Bankers Laugh As Athens Burns. Wall Street Licks Their Chops As Protestors Are Beaten.
Bankers Laugh
What’s the mood like in other European capitals? Here’s our Brussels bureau chief:
Peter Spiegel: After several furious weeks of debate and negotiations in Brussels, the capital of Europe is unusually quiet ahead of the Greek vote, either out of a collective holding of breath, or confidence that the Greek parliament will pass the austerity measues.
Amadeu Altafaj-Tardio, the European commission’s chief economic spokesman, even showed up at the daily midday press briefing without a tie, a rarity for the dapper Spaniard.
Was that a sign of the mood in the Berlaymont, the commission’s headquarters? “We are confident,” said Altafaj-Tardio with a chuckle.
As Athens Burns.
Athens Burns In Riots Just Hours Ahead Of Crucial Vote On New Austerity Measures To Fund A Banker Bailout
A 48-hour strike ahead of a crucial vote on new Austerity measures for a banker bailout sees airports and ports grind to a halt as Athens burns in riots and police fire tear gas, percussion grenades and beat protestors.
Wall Street Licks Their Chops
Wednesday 10.30 BST. Markets are continuing to price in the assumption that the Greek parliament will pass a package of austerity measures designed to secure further bail-out funds.
The FTSE All-World equity index, up 0.7 per cent, has rebounded 2.2 per cent this week on hopes that Athens’ acceptance of the European Union and International Monetary Fund’s loan conditions
As Protestors Are Beaten
Greek Party Leader Says The Were Blackmailed To Vote For The Banker Bailout
13.55pm (Athens time):
In parliament, Aleka Papariga, the leader of Greece’s still-Stalinist communist party, sounded an unexpectedly down-to-earth note as the debate was drawing to a close.“We’re being blackmailed again (to vote for new austerity measures)…The government doesn’t know what’s going on, it just doesn’t understand.”
As mutters from the socialist benches grew louder, Ms Papariga raised her voice:
“Greece is bankrupt.. The government calls it a crisis but that’s the fact. We’re bankrupt. The process hasn’t yet been completed but it’s on the way… it may be disorderly or not, but it doesn’t depend on this vote. It’s going to happen.”
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