution. Now it’s also a hub for migrants, the number of whom have skyrocketed in recent years. We walked through an area that was all migrants from south Asia, the Middle East, and North, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. You did not see any Greeks anywhere on some blocks. The poverty and struggle that exists among many of the migrants in this area was apparent, not to mention the drug trade which still thrives here. You could look around at some of the old and derelict buildings there and imagine them being some of the slums now known for slumlords cramming 20-30 people per room for 5 Euros a night.

Damian and I went for falafel, something I never thought I would do in Greece. He told me that the place we went to is the first business owned by the first Pakistani in Athens. The falafel definitely tasted a bit different than the ones I’m used to in New York. After dinner, we walked a bit more around the area. It was remarkably quiet. Being a late Friday afternoon in mid-August most people who might otherwise be there were likely on holiday, or avoiding the city during the hot summer days. I enjoyed being enlightened by Damian about the transformation of the Athens city centre, as well as hearing about what it’s like being a journalist at an English-language newspaper in Athens. We went to the historic area of Monastiraki. I took some pictures, and then we went over to a cafe/bar for a while to continue chatting about his experiences as a journalist in Athens, and some talk of US politics, and the Euro-crisis.

Monastiraki

Me in front of a building in Athens centre that had some interesting artwork

As the evening wore on, Damian had to catch a train to Corinth, and I took a cab back to my hotel. As soon as the cab driver found out I speak fluent Greek, he was very open and talkative with me. I had a nice discussion with him about how the current situation in Greece is affecting people like him. He did not tell me which political party/ideology he follows, but, like most, is deeply disappointed in Greece’s political system. He told me he’s often had to work twice as much for much less than he earned before the crisis, the price of gas nearly doubled now, and more people using public transit as a cheaper way to get around. Having two young children, he says he fears for their future, but tries to be optimistic that things will get better.

In my next entry, I’ll share my 2nd day in Athens, which I spent with my uncle Manos, and saw just about as many places as you can see in one day.

My Time in Greece (Part 1)

In August, I had the chance to go to Greece for the first time in 3 years. The time period between 2009 and 2012 saw more changes than one nation typically sees in that period of time. I spent most of that time with my family in the northern coastal region of Chalkidiki, but I also got to stay in Athens, the capital city and center for infamous images of the riots, humanitarian, and economic hardship the depression has caused.

Toroni Beach from atop Vigla Mountain (note- I did not take this picture)

While I was in Chalkidiki, I got to have my own vacation at my “xwrio” or “village” of Toroni with family while enjoying the beach and going out at night to catch up on friends I’ve known there for many years. Anytime I go to Toroni it’s like going home even though I was not born there. I grew up spending most of my entire summers there and there’s always something comforting and rejuvenating about being there.

Toroni has changed profoundly over the 23 years I’ve gone there. It’s developed into a remote summer resort town attracting vacationers from throughout Greece and Europe. The region’s economy is based mostly on tourism, fishing, agriculture, and local services. The changes Greece as a country has undergone recently has not affected places like Toroni in quite the same way as it has in the urban centers of Athens and Thessaloniki.

On the surface during this visit, Toroni was largely the same with hotels booked up and the 3km beach full of vacationers enjoying the Mediterranean summer sun and deep blue Aegean Sea. Looking closer, though, the change is a bit noticeable. Few vacationers were Greek. Typically in August places like Toroni would be packed with vacationers from the urban centers of Greece taking their holiday from work in the first 2 weeks of August. Non-Greek tourists from other parts of Europe would usually make up the majority of tourists before and after the August peak. This summer throughout, most of the vacationers were non-Greeks, taking advantage of lower hotel prices as a result of vacancies caused by the crisis. Being a northern Greek town, Toroni has benefited recently from a growing market of tourists coming from the Balkans, particularly Serbia, FYROM, and Bulgaria. This is due to their close proximity and the recent growth in their economies. This has helped to make up for losses in Greek tourists, and any losses in German and Austrian tourists which used to dominate the tourism market of the area.

While this is a relief to Hoteliers, restauranteurs and cafe/bar owners haven’t been quite as lucky. People are spending less money eating and drinking out even if they do come spend a few days in Toroni. Faced with new taxes under the Greece’s bailout memorandum, these small business owners have had to deal with the double whammy of less business and more taxation.

