The wrong solution to the residential problem the battle for the competitions of the waste units of Attica the PPPs of the barren lines the two opposite sides of expectations for D. Trump and the highest record in cryptocurrencies

The wrong solution to the residential problem The late Giannis Boutos writes in the first volume of his autobiography entitled “My Life” that in the early 1960s “the problem of meeting the country’s residential needs, and especially Athens, was left to the hands and interests of micro-workers (with the exception of the Workers’ Housing Organization), who moved in the context of the newly introduced institution of compensation, with the known effects of congestion and bad taste that we encounter in every step in every corner of Athens, but also the other major urban centres of the country.” G. Boutos presents in black colors the refusal of the then government K. Karamanlis to implement a spatial plan in the major cities as well as special spatial planning plans in vertical sectors such as tourism, industry, etc. Today, almost 70 years later, we are still waiting for the special spatial planning plans, but also the local urban plans proposed by Konstantinos Doxiadis at the time. Also, despite the unpleasant decades experience, we are still trying to solve the residential problem in the wrong way. With coupons and subsidies rather than a comprehensive plan to strengthen housing supply. G. Boutos attributes the wrong choices of the early 60s to the technical advisor of Mr. Karamanlis, Prokopis Vasiliadis and to his plan that, as he writes, “brought the micrononic public service seal in relief”. Today, what advisor to the Prime Minister to load the wrong options for subsidies, without any substantial care being taken to strengthen housing supply? We can, of course, resort to extremes of Spain where Prime Minister Sanchez announced that he would ban the purchase of residence by foreigners! The battle for the waste plants of Attica Those who have memory remember the heavy announcements of the former regional governor George Patoulis about the waste treatment plants of Attica and the competitions that were announced without elementary studies and sites. The term of office of G. Patoulis ended with absolutely nothing to manage the waste of the Lecanopeion, more than 80% of which are buried in the Tribe landfill. Now the government wants to take responsibility for announcing the new competitions for waste plants from the region to make sure they finally move forward. But he wants something else that he dares not mention for unexplained reasons! To be included in the package of competitions and the necessary combustion plant to which the residues from the processing plants will go in order to achieve the burial targets (just 10% of the quantities) provided for in the Community directives. Competitions for processing plants, together with the combustion plant, will have an estimated budget of around 1.5 billion euros. Is there the money? Not for now. The design of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (RISN) is also linked to the timeless failure of the inter-municipal landfill management liaison, ENSNA, in which shareholder changes are also being prepared with the departure of Attica (it has 40%) and financial control. The PPPs of barren lines and objections The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Christos Stylianidis insists, as it appears from his statements in Syros yesterday, that the Public and Private Sector Partnerships (SIT) on the barren lines will help to green the coastal fleet. The ministry claims, the minister repeated yesterday, up to 400 million for the PPPs on the barren lines. Coastal companies will sign 12 year operating contracts on a barren line (and 4 years contracts on other lines, more commercial) and with this PPP contract they will be able to invest in more ‘green’ ships to serve these lines. The market supports the Stylianidis effort but recalls that the greening of the Greek coastal fleet will take three to four billion euros. The EUR 400 million, if we finally get it from the European Union, is crumbs. They refer to the example of Italy that set aside around half a billion euros from the Recovery Fund for investments in new ships on the ferry, while with other financial instruments it supports its shipyards to produce more green ships. The issue of renewal of the fleet is very large and needs quick decisions because 2030 is very close. The unpleasant report of the HSA Institute on the Recovery Fund Even assuming that the 8.59 billion euros payments made by the Recovery Fund to date are real (which is not, since part of the funds has been “parked” in state agencies), Greece must absorb 16 billion euros within the next 1.5 year! And this time the money must reach the economy, to final beneficiaries, not stay ‘parked’ to state bodies. This says, in some cases, the report of the HS Institute on behalf of SYRIZA MEP Nick Farantouris. The column has made it clear since the first moment, it has no opposition. On the contrary, it wants government objectives to be achieved for the sake of the country. From the first moment, he has also made it clear that the magical figures presented by the finance and finance ministers and the special service of the Recovery Fund do not correspond to reality. And the cost will be paid by the country. The UNIVERSITY report mentions what the column has at times presented in a more structured way. Now the government must explain how they will absorb around 5.6 billion euros per semester when in the last half of 2024 absorption (including parking) was close to one billion euros. Europe and the shares of vanity! The French luxury LVMH company is now the largest European company based on capitalisation after underselling the Danish pharmaceutical industry Novo Nordisk which held the primacy for years. This is also a sample of Europe’s downfall that, as some people write, loses ground in production and technology, but maintains its primacy in the market for … futility, in luxury items represented by LVMH. From 2017 until today LVMH’s share has risen 367% and Novo Nordisk 175%. Over the last few months the Danish colossus share, which has been on the phone for years because of the Wegovy weight reduction drug, has been under severe pressure that reaches 40%. Mainly because competitive drugs for weight loss, as in the well-known Greece Moonjaro of American Eli Lilly, gain market share. On the contrary, analysts predict that the Trump presidency in the US will probably strengthen luxury goods companies like LVMH. The two opposite sides of expectations for Trump The subject of last day was Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the US. In the “collective West” it is that economic analysts fear Tram more than in the “global South”. This reveals an investigation which he published yesterday, i.e. on the day of the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, the famous German think tank in economic matters, Ifo and the Swiss Institute of Economic Policy. Specifically, while the economists surveyed in the US and Western Europe are extremely pessimistic, their colleagues in other regions expect little to no negative effects or are even optimistic. “The concern that Donald Trump will harm the economy is particularly widespread in western industrial countries,” says ifo researcher Niklas Potrafke. “In Africa, Latin America and Asia, on the other hand, experts expect almost no negative impact on the economic development of their countries”. There remains to be seen which of the two, are ultimately right, those who are near the heart of the “mother” or those who are further away… From record to record the cryptocurrency They break the record after each other the cryptocurrency, with “the flagship”, bitcoin, flirting for the first time in its history with $110,000. The “frenitis” around this also surpasses the 2022 rally, when the previous record had been formed, just under $70,000. What has interceded since then? A series of events that brought optimism back, after a period of decline, to crypto-investment cycles: The SEC recognition of the first ETF for the spot purchase of bitcoin, the process of halving and, lately, the heavenly wind that brings with it Donald Trump’s second presidential term, which from a Kryptonist was turned into a supporter, with Elon Mask on his side. Of course, the recent “paraoxysis” around crypto needs attention. In general, no one needs to bet their… home on it, as the variability of this asset does not allow risky decisions. It is only necessary to settle the hype of the days, and a digital wallet – “faline” to make a steep cash out to secure the huge gains of the period, to be demolished again in Tartara. As has been done many times in the past, sometimes bringing smaller investment fish to despair. Already, days ago, JP CEO Morgan, Jamie Dimon, likened the market to pyramid fraud, rising storm reactions from crypto enthusiasts… The car industry’s Gordian bond is to be solved by the Apostle Gidjikostas In the deep with the “good morning” fell the new EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzikostas. The Commission announced yesterday that on 30 January a strategic dialogue with the car industry begins on its future. In this context, the Greek Commissioner undertakes to draw up an action plan for the industry, which defines his new direction. Let us note that dialogue takes place at a time when European car companies face serious problems of competitiveness and sustainability. Groups such as Volkswagen close factories and proceed to redundancies under the burden of international competition and increased climate requirements. Already the declared target for stopping internal combustion engines from 2035 seems to be calling into question. The industries called for more transparency on the part of Brussels and A. Tzitzikostas will be asked to balance between realism and climate policy.