cafebabel.com

Frappé, cult official beverage of Greek economic crisis

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:00:00 -0000

Having an obligatory iced coffee in the Greek capital is a heady mix of the crisis, anarchic events and corruption at all levels with the wisest and healthiest farniente (pleasant idleness). Only those much-condemned across Europe could own such a flavoursome melange

Liv Holm Andersen: 'Danes like to lose their sense of security'

('Elina Makri',) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:02:04 -0000

She talks and laughs with Mediterranean hand gestures and speaks a bit of Greek, but don't be fooled. The 24-year-old is actually one of Denmark’s youngest politicians, a candidate for the Scandinavian’s country’s second smallest party Radikale Venstre in elections on 15 September. In Athens, we talk Europe, the Balkans and learning from Spain

German writer Hatto Fischer on Greece 'madness' and 'European debts’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:28:33 -0000

The Bavarian-born philosopher and co-founder of the NGO Poiein Kai Prattein (‘create and do’), which launched in Athens in 2003, explains why Europeans have thought that the Greeks were mad, and how we can learn from their current fiscal tragedy

The attican landfill war: a load of trash?

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:00:00 -0000

Busy saving Greek myths, Europe has closed her eyes to another crisis, an ecological disaster now fifteen years old. Athens has more rubbish than places to put it. The towns Keratea and Grammatiko have been chosen to host new landfill sites – a decision which has driven the people of Keratea, a town of 14,000 to the east of Athens, onto the streets in protest, where they will stay until they have chased away the state

Freeday: beer vs bikes through Athens on Fridays

('Ulrik Borch',) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:03:59 -0000

Every Friday at Asomaton Square in the heart of Athens, not far from the Acropolis, up to two or three thousand cyclists go for a solid ride starting at 10 pm and usually finishing around 3 in the morning. Tonight the destination is the small town of Hassia, 25 km north of Athens on the Parnitha mountain

'Debtocracy' director Aris Chatzistefanou: 'Greece should exit eurozone'

('Nicola Accardo',) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:00:00 -0000

His documentary was seen by one million people in the first month. Many Greeks have learned that debt is ‘illegal’ and they don't have to pay for it. After leaving the conservative broadcaster Skai, the Greek television presenter has become a mentor for the movement of Syntagma Square. It’s where he dreams of a ‘magic night’: when the prime minister flies away on a helicopter as the state declares its bankruptcy

Artists, freaks, revolutionaries: what remains of protests in Greece

('hkeet',) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:28:44 -0000

'We are not anti-system, the system is anti-us'. This is just one of many slogans that are prominently displayed on the banners around Syntagma Square in the heart of Athens. The word ochi, meaning ‘no’, can be seen everywhere here: no to the government, no to the financial and political system, no to the betrayal of democracy

Five gay friendly neighbourhoods in Europe

('Christiane L\xc3\xb6tsch',) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:00:31 -0000

As the spectacular gay prides flourish across Europe, cafebabel.com local teams from Paris, Ljubljana, Berlin, Budapest and Athens blog about the scenes across Europe

Greece 2010 mayoral poll: first social(ist) media elections

('Georgios Kokkolis',) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:48:39 -0000

New Athens and Thessaloniki mayors George Kaminis and Yiannis Boutaris managed the impossible on 14 November. This socialist victory sends five main messages - including the fact that 'people dont give a monkeys about the politicians'. Extract from the cafebabel.com blog in Athens

Celebrating eid without a mosque in Athens

('Georgios Kokkolis',) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:10:05 -0000

For the first time, group prayer celebrating the end of Ramadan was held this morning in the Kotzia square by Muslims living in Athens, capital of a country which is 96% Greek orthodox - blog excerpt

Arianna Huffington: blogger role model for Greek girls

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:18:47 -0000

With quotes like 'Darlings, make blogs, not war', the Athenian, 60, has become a big name stateside. However, the woman once known as Arianna Stassinopoulos has never seen the same notoriety in Greek circles. Too bad

Greece crisis: profiling rich, scot-free yacht-owners

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:45:00 -0000

The economic flavour of the Greek crisis tastes different for those on top - the shipowners, the yachting association bosses - than the diet prescribed for the masses. In Athens though, the latter rage against the state rather than the privileged classes. Lucky richies

Athens in video: German cliches on the Greeks

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:15:00 -0000

A Berlin-based Italian video journalist heads to the Greek capital to film social reality under the stranglehold of the crisis. A series of opinions range from Germano-Greek tensions to the weakness of the Greek state, as well as ideas for future solutions. Watch the ten-minute video in two parts (in English with French subtitles)

Can renewable energy save Greece?