Those who can still vacation in Toroni, whether it’s because they already own a summer home there, or still have their jobs and can afford to do so, enjoy their vacation like normal, not dwelling constantly on the problems Greece faces right now. Conversations do, however, come up often about it, and when they do, it reveals that many are fearful for what’s to come. Questions on who to blame for the crisis and what to do about it don’t always yield the same exact answer. However one thing every single person I spoke with does say is this. Things will only get worse, Greece will not stay in the Eurozone forever, and things will get very nasty if the economic and political situation continues the path it’s on now. Some even fear war and revolution, particularly older people I spoke with who have lived through both of those things. Nobody thinks the Greek government, nor Greece’s lenders are doing anything to help the situation, and feel like they’re being unfairly punished for the government’s mistakes.

There is plenty of disillusionment with the political system of Greece. This began even before crisis hit in 2009, but the Greek media has quickly become a direction of disillusionment as well. They are largely seen now as a mouthpiece of the rotting Greek political/bureaucratic system. Foreign media are not excluded from this resentment either as many feel Greece has been portrayed unfairly as a country full of lazy, incompetent people who retire at age 53 and riot like spoiled children when asked to pay for anything, not to mention looking more unsafe than it actually is on the ground.

Sunset from Toroni Beach

The next part of this entry will be from my time in Athens.

Greek Election Final Results

The final results in the most crucial and closely watched election Greece has ever held are in. As predicted, it was a close race that saw both the conservative New Democracy party, and the left-wing SYRIZA party gaining from the last election, battling it out for first place. New Democracy prevailed, beating SYRIZA by 2.7%, but not getting enough votes to form a government on their own. SYRIZA won among young and urban voters, ND among seniors and rural voters. PASOK remained a distant third, even losing some more votes. Among the rest of the parties, the same that made parliament last month made it again this time with either fewer or roughly the same amount of votes.

Final Vote and Seats in Parliament

*99.8% of the vote, voter turnout: 62.5%

1.) New Democracy (Conservative):  29.7% (129 seats)

2.) SYRIZA (Left-Wing): 26.9% (71 seats)

3.) PASOK (Socialist): 12.3% (33 seats)

4.) Independent Greeks (Right-Wing): 7.5% (20 seats)

5.) Golden Dawn (Extreme Right): 6.9% (18 seats)

6.) Democratic Left (Moderate Left-Wing): 6.3% (17 seats)

7.) KKE (Communist): 4.5% (12 seats)

Biggest Winners

Both New Democracy and SYRIZA made big gains this time compared to last month’s election. New Democracy gained 11%, SYRIZA 10.1%. New Democracy was aided partially by the return of prominent former ND MP Dora Bakoyannis, who formed her own party, Democratic Alliance when she was ousted for voting for the first bailout memorandum in May, 2010. Her return helped ND a bit, but not too much since her party did not ever get enough votes to make parliament. Also some of the votes Independent Greeks lost may to have returned to ND in effort to prevent a SYRIZA win. The main factor helping ND regain voters was more people being convinced that voting for ND would keep Greece in the Euro, fearing a “Grexit” as it’s come to be known under a SYRIZA  led government. Samaras campaigned on being the one that will take Greece forward and continue its European course while having a way to successfully renegotiate the most counterproductive parts of the bailout memorandum.

SYRIZA’s gains came from the momentum built after their surprise 2nd place showing last month as a strong anti-memorandum voice that would have a chance to break the two-party system of ND and PASOK and start fresh negotiations for a better deal to keep Greece in the Euro pro-growth rather than pro-austerity. He gained many of the votes KKE lost, and possibly a very small number of the votes Independent Greeks lost. One thing that may have kept SYRIZA from gaining just a few more percentage points to come out on top may have been the fact that Alexis Tsipras promised many things that most perceive as reasonable and popular ideas, but were seen as populist and unreasonable by some, and not worth risking Greece’s position in the Eurozone to vote for. Some even started referring to him as Andreas Papandreou II, referencing the father of recent PM George Papandreou, who was prime minister in the 1980′s and set in place Greece’s cronyist, clientelist political system.

Biggest Losers

KKE (Communist party) is arguably the biggest loser tonight when compared to last month’s election. They lost nearly half the votes they recieved, going from 7.5% to 4.5%, a historic low for the party. Coming in last, they lost many votes to SYRIZA. KKE’s staunch refusal to form a left-wing coalition government with SYRIZA and Democratic Left when it had the chance damaged its image. That, combined with their fairly outdated ideology cost them many votes this time around.

