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.........

Friday, January 31, 2014

Denmark,Political upheaval for Thorning-Schmidt ...[ 3491 ]




Danish PM loses coalition partner in energy row

Energy stake sale to Goldman Sachs prompts latest political upheaval for Thorning-Schmidt

.Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt adresses the media on January 30th, 2014 after the Socialist People’s Party quit the government. Photograph: Keld Navntoft/AFP/Getty Images  
.
Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt adresses the media on January 30th, 2014 after the Socialist People’s Party quit the government. 
Photograph: Keld Navntoft/AFP/Getty Images//Derek Scally

First published: Fri, Jan 31, 2014, 01:02// The Irish Times
   

Danish Social Democrat prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has vowed to remain in office after a coalition partner departed over a controversial energy sell-off.

.

Yesterday’s pullout of the Socialist People’s Party (SF) of the three-way alliance, in office since 2011, failed to halt the sale of a stake in the state-owned Dong Energy to US investment bank Goldman Sachs.
.

The bank agreed to pay 8 billion kroner (€1.07 billion) for an 18 per cent stake in the company, a highly unpopular move opposed by more than two-thirds of Danes.
.

Finance minister Bjarne Corydon welcomed a vote backing the sale by the parliamentary finance committee, saying the proceeds would enable further investment in energy after a period of cost-cutting. “It’s good that Dong Energy now has firm ground under its feet,” he said.
.

But several of the prime minister’s political allies have opposed the deal with Goldman Sachs, dubbed a “shady partner” by former Social Democrat premier Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

After pulling out of the coalition, the SF said it would continue to support the government from the opposition benches.
.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt said she looked forward to a “trusting co-operation” between her former coalition partner and her administration, already dependent on opposition support from the Red-Green Alliance. Seven weeks after her last cabinet reshuffle, she promised to fill quickly the six vacancies left by departing SF ministers.
.

The move to sell off the energy company stake drew huge protest on Wednesday night outside the Copenhagen parliament, known as Børgen (the Castle). Protesters carried a banner bearing a vampire squid – a nod to a description of the US bank’s controversial investment practices in a 2009 Rolling Stone article.
.

“I’m very disappointed a red government can push this kind of sale,” said Solveig Weiss, a retiree, to Bloomberg. “It’s completely right-wing policies and certainly doesn’t help that they’re selling shares to a somewhat dodgy enterprise.”

Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the sale yesterday “as a matter of principle”.
.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt has been under fire since becoming Denmark’s first woman leader in 2011.

Faced with growing deficits, her administration has pushed through reform measures that have riled party rank-and-file, such as raising the pension age, lowering welfare and cutting corporate tax rates.
Αναρτήθηκε από στις
Ετικέτες

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)