('James Friscia',) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:52:16 -0000

99% of private buildings in this Mediterranean country use solar energy for hot water and currently only Cyprus’ utilisation is higher. More uses for this renewable energy are eminently possible, if only policy makers would cooperate

Greece: 'Time to teach civil servants a lesson'

('Darren Thompson',) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:33:26 -0000

No public transport for 24 hours in Athens and flight cancellations at Greek airports

Greece crisis: lowdown on Germany's role, US credit agencies and more

('Andrew Burgess',) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:45:00 -0000

Interview with French economist Céline Antonin ahead of the eurogroup summit on 7 May, where the attendees should confirm their €110 billion financial aid package to Greece, and the three burning questions arising from the crisis which also apply to the European union

There's something suspect about the Greek crisis

('Elina Makri',) — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:32:46 -0000

The crisis that started in Greece has gone beyond control. Who is making money on the collapse? Murmours from the official blog of the cafebabel.com in Athens

Enough with the 'hard-working Germans paying for lazy Greeks'

Mon, 10 May 2010 15:26:28 -0000

In a spirit against nationalist agitation and economic ignorance, the presidents of the European movements in Berlin and Athens signed a common German-Greek manifesto for Europe on 5 May 2010. Here's what they have to say on a day that the 750 billion euro rescue package is agreed

Greece crisis: how your average Greek yacht-owner is clamping down

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:30:00 -0000

Greece’s 'creative accounting' has wreaked havoc. Whilst the EU examines ways in which to help the Greek economy during the European summit of 25 - 26 March, are the Greeks ready to overturn their state of mind in order to exit the crisis?

Iceland volcano: climate to survive natural, as well as man-made phenomena?

('Sofia Belegrinou',) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:12:47 -0000

When Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano erupted on 15 April, it halted flights in European airspace but also led to conspiracy theories about reducing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and cooling off the planet. cafebabel.com Athens blog about the priorities

In Greece, remembering Alexis Grigoropoulos, 15, with riots

('Mohsin Patel',) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:39:50 -0000

Since 6 December, millions of Greeks have been gathering in the country's streets in memory of the teenager who was killed by a policeman during the student revolts. Collisions between anarchists and 6, 000 police have resumed with renewed vigour. 'When will we listen to what the youngsters have to say?'

Shlomo: ‘I used to think beatboxing was a way of impressing people’

('Catherine Neilan',) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:45:00 -0000

Simon Shlomo Kahn, 25, preaches his vocal talents to the mainstream and children. The British human beatbox artist, who has Israeli, Iraqi and German origins, talks self-important VIPs, the death of record companies and working with Bjork

Greek islands resist fire and cement

('Darren Thompson',) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:39:19 -0000

The Greek islands, so popular among tourists, appear to be surviving the threat posed by excessive construction, something which distinguishes them from their European neighbours. Yet resistance on the islands is not mirrored elsewhere in the country, as urbanisation eats into land susceptible to wild fires

Eur…οpa! As EU elections comes round, 27 European citizens in Athens speak

('Media Consulta',) — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:53:27 -0000

Whether they are from Finland to Cyprus, or Germany and France, the first charter EU member states, as well as from 'newcomer' states Romania and Bulgaria, 27 Athenians talk about their Europe and how they think it should be. The EU elections take place between 4 and 7 June 2009, with 736 seats in the EU parliament open to 9, 000 candidates

Erasmus testimony: a Greek student in Budapest

('Omiros Tsapalos',) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:58:50 -0000

In the final installment of a five-part series, a politics and public administration student from Athens, 21, confirms and rejects historical and linguistic stereotypes in the Hungarian capital. The student exchange programme has run for twenty-one years

Greece youth: violence in the name of education

('Elina Makri',) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:30:00 -0000

9 December. As the funeral takes place of a young boy, whose death led to days of continuous rioting in Greek cities three days earlier, a look at where the rebellion is coming from. Voice from Athens

Third day of violence in Athens after 15-year-old rioter dies

('euro topics',) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:45:57 -0000

Alexandros Grigoropoulos was allegedly hurling stones at a police car when officials shot him on 6 December. The incident has sparked riots, with protests held in Corfu and Germany. Ahead of a strike on 10 December, Greek, Italian, Swiss and German newspapers analyse the causes and the consequences for the government

Babelblogs: little princes and book fair bombs

('Susannah Readett-Bayley',) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Some European member states don't get much attention, but are often worth a detour. Our multilingual community blogs take you there

Babelblogs: Olympics of human rights

('Natalia Sosin',) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

British exes, banking superheros, Athens and garapos in Cuba - plus the latest Franco-German blog to watch out for

Greeks don't snap in elections

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The governing conservatives won a reduced majority in general elections on 16 September. The far-left and extreme right rapidly gained seats in parliament, whilst the twice-defeated socialists are the big losers

European heritage battle

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

At the foot of the Acropolis, a new museum is undergoing construction – but something important is missing: the British Museum is not prepared to return pieces of the world-famous Parthenon frieze to Athens

The more Greek gods the merrier

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Only 2% of Greeks aren't Orthodox. Somewhere amongst this low percentile, the polytheist movement who worship twelve Gods fight the state for recognition as a religion

Illegal immigrants ignored by Athenians

('Sarah Gray',) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000

At the crossroads of East and West, Athens has become the terminus of many migration routes. The Albanian community, the most numerous, is also the most stigmatised in Greece. It all stems from a misunderstanding

Hands off Greek universities!

('Kate Martin',) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000

The Greek government has approved a series of reforms intended to modernise its university system, including the opening of private institutions and placing a limit on the maximum study period. However, the students are protesting

Factories of culture: forging new from old

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

All over Europe, former industrial buildings are being rebuilt as centres of culture. Residents cherish the special charm of these old factories