Independent Greeks, the new right-wing splinter party formed by former ND MP Panos Kammenos lost a lot of its fuel since its quick rise in popularity last month. They went from 10.6% to 7.5%.

Maintained Roughly Same Support

Golden Dawn, the extreme right-wing ultra-nationalist party with neo-Nazi overtones was one of the most ominous parts of last month’s elections. It maintained roughly the same amount of votes this time to enter parliament as the 5th place party. They were 6th last month. This is alarming to many as they are unapologetically involved in violent, racist assaults on migrants and are hostile towards journalists and pretty much anybody who opposes them. Their spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris became famous around the world after attacking two female MPs on live television. Some speculated that incident would either hurt or help them in a big way. Turned out not to really affect them at all other than maintaining their May 6th result. Though worrying to many that they’ve entered parliament, they still have just 18 out of 300 seats and will be isolated. It’s highly unlikely other parties will want anything to do with them unless they moderate a bit and use their position in parliament to at least bring about practical solutions to the neglected illegal immigration issue and the rampant crime that’s plagued many in Greece these days.

Democratic Left also maintained roughly the same amount of votes and will be in a similar position as last month in terms of their involvement in forming a coalition government with PASOK and ND.

New Democracy Leading

Vote count continues now in Greece and the picture is becoming clearer that the Conservative New Democracy party led by Andonis Samaras is the likely 1st place winner. It is not too late for left-wing SYRIZA to catch up, however, it’s looking increasingly difficult for them to do so. Parties have begun to make statements regarding the formation of Greece’s next government based on this expectation. PASOK MP Anna Diamantopoulou has already stated that PASOK will not join a coalition government with New Democracy if SYRIZA is not included, based on the high level of votes SYRIZA will get.

With 37.5% of the vote in the count is as follows:

1.) New Democracy 30.5%

2.) SYRIZA 26%

3.) PASOK 12.9%

4.) Independent Greeks 7.4%

5.) Golden Dawn 7%

6.) Democratic Left 6%

7.) KKE 4.4%

Final Exit Poll from Greece

Final exit polls have been released from Greece giving the Conservative New Democracy a slight boost over left-wing SYRIZA. Seat projections are now included as well, however, I strongly caution anybody reading this that these projections are based on the exit polls and not the actual vote count, which is still only at 23%, so it should not be taken too seriously at this point.

 

Here’s the projected vote and seats in parliament that they show:

1.) New Democracy (Conservative): 28.6-30% (127 seats)

2.) SYRIZA (Left-wing): 27.5-28.4% (72 seats)

3.) PASOK (Socialist): 11-12.4% (32 seats)

4.) Independent Greeks (right-wing): 6.8-7.8% (21 seats)

5.) Golden Dawn (extreme-right): 6.1-7.1% (19 seats)

6.) Democratic Left (moderate left-wing): (16 seats)

7.) KKE (communist): 4.8-5.6% (13 seats)

First Exit Polls from Greece

Polls have now closed in Greece and the first exit polls are now released.

Here’s what they’re showing:

 

1.) ND (Conservative) 27.5-30%

 

2.) SYRIZA (Left Party) 27-30%

 

3.) PASOK (Socialist) 10-12%

 

4.) Independent Greeks 6-7.5%

 

5.) Golden Dawn (Extreme Right Party) 6-7.5%

 

6.) Democratic Left 5.5-6.5%

 

7.) KKE (Communist Party) 5-6%

 

 

Polls Open in Greece

Polls have been open for a little over an hour now in Greece. This is the 2nd round of voting after the inconclusive elections 6 weeks ago. Earliest reports from turnout as shown on local media in Greece show there’s been a steady flow of turnout already, one reporter on MegaTV saying he’s seen more young people than last election turning out at this early hour. If this suggests there will be a better overall turnout, it’s too early to say. Aside from it simply being early for many to have gone about their day yet, many voters will head to the polls after church services complete after 10am local time.

Turnout

Turnout was at a record low-level during the May 6th election, but there’s reason to believe it could be higher this time. The importance of this election is even more realized by Greek voters. The fact that there was a shift in political power last month like no other and there’s other parties (particularly SYRIZA) that can be more powerful than the “old guard” may inspire some voters who didn’t turn out last time to vote today.

