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terça-feira, 18 de janeiro de 2011

Poor P.I.G.S.

Certainly we have heard our parents and grandparents say that by Christmas of their time, gifts more common (and when received) was all clothing. A few years ago when we were kids, this scenario was not going through our heads. Today, the puppets and toys we see on television are no longer exciting. However, it would be nice to get a new computer, a bicycle to begin cycling, and an exciting book to read. It seems that we are returning to the days of our older relatives, but not just because we grew up and we do not "deserve" expensive toys and now we get white socks with tennis rackets on them,  but because the crisis knocked the door.LuisterenFonetisch lezen


In the group of afflicted countries are Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. Students from these four countries gave us there opinion on the economical crisis and their wishes for this new year.  As problems pointing to emigration, unemployment and the taxes, and blaming the bad decisions of their rulers. Among them, the Portuguese are the most optimistic.
Luisteren
Fonetisch lezen

Luisteren
Fonetisch lezen


Starting chronologically, the first country that entered the hole without end in sight was Greece. Savvina Xanthopoulos (21) tells that the Greek Governors are responsible for the high taxes. “All the Greek people believe that Greek politicians are the “thieves” of their country and that’s why we denied to give more money to the government through the high taxes the politicians had set!” Also shows that the Greeks are just victims of their politicians fancy maneuvers. The Greek student hopes that this year the taxes go down (or at least not to increase again), because the Greeks think they are not responsible for the mistakes made by the men’s of power.

Recently helped by the International Monetary Fund –I.M.F. -, Ireland tries to react to the negative impacts of the crisis.  For Kerry Moone (20) "the economic crisis in Ireland is after getting out of control”. And she's not very happy with the future, "as a student, this is gonna affect me in a big way. There will be no jobs for me and the fees for going to college become more expensive.” Shameless, Kerry does not reject the support of other countries, because she believes that Ireland can also help others in the future. “I think it is great that we are getting helped financially by other countries… But the other day a Dutch classmate said to me that next year nearly every Dutch employer will have to pay around €2000 to get Ireland out this. This is bad and I'm angry at my government for having to put other countries through this. I know Ireland would do the same”

In last November, the International Monetary Fund said aid to Ireland will be €85 billion , divided by three years. Since the beginning of the year, Greece was initially assisted with €30 billion, and over three years they will receive 110 billion. In total, these two countries will receive €195 billion. We can buy a lot of great socks with that money.

Probably the next I.M.F. step will be helpful to Portugal. Unemployment has devastated the country and 2 million Portuguese did not imagine entering a sea of poverty. But Jose Anastacio (23) is confident: “I hope that due to international aid, especially from China, as well as economic growth is expected in the U.S., Portugal will begin to develop economically”. For there is lack of employment in Portugal, he expects the second half of the year to be better than the first, “unemployment will continue to grow in the first semester, but the economical results from this semester will bring a decrease in unemployment in the second one.”

Of the P.I.G.S., Spain can still breathe, but not for long, in the opinion of Maria Alonso Merchán (25). She has important points to discuss, like other colleagues, the failure of its politicians and unemployment. “The Spanish Goverment doesn´t have known how deal with it and all the things that they have done to find some solution has failed. Unemployment rates are increasing more and more. Young people are migrating because in Spain there isn’t work”.

Outside these countries, there are still some lucky Europeans. With the example of the Dutch country who does not know the meaning of the word "crisis." Seeing this scene out, Marloes of Vrij (19) think that things will improve this year, despite still taking a while to get back to normal, "everything depends on the real estate market.”

Marcelo Chagas

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