In an attempt to fill state treasury and to pay debts worth hundreds of millions of Euros, tax authorities have proceeded to tendering. According to the National Confederation of Unions for the protection of citizens and consumers a jump of 110% in seizures by banks is recorded in the courts.
As reported by Ta Nea newspaper, when Elizabeth M. found a note according to which the tax office will call a tender for her curtain at starting price of 200 Euros she thought it was a joke. Subsequently, she found this was true and that the tax debt dates back to 2003, when her husband filed the tax return with a delay and the tax service sent him a fine of 42 Euros. The family received the note on the fine in 2005, but did not pay. The fine for both offences amounted to 147 Euros, but jumped to 596 Еuros due to the delays and increases according to the court order they received. Ultimately, the tax authorities obliged her to take the curtain in the office to be announced for auction. “I told them I won’t pay for the transportation of the curtain. Furthermore, I have two curtains – white one and yellow one. Let them come and choose whichever they like more,” says Elizabeth.
The fact that around 3000 orders for payment and seizures were issued for the first ten days of the month of March 2010 is indicative,” says the Chairman of the Confederation of Consumer Protection Vangelis Kritikos. There is a ministerial decision and an order that freeze tenders for the banks by the end of June. A serious wave of tenders is expected after that. The lower court at the Athens court issued 8500 orders for seizures for the first four months of 2010, while in 2008 were issued 12 500 orders. The Thessaloniki court issued twice as many orders for seizures the last year compared with 2008.
The economic crisis threw the Greeks in psychiatry, as the data of Dromokatio hospital show. Uncertainty about the employment and the permanent stress are the reasons for doubling the visits to psychiatrists in the past four months. Patients want their doctors to prescribe tranquilizers. But the patients are not only active people. Many of them are retired people who have literally gone crazy for notices that their pensions will be reduced and employees who are one step away from retirement.
The number of patients remaining for hospital treatment is increasing steadily. “If 25 people per shift stay in the hospital, we believe that we will have 200 cases more per month than before,” says Dr. Yanakos who at the same time complains of the lack of hospital staff – doctors and nurses, and cardiologist and because of this they have to transfer patients to other hospitals.
According to Mr. T. Megaloikonomu – the director of the psychiatric hospital Daphne – stress and fear are the main complaints of patients who come to be examined and they are directly related to the current situation. “People see stalemate, destruction,” he emphasizes. According to the clinical psychologist Elias Teotoka-Hrisostomidi cases of stress and panic attacks have increased because of the economic crisis. “We have noticed pathetic attitude to problem solving - people feel less active and tough. There is a trend of inactivity and unconcern in solving the problems” and notes there is significant increase in the use of drugs. “Pathetic attitude and the lack of motivation lead to depressive behavior. People feel powerless and believe there is nothing they can do about it.” Nevertheless, Dr. Hrisostomidi admitted that there is one part of the society that is ready to adapt to the changes
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