One thing working against turnout is continued disillusionment with a political culture and system that’s led the country to such a desperate situation. Some people in Greece that I’ve spoken with say they won’t vote because they don’t feel anything will change for the better and it’s no use. Also, there are many people who have to vote in their hometowns but live in cities simply cannot afford to travel back again due to extremely high gas prices (near $10 per gallon/2 euros per liter), or the cost of other means of travel. There’s also the fear many have that if they do vote against the system for something new, they will be punished for doing so by being kicked out of the Eurozone, so out a dislike of the establishment party (in this case Conservative New Democracy party lead by Andonis Samaras) they just will not vote.

Also a recent development is a sudden natural disaster that’s hit some southern and eastern suburbs of Athens in the form of wildfires that continue to rage and will likely get even worse today. Though this is a relatively isolated event, it is near a populated area, and several dozen homes have already been burned. If there continues to be a problem with wildfires here, and in other places as the strong hot and dry winds continue, it may interfere with voting in affected areas.

For now it’s just time to sit back and watch what happens, but I do personally hope as many Greeks as possible do vote in today’s elections since this is a great chance to decide the future of the country, and to prove that democracy is not dead as many feel it is in this age of bailouts with austerity.

Greek Political Parties

Here are the Greek political parties that are likely to get elected to Parliament this Sunday, starting with the two front-runners, ending with smaller parties that may or may not meet the 3% threshold.

 

New Democracy: Center-right conservative party led by Adonis Samaras. Andonis Samaras has based his campaign largely on being the “safe choice” that will shepherd Greece through this crisis and keep the country in the Euro, something most Greeks want. The campaign has been playing to the fears Greeks are suffering at the moment, with campaign ads, for instance, with children asking why Greece got kicked out of the Euro in 2012. He’s also (though not as much as before last month’s election) increased nationalist rhetoric to attract voters who may otherwise vote for farther right parties. He’s continued to preach a hard-line against illegal immigration and the soaring crime rate that’s plagued many areas especially in urban centers recently.

-Many of the votes that go to New Democracy will be out of outright fear. Most people in Greece see them as just as bad as the Socialist PASOK party, and don’t forget that they last governed under the Kostas Karamanlis administration from 2004-2009 when the public debt and the budged deficit exploded to a greater extent than before, and was even kept hidden until the following administration (when George Papandreou was elected in 2009) uncovered it.

-The corruption scandals that the New Democracy has their fair share of, plus Andonis Samaras’ privileged background make him look out of touch with his electorate and part of the old corrupt, clientelist system that’s gone rotten and brought Greece to its knees. Because things have gotten so bad for many people, many are becoming immune to fear mongering and it may not be enough to get them to vote for New Democracy because if they feel they have nothing to lose by taking a chance on a newer party, they will do so.

-ND is running neck and neck for 1^st place with the left-wing SYRIZA party. The last official polls had them gaining anywhere from 22%-32%. This means that even if they come in first and get that crucial 50 seat bonus in parliament for doing so, they will not be able to form their own government and must forge a coalition with another party. If they somehow manage to get at least 33% (though this looks very unlikely) then they can form their own government, albeit a weak one.

 

SYRIZA: Acronym for “Coalition of the Radical Left” lead by Alexis Tsipras. Left wing party that has been in parliament for several years now, the young (only 37 yr old) leader Alexis Tsipras saw a big surge in support for the party on May 6^th getting 16.8%, up from the only 5% he got in 2009. Latest polls showed him getting anywhere from 21%-31% (almost exactly the same as ND). Some of the “phantom” polls done since the 2-week ban went into effect had them as high as 35%, but I would not believe any polls taken since the ban, they’re notoriously unreliable.

-Many around the world fear a Tsipras win because he wants to renegotiate the bailout deal. He’s based his campaign on staying in the Euro, realizing that a “Grexit” would be disastrous due to the extreme devaluation that would occur. For this reason, he is not despite what many outside Greece think, advocating for abandoning the Euro, he is pushing for a renegotiation of the bailout deal because not only is the current set up hurting the country so badly, it is making it less able to pay back its lenders because there’s such a deep negative growth. He wants to negotiate a deal that would focus on growth rather than just austerity, revoke the deep pay cuts imposed the past 2 years, and he wants to nationalize the banks, tax the shipping industry (which is largely exempt from paying taxes to the Greek state), and revoke the parliamentary immunity law (which many Greek politicians have gotten away with all sorts of crime with).

