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Costas Simitis
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== Policies and legacy == === Social policies === Various social reforms were carried out under Simitis.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040622041346/http://www.pasok.gr/portal/gr/47/8819/5/7/1/showdoc.html WHAT WE ACHIEVED]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010116094800/http://www.pasok.gr/gr/proedros/280498.html Speech in Parliament on Social Policy Athens, 28 April 1998]</ref> EKAS, an income-tested [[pension]] supplement that restored the link of minimum pension with 20 daily minimum wages, was introduced, while the pension replacement rate was set as 70% of the last five years of salaries. Seniority pensions were also introduced, along with a contributory pension scheme for farmers.<ref>Ideologues, Partisans and Loyalists Ministers and Policymaking in Parliamentary Cabinets by Despina Alexiadou, P.233</ref> Law 2738/1999 on "[[collective bargaining]] in the public administration, permanent status for workers employed under open-ended contracts and other provisions" laid down, for the first time, "the right of public servants to negotiate their terms and conditions of employment, excluding pay and pensions, and to conclude collective agreements."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/article/1999/1999-annual-review-greece|title=1999 Annual Review for Greece | European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions|website=www.eurofound.europa.eu}}</ref> Law 2874/2000 on 'Employment regulations and other provisions,' in addition to working time arrangements, " regulates a range of important issues relating to [[Labor relations|labour relations]], such as [[overtime]], redundancies and matters involving leave," while Law 2839/2000 on 'Regulation of matters regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Public Administration and Decentralisation and other provisions' established a gender quota system in the public sector's various governing councils, administrative boards and collective bodies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/article/2000/2000-annual-review-greece|title=2000 Annual Review for Greece | European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions|website=www.eurofound.europa.eu}}</ref> In 2003, a substantial level of legislative activity relating to [[employment]], [[Occupational safety and health|workplace health and safety]] and [[social security]] took place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/article/2003/2002-annual-review-greece|title=2002 Annual Review for Greece | European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions|website=www.eurofound.europa.eu}}</ref> === Financial policies === Simitis is known mainly in Greece for his political philosophy, known as ''Eksynchronismos'' ("Modernization"), which focused on extensive [[public investment]] and [[Public works|infrastructure works]] as well as economic and labor reforms. His supporters credit Simitis with overcoming the chronic problems of the Greek economy and thus achieving Greece's admittance into the [[Eurozone]]. During his governance, official data presented inflation as having decreased from 15% to 3%, public deficits diminished from 14% to 3%, GDP increased at an annual average of 4%, and factual labor incomes increased at 3% per year. However, the macroeconomic data presented by Simitis' government were called into question by an audit performed by the successor government of New Democracy in 2004. Many large-scale infrastructure projects were carried out or begun during the so-called 'era of Eksychronismos', such as the new [[Athens International Airport|"Eleftherios Venizelos" Athens International Airport]], the [[Rio-Antirio bridge]], the [[Athens Metro]] and the [[A2 motorway (Greece)|A2 motorway]] (Egnatia Odos). === Internal issues === [[File:PASOK MPs in the Greek parliament during 2009 budget discussion.jpg|thumb|Costas Simitis in the [[Hellenic Parliament]] during budget discussions in 2009]] In 2000, Simitis was embroiled in a dispute with the Archbishop of the influential [[Greek Orthodox Church]], [[Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens|Christodoulos of Athens]], when the Greek government sought to remove the "Religion" field from the national ID cards carried by Greek citizens on the grounds that the Hellenic Data Protection Authority recommended so; its decision also included the "Nationality" field, but was not implemented following a subsequent EE directive to the contrary. Christodoulos opposed the decision, claiming that the action pursued deviously the religious de-identification of the Greek nation. Faced with the government's robust but unpopular stance, he organized two massive demonstrations in [[Athens]] and [[Thessaloniki]] alongside a majority of bishops of the Church of Greece. Simitis's attitude gained faint-hearted support even within his party, but he found a surprisingly militant ally in the ''Eksychronismos'' opinion makers. Kostas Karamanlis, the opposition leader, signed a petition, organized by the [[Church of Greece]], calling for a referendum on the matter and signed, too, by more than three million citizens. However, the inclusion of religious beliefs on ID cards, even on a voluntary basis, as the Church had asked, was deemed unconstitutional by the Greek courts. === Foreign policy === {{Expand section|date=June 2008}} [[File:President Bill Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis.jpg|thumb|Costas Simitis with President [[Bill Clinton]]]] While PASOK traditionalists disliked his move away from the more traditional/orthodox norms of the [[Democratic socialism]] of [[Andreas Papandreou]]' policies, and also his relative moderation on issues such as the [[Cyprus dispute]] and the [[Macedonia naming dispute]], his supporters saw both of these as positive elements of the "''eksynchronismos"'' movement that Simitis was seen as spearheading. During January–June 2003, Simitis, as Greek Prime Minister, exercised the [[presidency of the European Council]]. ===Controversy and criticism=== In 1996, the appointment of the PASOK-leaning ''[[To Vima]]'' newspaper editor, Stavros Psycharis, as political administrator of [[Mount Athos]] was particularly criticized by the opposition.