PAPOULIAS RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT

Greek Parliament re-elected yesterday Karolos Papoulias for a second term as President of the Hellenic Republic, with an overwhelming majority of 266 votes out of 300.

Papoulias was re-elected with the votes of the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), main opposition New Democracy (ND) and smaller opposition Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) parties, in a roll-call vote during a special session of the unicameral parliament. He will be sworn in for his second term in the highest office on March 12. 

Papoulias is the sixth President of the Republic since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, following Michalis Stasinopoulos, Constantinos Tsatsos, Constantinos Karamanlis, Christos Sartzetakis and Costantinos Stephanopoulos.

GREEN LIGHT FOR STABILITY PLAN

The European Commission (EC) endorsed yesterday the Stability and Growth Programme which had submitted by the Greek government in January.

The Commission adopted a series of recommendations for Greece to correct the excessive budget deficit, improve competitiveness through structural reforms, and provide reliable statistics. 

Specifically, it advocates ensuring that the budget deficit of Greece is brought below 3% of GDP by 2012, that the government timely implements a reform program to restore the competitiveness of its economy and generally runs policies that take account of its long-term interest as well as the general interest of the Euro area and the European Union as a whole.

Speaking to reporters, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia expressed his full support for the Greek government's plans to correct the country's fiscal imbalances, although he acknowledged the risks and difficulties of implementing this ambitious program, as he said.

On Tuesday, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso had expressed his conviction that Greece will achieve a correction of its budget deficit within the timetable set.

Europa Press Release: Commission assesses Stability Programme of Greece (3/2/2010)

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH AT ATHENS ACADEMY

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in his address to the Academy of Athens yesterday referred to the Ecumenical throne's ecological initiatives and concerns and conveyed to the Greek people "the love and blessing of the Mother Church."

The event was attended by President Papoulias, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos, academics and party representatives.

Today, the Patriarch will be sending a message against poverty and xenophobia, by visiting the Archdiocese food distribution center in Omonoia.

LSE: NEW RESEARCH UNIT

The Hellenic Observatory of the London School of Economics has supported the launch of a new research unit on South-Eastern Europe within the School's European Institute.

The new unit, known as 'LSEE: Research on SE Europe' was established in September 2009. It aims "to provide a significant platform on which to build high quality, independent research and facilitate public dialogue and dissemination of information on the region."

The LSEE will organize a series of public events related to its research - lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences – both at the LSE and in the region.

ATHENS CARNIVAL 2010

This year’s Carnival season in Athens kicks off today  at the Varvakios Market with plenty of music and culinary treats, while the party continues in the evening in Plaka and at the City of Athens Technopolis venue, where a retro party for senior citizens is going to be staged.

The City of Athens encourages everyone to join the lively, cheerful celebrations that will take place in both the city center and city neighborhoods from February 4 to 15.

Today is "Smoke Thursday" (or Tsiknopempti in Greek). Tsiknopempti is an annual rite in Greece, whose origin is lost through the centuries. It basically is a day of meat eating before lent and fasting begin. 

THE FLOWERING OF HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Humanities West - an independent non-profit organization which offers lectures and performances encompassing the fine arts, social history, music, politics, and philosophy of the arts - is presenting a two-day program under the title "Alexander/Alexandria: The Flowering of Hellenistic Culture," on February 5 to 6, in San Francisco, USA. 

The program, which examines the interplay of cultures in Hellenistic Egypt, following Alexander’s death, is co-sponsored by the Center for Modern Greek Studies at San Francisco State University with support from the Consulate General of Greece.

THE CULTURE AGENDA

Exhibitions

                                                                        Pablo Picasso

Athens Gagosian Gallery presents from January 28 to April 10 an exhibition with prints in linoleum that Pablo Picasso painted from 1959 to 1963.

In the late1950's Picasso began experimenting with printmaking in linoleum, a much more direct way of working, by engraving a drawing on a surface of linoleum by using knife, chisel or gouge.

AthensPlus (29.1.2010): Prints By Picasso (p.26)

               Religious Paintings

The B. & M. Theocharakis Foundation is hosting until March 7, the exhibition "Spyros Papaloukas: Religious paintings, Drawings, Modelli."

The focus of the exhibition is on Papaloukas’s religious paintings, including more than 100 drawings, oil paintings and modelli belonging to the Foundation’s collection.

Ballet

                                                                 Ballet de Monte-Carlo

The Ballets de Monte-Carlo dance company –which is celebrating its centenary with a series of events encompassing other art forms- is staging "Romeo and Julliet" at the Athens Concert Hall, on February 5-7.

Athens Plus (29.1.2010): Ballets de Monte-Carlo celebrates centenary in Athens (p.28)

Music

                    Patricia Kaas

French music diva Patricia Kaas will be making her first appearance in Athens, at the Badminton Theatre on February 6 with her own "Kabaret."

The cabaret with a "k," meaning cabaret à la Patricia Kass, is an homage to the 1930s and the sensual music of Kurt Weil, and an ode to grand divas.

Patricia Kaas: www.patriciakaas.net; You Tube: Et s'il fallait le fair (2009) Eurovision- France