Greeks disrupt troika talks
- 13 years ago
Greek civil servants stage a second day of protests in Athens over controversial austerity measures.
International inspectors who arrived in Greece on Thursday to look at the country's financial health - were forced to turn around from the transport ministry due to the occupation.
Protesters are growing tired of the sacrifices they're having to make.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) NURSE, KIRIAKI VOUYOU, 36, SAYING:
"We haven't been paid since June. We have only been paid until May and now with the wage cuts, they are taking away four hundred euros per month from us. I have been working for ten years, I used to get a thousand euros per month and now I get six hundred. Who can live on six hundred euros per month?"
Protesters also prevented officials from meeting at the finance ministry - they were forced to meet at the Deputy Prime Minister's Office instead.
A mission from the EU, IMF and ECB, known as the 'troika' is in Athens to discuss an 8 billion euro installment of aid that Greece needs next month, to avoid bankruptcy.
Analysts expect Greece will be given the installment, but there are widespread expectations Greece will default anyway in coming months.
The troika is expected to report back in two to three weeks on Greece's progress.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to further discuss the debt situation, which is causing concern on a global scale.
The euro was weighed down by the lack of a visible solution to the crisis - while (check at close) European shares ended their worst quarter since the height of the financial crisis in 2008.
Kirsty Basset, Reuters.
International inspectors who arrived in Greece on Thursday to look at the country's financial health - were forced to turn around from the transport ministry due to the occupation.
Protesters are growing tired of the sacrifices they're having to make.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) NURSE, KIRIAKI VOUYOU, 36, SAYING:
"We haven't been paid since June. We have only been paid until May and now with the wage cuts, they are taking away four hundred euros per month from us. I have been working for ten years, I used to get a thousand euros per month and now I get six hundred. Who can live on six hundred euros per month?"
Protesters also prevented officials from meeting at the finance ministry - they were forced to meet at the Deputy Prime Minister's Office instead.
A mission from the EU, IMF and ECB, known as the 'troika' is in Athens to discuss an 8 billion euro installment of aid that Greece needs next month, to avoid bankruptcy.
Analysts expect Greece will be given the installment, but there are widespread expectations Greece will default anyway in coming months.
The troika is expected to report back in two to three weeks on Greece's progress.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to further discuss the debt situation, which is causing concern on a global scale.
The euro was weighed down by the lack of a visible solution to the crisis - while (check at close) European shares ended their worst quarter since the height of the financial crisis in 2008.
Kirsty Basset, Reuters.