The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Saturday, June 6, 2009

U.K. and Netherlands voted on Thursday [81]

Uk, Netherlands Count MEP Elections Votes
Elections 2009 | June 5, 2009, Friday

Bulgaria UK, Netherlands Count MEP Elections Votes: UK, Netherlands Count MEP Elections Votes
Exit polls in Netherlands suggest that Geert Wilders' right-wing Freedom Party (PVV)
will win four of the 25 Dutch seats in the parliament. Photo by BGNES

The UK and Netherlands voted Thursday for Members of the European Parliament, and results are to be presented on Sunday.

Dutch and British voters were the first to go to the polls to elect the EU's most powerful legislative body, but results are not to be announced until elections in all countries are over.

Polls closed in the Netherlands at 19:00 GMT and in Britain at 21:00 GMT on Thursday.

However, exit polls suggest that Geert Wilders' right-wing Freedom Party (PVV) will win four of the 25 Dutch seats in the parliament, just one behind the Christian Democrats, the BBC reported.

Exit polls showed late on Thursday that the PVV was on course to win just over 15% of the votes in the Netherlands.

If confirmed, the Freedom Party's result is second only to Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Christian Democrats (CDA), which dropped almost 5% to just under 20% of the vote.

No preliminary results have been announced in Britain, as votes counting has started early Friday morning.

In the UK, the vote is seen as a crucial test for the governing Labour Party, with a general election due within a year. Three senior ministers resigned earlier this week.

Some 375 million people in 27 member states are eligible to vote. Most will cast their ballots over the weekend.

Voters are deciding who gets the 736 seats up for grabs under various forms of proportional representation.

Latvia, Cyprus, Malta and Slovakia vote on Saturday, while the Czech Republic and Italy vote over Friday and Saturday, and Saturday and Sunday respectively.

People in the remaining 18 member states, including Bulgaria will vote on Sunday.

Tags: MEP, UK, Netherlands, elections 2009

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