-Though most Greeks suffering from these terms of the bailout memorandum agree with this, and many economists even see the dead-end the current bailout agreement is, the biggest criticisms and deterrents from voting for SYRIZA is skepticism that he’s just riding the populist anti-bailout sentiment to get elected, then not be able to deliver on all these promises. There’s also fear that Greece’s lenders will kick Greece out of the Eurozone for daring to negotiate with them the way Tsipras wants to.

 

PASOK: Center-left Socialist party led by Evangelos Venizelos, technocrat PM Papademos’ Finance Minister who brokered the bailout agreement with the “troika” (IMF, EU, and the ECB). Venizelos knows PASOK has even less hope for winning, being seen as the most responsible for the sad state Greece is in today. PASOK only got 13% last election, and may barely crack 10% this time. PASOK has been in power for more than half the time since the dictatorship, lead the country into the EU in 1981, the Eurozone in 2002, and then to the terms of the bailout memoranda beginning in 2010 under PM Papandreou. PASOK represents the dying face of the “old-guard” of Greek politics, and has its fair share of corruption scandals that are still ongoing.

-Many of the people who’ve supported PASOK feel betrayed and much of the anger towards Greece’s failing political system is directed towards this party, and SYRIZA has been the biggest beneficiary of voters abandoning PASOK.

-Venizelos has run his campaign largely on the need for responsibility in this time of deep crisis. Acknowledging that PASOK is not only very unlikely to win or even come in 2^nd, as well as acknowledging that it’s unlikely any single party will win majority, his rhetoric has been on the need to form a responsible coalition government of national unity led by at least PASOK, ND, and SYRIZA.

 

Independent Greeks: Right-wing Nationalist, anti-bailout party led by ousted New Democracy MP Panos Kammenos. Independent Greeks formed as a splinter party to the right of New Democracy, basing its campaign on “taking the country back” from the foreign creditors that have “meddled in Greece’s affairs too much,” and the Greek political elite for giving upGreece’s national sovereignty to the bank. He’s also used the neglected immigration crisis inGreece to gain support among those concerned about it by taking an anti-immigrant tone to go along with the nationalism.

-Independent Greeks came in 4^th place with 10.6%, though they seem to have lost some of the momentum they had last month and recent polling showed them down to between 7% and 10% for this election. Though on the opposite end of the political spectrum from SYRIZA, they have common ground economically with discarding the bailout memorandum and nationalizing banks while renegotiating for a better deal for Greece, so if SYRIZA get the mandate to form a government, Independent Greeks is a likely partner.

 

KKE: Communist party led by Aleka Papariga. KKE has been a force in Greek politics since before WWII. It is Stalinist/Leninist, completely anti-capitalist, anti-bailout/eurozone, and anti-EU altogether. Though she stopped saying outright that KKE wantsGreece to leave the Euro, this is the only party that has said Greece should leave the EU all together. Most people in Greece do not want that at all, so KKE will not gain anything from this.

-KKE has been 4th to 3rd since the Junta and support did go up very slightly since introduction of the Euro 10 years ago. Though Papariga’s campaign rallies have been large, and many angry, betrayed left-wing voters who may not have been Communists before may vote for them now, but SYRIZA has the momentum. Aleka Papariga has blatantly refused any offer by SYRIZA to work together to form a strong left-wing bloc to form a government together in last month’s election, and that refusal to work with any other party continues. This has damaged her and KKE’s image and will send more voters towards SYRIZA, however, many of KKE’s voters are among the most loyal to the party and ideology of Communism, so they will still get into parliament with at least 5% of the vote.

*Liana Kanelli, a prominent KKE MP, is the woman who got slapped on live television on Jun. 6^th by a Golden Dawn MP.

 

Golden Dawn: Extreme-Right Wing, Ultra-nationalist (some say neo-Nazi or neo-Fascist) party lead by Nikos Michaloliakos.

-Golden Dawn formed in the 1980’s as a far-right-wing ultranationalist party with ties to the old right wing Junta regime of 1967-1974. This group is very controversial, as its leader has written favorably about Hitler in the past and its supporters have given Nazi-like salutes at their rallies. Michaloliakos even did so in the Athens city council when he won a seat there. Its spokesman and one of the party’s MP’s, Ilias Kasidiaris, was the man who assaulted 2 women on live television on Jun. 6^th and exposed the violent extremism of Golden Dawn to many outside Greece who were unaware before. Since last election, Golden Dawn representatives have appeared on the news more often, despite being notoriously hateful towards journalists who they see as painting them in a negative light that isn’t true. Since the Jun. 6^th incident, they have placed a self embargo on news stations, and all other political parties have vowed not to engage in discussion or cooperation with them.

