First target of the Government officials

Andreas Triantafyllides is would. This is the week that the Perron of her luxurious clothing boutique, it assists, appalled and powerless, parades of the demonstrators, to the scarcity of buyers and the evaporation of its turnover. His store, Strongyllos, located in one of the main shopping streets of Athens, two steps from the Syntagma Square, next to the Bank in which perished in a fire three employees, the May 5 with the tragic event which images have been around the world. "Our sales have fallen by 46." We offer discounts of 30 to 50 on all our clothes. "But if the situation improves not here in the month of August, I would be forced to lay off staff", he says. Deleted in his Office, on the third floor, this plague against the persistent odor of burnt, against the municipality which is not clean-up work and the Government which has been too slow to respond. In his capacity as Vice-President of the Association of traders in Athens, he says that most of the 400 members that suffer as much as him. "The shops are empty, restaurants no longer than three days a week, clubs, work two days and taxis are seeking client." What is only the tourists will come "is concerned about.

Suddenly, a rumour monte Street. The dealer looks at the window, and then is recovering, almost reassured by the slogans on banners: "this time, these are officials who are protesting against land reform." The project aims to bring together the 1,100 municipalities of the country to not count as 325 mayors "extended" to the outcome of the forthcoming local elections. With this round of administrative legerdemain, the number of elected representatives and local officials will be reduced from 50,000 to 25,000, explains Georges Petroulakis, Secretary General information of the Government. This reform called on the tone of humor "callicrates", the name of one of the architects of the Parthenon, has two goals: strengthen the local authorities but also and especially to reduce public expenditure.

The end of a bubble State

The idea would appeal to the team of experts of the European Union and the IMF, arrived Monday in Athens to peel the Greek accounts. Their verdict will depend on the payment, in September of the second instalment of the 110 billion euros promised in exchange for a drastic weight loss cure. So far, the contract, on the side of Greek, is completed. According to official figures, the budget deficit is encrypted, from January to may, to EUR 8.9 billion, representing a decrease of 38.8 over the same period of 2009, a little better than the objective of 35.1.

It must be said that the Socialist Government of George Papandreou has not been dead hand. He began by cutting in the revenues of the officials. "The premiums, which represent on average 30 of the salary of a civil servant but can climb up to 100 of basic salary, were reduced by 20 this year", decrypts Ilias Iliopoulos, Secretary General of the Adedy Union of public servants. "For a professor at the University, they are termed"library premium, premium research"but they might as well if label"premium beauty". "The general idea is that it is not strictly speaking premiums but wage supplements because they are low and that the State does not want to increase," says a teacher. Their amount varies greatly from one Department to another: "As a teacher I affects 530 euros." "But my friends who works at the Ministry of finance is receiving 1,700 euros," notes, a little bitter trade union leader.

Salary 14emois, traditionally paid 13eet, one at Christmas and the other twice, at Easter and in June they have capped: all staff are now 500 euros at Christmas, then 250 euros at Easter and 250 euro during the summer. "In total, Ilias Iliopoulos rebelled, the State has cut revenues from officials of three month's salary.

In return, George Papaconstantinou, the Minister of finance, promised transparency and harmonization of the salaries of the public service with the establishment of a single paying authority. In passing, the exercise will provide a comprehensive inventory of the payroll sheets, what makes laugh the Greeks, because if everyone complains of a bloated and inefficient public service, no one knows just how much this country has officials.

However, the bubble State will quickly deflate. As to the deletion of the contract, must be added initially projected retirement of 100,000 to 150,000 agents of the State by the next year, which will not be replaced.

If he speaks less thunderstrike, the private sector does not escape the purge. Here, the rigour results in layoffs and the threat of lower social benefits. Savas Robolis, Scientific Director of the Institute of labour, which conducts research for the unions of the public and the private sector, 46,000 companies went bankrupt in 2009 and is awaiting at least 50,000 this year. The activity is down 40 in construction and industrial production decreased by 7 since January. The economy is in recession-2.5 for the first five months of the year - and depress patterns. Mauricia Gritzalis, who runs a business recruitment and training, with her husband is not far from put the key under the door. Christophe Hadzopoulos, which the company - Hellenic distribution agency - imports and distributes the foreign press in Greece, saw its sales melt 30 a year and a half. There is little sector who escapes the doldrums.

To help these SMEs, the Government plans to allow companies to hire below minimum wage (740 euros) gross and reduce the level of compensation in case of dismissal.

Great triggering

All employees also faces the increase in VAT, passed by levels in a few months from 19 to 23 (to July 1), the explosion in the prices of gasoline, the highest now in Europe (between 1.35 and 1.50 euro per litre), alcohol and tobacco while the reform of the pension - bill must be filed in the coming days in the Parliament - will result in a decrease in the standard of living of retirees, up to 30 for some of them, according to Professor Robolis.

This overall decline in purchasing power should logically lead to a readjustment of prices. "It's starting already, people renegotiate their rent, hotels prices are squandered those clothes led, real estate is down... even if coffee still costs 4 euros in the cafés of the Kolonaki square", is Lukas Tsoukalis, Professor of Economics and President of the think tank Eliamep, reminiscent of the Greece had become, without any justification, one of the most expensive countries in Europe.

Hunt cheats

In this highly anxiety-producing context, there is however a novelty which pleased most of the Greeks: the declared war against corruption and tax evasion. The underground economy is estimated at 37 per cent of GDP. The State assessed 20 or 30 billion euros the "treasure" that could fall each year in its coffers. First target of the Government: officials. Twenty directors of administration suspected of corruption were sidelined and investigations have been launched throughout the country against agents of the State chosen randomly or which were the subject of complaints of corruption or illegal economic activity. According to a preliminary inquiry, 70 officials of the Ministry of finance had real estate of the average value of 1.2 million euros while their declaration to the tax authorities had annual revenues of 50,000 euros. Hidden money usually comes from corruption. It can also be the result of parallel activities, seasonal rental to tourists for example. The more modest often have a dual activity: official and taxi, public servant and server, official and night watchman...

The hunt for cheats is also open in the private sector. Doctors, lawyers, dentists, shopkeepers and artisans are in the sights. The names circulating in newspapers and on the Internet of physicians that consult in the trendiest neighbourhoods of Athens, roll carriage - or rather in Porsche Cayenne-, brought their children to private school and declare that 15,000 euros in annual revenue. "The richest Greeks will not be affected because they are mobile." Shipowners have already put their money in London or in Cyprus. "But for the great middle class tax evasion will become a risky bet," said Lukas Tsoukalis.

For those who fight them, however, worth the candle. The Government encourages citizens to demand a receipt whenever they pay a product or service. If they succeed to collect 6,000 euros in receipts, taxpayers will see the amount of their reduced taxes. "This is what I call the common sense revolution", said Georges Petroulakis, figure of the young guard of Pasok and close to the Prime Minister. "It is not normal that the rich pay no tax;" It is not normal that there are plethora of officials where they are useless and that an elected official spends his time to the children of people. "He also claims that the Greeks are very aware the solution to their problems. They begin just to test it.