In two years, no fewer than 7 austerity plans that were announced to the Greeks who start in 2012 begin their fourth year of recession. L'Expansion. Com provides an inventory full of sacrifices imposed. One protestor anti-austerity on Syntagma Square February 12, 2012.
Vandalism, violence, destruction … The Greeks are tired. And for good reason: it's the seventh time since January 2010 that their government is announcing a new austerity plan! In this mess of unpopular measures, even the most sophisticated economists are struggling to navigate. According to OECD calculations, fiscal discipline have already cost 3.5 percentage points of growth in 2010 and 2.5 points in 2011. But these figures are probably underestimated, experts admit. A third of the population was already on the verge of poverty or exclusion in late 2010. A review of the sacrifices demanded of the Greeks for two years.
January 2010:
Three months after the dramatic revaluation of the Greek public deficit, the government puts an end to measures of raises (1.3% of GDP). On the revenue side, it provides – without too much detail – to remove tax exemptions, increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, etc.. The program also announced a reduction in compensation of employees, a hiring freeze in public sector in 2010 and the replacement of one out of five retired.
February 2010
The government says the measures announced last month and adds others. On the menu: wage freeze for civil servants in 2010, down 10% premium and 30% decrease in overtime in the public service. Moreover, the government announced an increase in taxes on petroleum products, down two years the average age of retirement (at age 63 by 2015), the 40% tax on incomes above 60,000 euros (instead of 75,000 euros) and establishing a system of objective evaluation of external signs of wealth to fight against tax fraud.
March 2010
The increase in VAT makes its appearance (two points to 21%). The public is again affected by rigor: the government announces, under pressure from Brussels, a 30% reduction of the 13th month salary and 60% of the 14th month's salary. Finally, pensions are frozen, for both officials and private sector employees. Some commodities become unaffordable tax increase of 20% alcohol, and cigarette prices jumped 63%.
May 2010
Rigor is even worse. The 13th and 14th month's salary for civil servants are finally deleted. (A deletion, however compensated by an annual premium of 1,000 euros for salaries of less than 3,000 euros gross). The VAT rate increases by a further two points, from 21% to 23% Government back again the legal age of retirement, and lengthens the contributions (40 against 37 annual installments). The government announced a series of new taxes, including taxes "green" on gambling and corporate profits. The plan also includes measures to enhance labor market flexibility, facilitate dismissals and certain professions open to competition.
June 2010
The black series continues. The new austerity program is even more drastic than the previous one, which has yet lasting impression. It includes the overhaul of the salary scale of civil servants, lowering the tax threshold in 8000 instead of $ 12,000, a privatization program of EUR 50 billion, cuts on pensions, unemployment benefits in and new taxes. Of these, an increase in VAT in catering, the flowers or theater tickets (23% versus 13%) and a tax known as Solidarity.
October 2011
The new salary in the public service is accurate. It should lead to a salary reduction of 25% on average according to the calculations of economists, following cuts of 20% operated in 2010. The government announced a freeze on collective agreements in the business for at least two years, and the lowering of the ceiling on the tax income of EUR 5,000 per year instead of 8000. In the public sector, it is intended to introduce the layoffs in public enterprises and parastatals!
February 2012
Despite revolts in rehearsals and the suffocation of its economy (the country enters its fourth year of negative growth), Greece is sinking deeper into rigor. The new plan provides a 22% decrease in the minimum wage. For those under 25 years, the decline would be even 32%. The goal: to reduce labor costs by 15% by 2015.
Greece is doing an overdose of austerity, says Christian SchulzSenior Economist at Berenberg. The risk of leaving the euro is very high, he adds. In turn, markets do not care. For them, Greece has a capacity for harm is much lower than Spain or Italy.