-Golden Dawn and vigilante groups associated with them have stepped up violent attacks on immigrants and homeless people in several urban centers throughout the country. They’ve also been involved in violent street clashes with left-wing anti-fascist counter protests that see them as bringing about a return to fascism in the country, and to go after their blatant violence and racism.

-Golden Dawn, for the first time ever, got enough votes to enter parliament on May 6^th, getting 7% of the vote. It’s very tough to tell whether events since then will hurt or help their standing this election, but if the last polls are any indication, they should lose support but still get in parliament with roughly 3-5% of the vote. One thing that’s helping them, though, is the anger and violence they espouse, which speaks to the anger many in Greece are feeling right now. They’ve made speeches claiming that they will “hang the criminals in parliament” and raid hospitals to throw out all non-Greeks so that Greeks can have access to dwindling supplies.

 

**Many would ask how a country that has experienced Nazi occupation, and a brutal Junta regime could vote for such a party. Their rise is attributed to the grossly neglected illegal immigration problem, combined with the economic depression, which has seen the “ghettofication” of parts of Athens and other urban centers, where there’s rampant homelessness, drug use, crime, prostitution, and where Greeks have even become a minority. This has many of the Greeks that live in these areas terrified, pessimistic, and with a sense they’ve been forgotten by those who run the country. They feel that the only people who are looking out for them are Golden Dawn. Golden Dawn has provided food to Greeks in these neighborhoods and acted as private security for some (particularly women and the elderly) who are afraid to leave their homes and tend to business because of the spike in crime. They also speak as a nationalist voice against the loss of Greece’s sovereignty, while trying to hide it’s the elements of Nazi-ism since they’ve become more popular now.

 

Democratic Left: left-wing party formed by former Independent MP and lawyer Fotis Kouvelis. Democratic Left formed in 2010. It is the most moderate of the left-wing parties. The party has campaigned on being a sensible left-wing voice to answer to the problems Greece faces, and realizing they may again get the lowest percentage points of all parties that get into parliament, have based their campaign entirely on forming a responsible government.

-Democratic Left got 6% of the vote on May 6^th, but may get less this time because during coalition talks, leader Fotis Kouvelis first brought up the idea of an “ecumenical government” involving most parties in parliament, but that it had to include SYRIZA. SYRIZA refused because such a government was too conciliatory. Dem. Left could have gone one without them to govern with PASOK and ND, but refused to do that without SYRIZA, and the talks broke down and a 2^nd election was called.

-This has damaged the party’s image somewhat and will likely send some of their votes to SYRIZA.

-Depending on how much of its support splinters off to SYRIZA, DL could either barely reach the 3% threshold to enter parliament, or get as much as 7% of the vote.

 

Ecologist Green Party (eco-leftist party)- lead by Ioanna Kontouli. This party did not make parliament on May 6^th, but has a chance to this weekend. Eco-Greens are a left-wing environmentalist party that will caucus with the left if it does get into parliament.

 

Be Afraid. Be Very AFRAID!!!!!

If you summed up nearly everything Greek voters are being told ahead of the 2nd round of elections on Jun. 17, the title of this entry is basically what they’re being told. The global markets are concerned about the possible win of SYRIZA, a left wing party that vows to throw out Greece’s bailout memorandum and start fresh with a new plan to ease the economic pain delivered by those cuts and taxes.

Politicians of the “dikomatismo” or PASOK and ND parties that have governed Greece since the dictatorship ended in 1974, are telling Greek voters that SYRIZA and its leader, 37-year-old Alexis Tsipras, are dangerous for Greece and will lead Greece back to the Drachma is elected. This sentiment backed up heavily by EU leaders who by the sound of their statements on the subject sound almost threatening to Greek voters saying in essence “you better not try to fight us on this or you will suffer the consequences.” The chiming in of non-Greek officials such as European Commission President Manuel Barroso, IMF director Christine Lagarde (whom has been criticized heavily in Greece for a poorly worded statement about Greeks recently), and others has been especially frequent in recent weeks. Many in Greece are growing frustrated from this intrusion into their internal affairs and see it as trying to influence the outcome of the next election they have the democratic right to proceed with.