<ref>Eleftherotypia, [http://archive.enet.gr/1996/11/19/on-line/keimena/politiko/pol6.htm Psycho, To tris examartein] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929105212/http://archive.enet.gr/1996/11/19/on-line/keimena/politiko/pol6.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}, 19 November 1996</ref> ====Siemens bribery scandal==== {{See also |Corruption in Greece}} A significant issue during Simitis' tenure concerned [[corruption]], which became endemic in Greek public life (including the [[Siemens Greek bribery scandal]], incidents like [[Akis Tsochatzopoulos]], who later was imprisoned for criminal actions for the purchase of the German type 214 submarines) etc. Siemens CEO Michalis Christoforakos testified that during his trial in Germany, he bribed (2%) both the two major political parties, ND and PASOK (through Geitonas and Tsoukatos, partner of Kostas Simitis). According to Tsoukatos, the money was put in PASOK's cash desk.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kathimerini.gr/1009936/article/epikairothta/politikh/siemens-fortismenh-apologia-tsoykatoy|title=Siemens: φορτισμένη απολογία Τσουκάτου{{!}} Kathimerini|website=www.kathimerini.gr|date=14 February 2019 |access-date=2019-02-18}}</ref> As of 2018, Simitis was under prosecutor investigation regarding the Siemens Greek bribery scandal, but was later exonerated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/politics/995061/anoigoyn-toys-logariasmoys-simiti/|title=Ανοίγουν τους λογαριασμούς Σημίτη | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ|first=Ιωάννα|last=Μάνδρου|date=14 November 2018 }}</ref> ==== Validity of statistical data==== [[File:Konstantinos Simitis 2012-01-23.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Simitis in 2012]] New Democracy revised the size of the [[Defense spending|defense expenditures]] for the years 1997-2003 by changing the regulation for the [[cost accounting]] of the [[Defense spending|defense expenditures]] from the date of delivery of war material (delivery basis), which was at the time followed by half the countries of the EU, to the payment date of the advance payments (cash basis). Eurostat accepted the change, because of the lack of reliable data for the deliveries of war material.<ref>[http://tovima.dolnet.gr/printarticle.php?e=baf=1471am=D02&aa=1 To Vima] 12 March 2006 {{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> By the revision of the 1999 defense expenditures, the deficit of 1999, the year of the Greek economy's evaluation, amounted to 3.1%. Since 2005, Eurostat changed its rules and records the defense expenditures according to the delivery date for all the countries of the EU, including Greece. Eurostat requested that the member countries to correct their data retroactively. Greece did not proceed to the rectification.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} The deficit of 1999, year of the Greek economy's evaluation, is still presented to be 3.1% of the Gross National product (GNP), greater than the Maastricht criterion for a deficit lower than 3% of the GNP. Subsequent revisions of the data show also other countries exceeding the fiscal deficit (government deficit) of 3% during the evaluation period. Thus, in 1997, which is the year of the evaluation of the first countries that became members of the Euro zone, the deficit of France was 3.3%, of Spain 3.4% and of Portugal 3.4%.<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/economy-finance/emu-history/documents/pdf/5pd EMU History] europa.eu {{dead link|date=May 2024|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2012/pdf/2012-11-07-stat-annex_en.pdf | title=Statistical Annex of European Economy - Autumn 2012| date=12 October 2012 | publisher=European Commission | access-date=2014-03-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221011313/https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2012/pdf/2012-11-07-stat-annex_en.pdf |archive-date=21 December 2017 }}</ref> ====Other==== Other points of criticism included the [[1999 Greek stock market crash]] in the [[Athens Exchange]], such as his handling on the [[Abdullah Öcalan]]'s capture and the [[Imia/Kardak|Imia incident]] regarding the foreign relations with Turkey. Simitis rejected New Democracy's bills for accountability and transparency with regards to governmental expenditure and decisions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/greek/news/031125_vouli.shtml|title="Όχι" στην πρόταση της ΝΔ για τη διαφάνεια | BBC Greek|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> while New Democracy leader [[Kostas Karamanlis]] accused Simitis during a parliamentary plenum of being an "archpriest of [[cronyism]]", referencing the index of the NGO [[Transparency International]]. However, Greece's position has fallen by five places{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} in the same index during the New Democracy government (2004-2009). Four years later Karamanlis himself admitted that he exaggerated and that he never doubted Simitis' personal integrity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100070_02/09/2007_239755|title=kathimerini.gr | Αποφασισμένος για μεταρρυθμίσεις (II)|date=28 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928092250/http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100070_02/09/2007_239755|archive-date=28 September 2011}}</ref>
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