Athens, that great Greek city where democracy was born and great philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato lived seems to be sinking further into decline with the collapse of the Greek Economy
Will Greece and Athens Recover from the austerity package
As tension rises in Athenian streets and poverty soars, many are leaving their homes in Athens
It didn’t use to be like this. Greece has not been a wealthy country for many centuries and it’s true that it has been chaotic and corrupt to a degree but that made Greece a great place to be, if a little frustrating and bureaucratic at times.
The Greek Crisis and the EU
Sadly, the fact seems to be that the turning point came as Greece joined the EU and especially the single currency. Since then, inflation has soared and the nations debts have risen to the point that it had to be bailed out by the European Union and it appears another round of fiscal support along with restrictions may be on its way.
It probably hasn’t helped that much of the Greek economy is doe as part of the ‘black’ economy with an estimated 40% of tax failing to be collected. The Greeks too have always been ingenious when it comes to avoiding tax. For instance, you may have noticed houses with bits of metal sticking out the top? Well, that is because once a house is completed a ‘roof tax’ is imposed. Of course, those bits of metal mean that another floor is to be built .. so the house is never finished.
It may be interesting in the long term though to see the effect on the country as people head to the countryside and islands as for years there has been internal migration the other way, leaving Athens congested and polluted. Perhaps this may turn out to be a positive thing for Greece and Athens, even if not in a financial sense.