There’s no doubt a win by SYRIZA would be the biggest political change seen in over a generation at one of the most crucial times in the Greece’s modern history. Aside from being the first non-dikomatismo party to win an election since 1974, it also has been very outspoken against the austerity measures required by Greece’s lenders to continue receiving bailout loans every few months in order to prevent what many see as the inevitable default of the country.

SYRIZA is an acronym for “Coalition of the Radical Left” and formed just 8 years ago. Since the party is a coalition, it is formed of several smaller political groups ranging from Maoists and Trotskyists to Democratic Socialists and Green Leftists. Alexis Tsipras, president of the Synaspismos party in the SYRIZA coalition became the parliamentary leader of the SYRIZA coalition in 2008 at the age of 33.

SYRIZA’s come from behind 2nd place win on May 6th came as a shock to some, but it was inevitable that PASOK and ND would collapse. They (especially PASOK) have lost many of their supporters due to the way the economic situation has been handled over the past few years, and SYRIZA gained support as an alternative to be given a chance. They still only got 16.8%, so they could not form a government. This is what they aim to be able to do this time around. Public opinion polls, which have now ceased due to the law prohibiting them within 2 weeks of an election, have been scattered between SYRIZA winning with anywhere from 22%-31%, or ND winning by about the same margins.

The June 17th election is no doubt a contest between ND, who also wants to renegotiate the bailout, and SYRIZA. PASOK will remain far behind them, possibly getting even less than the paltry 13.2% they got last month, so they have not been as much of a factor this time around since nobody expects them to come even close to winning. ND leader Andonis Samaras has been quick to criticize Alexis Tsipras for his populism and unfulfillable promises of restoring wages and pensions to their original levels and throwing out the bailout memorandum. He’s accused him of saying the same things PASOK leader George Papandreou said in 2009 about Greece “having money” and that we’d be fine. Samaras is hoping to convince voters to stay away from SYRIZA because the way Alexis Tsipras wants to aggressively go head to head with Greece’s lenders to renegotiate the bailout will have Greece be ejected from the Eurozone and return to the Drachma, something most Greeks fear and do not want.

There’s also no doubt that the terms Greece’s bailout loans have done great harm to Greece’s economy over the past 2 years. Incomes have been slashed severely, taxes have risen tremendously, and the result has been hardly any money left to circulate in the real economy of Greece.  Hardly any consumer spending because people have little money left, leading to thousands upon thousands of businesses going bust and unemployment rising to unprecedented levels. Greece today has been compared to the Weimar Republic, or to the Great Depression days of the early 1930′s in the US featuring bread lines lining streets of urban centers filled with homeless and jobless people and families to get something to eat for the day. More than half of people under age 25 are unemployed, even though most young people in Greece get a college education. The current job situation has many of those college educated Greeks seeking to move abroad where they’ll have better prospects, fuelling talks of a ”brain drain” that will hurt Greece’s future.

Greeks would be begging to be let go from the Eurozone if they’re forced to deal with this to stay in the currency union, right? Wrong. Over 80% want to keep it and the reason is very simple. Upon its reintroduction, the Drachma would devalue up to 60%, possibly even more. This means more than half of people’s savings would vanish, and their purchasing power would go down the drain. The National Bank of Greece released a report over the past week that say a return to the Drachma would come with unemployment rising to 34%, GDP loss of 22% (to add do the already decreasing GDP), and inflation of over 30%. These are frightening prospects for a country dealing with 5 years of economic contraction already, and is why it is easy to see how fear mongering is an easy tool for Greek politicians and even media to use on Greek voters ahead of the next election.

Whether Greece would get kicked out of the Eurozone if SYRIZA wins, we have to wait and see, but the fact is that a “Grexit” as it’s come to be known now, will be very costly to the EU economy and will cause more damage to the global markets. They may be a little more willing to renegotiate with Greece because of this, even if it is with Tsipras at the helm. The logistical nightmare of a sudden currency change, and the “domino effect” of Spain, a much larger economy than Greece, leaving the Euro right behind Greece, is something they know very well is likely and something they do not want to happen. That is what Alexis Tsipras of SYRIZA is banking on so that he’s in a strong position to be Greece’s power broker, and what Andonis Samaras is hoping doesn’t happen. This is why he’s hoping Greek voters are afraid enough to vote for ND as the “sensible” alternative to SYRIZA for making changes to Greece’s turns of economic governance for a better future.

This is all why Greek voters hearing all of this every day while living through the current situation are pretty much hearing “be afraid, be very afraid!” and soon this will fall on deaf ears if it hasn’t started to already.