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George Papaconstantinou

George Papaconstantinou, Greek finance ministerGeorge Papaconstantinou, Greek finance minister

Things look very different for Greece compared to a year ago. A new government intent on change, and the help of the IMF, has brought the country back from the brink of bankruptcy - and served as a wake-up call for the rest of Europe in the process

Greek rescue: The big issue

Debt in Athens: striking teachers march against the austerity measures implemented by the Greek government ahead of the IMF loan paymentsDebt in Athens: striking teachers march against the austerity measures implemented by the Greek government ahead of the IMF loan payments

Controversy still surrounds the decision of the International Monetary Fund to bail out Greece at a rate of 3200% in excess of its quota. Writer Jane Monahan

Greece: Sovereign woes cast long shadows for banks

Bank of Greece, Athens: EU officials visited the Greek capital in January to assess the government's crisis strategy

The leading Greek banks had retained relatively conservative business models at home prior to the financial crisis, but market fears about government debt make the downturn even harder to manage. Writer Philip Alexander

Issuer strategy: Greece's dark cloud gets a silver lining

Although Greece currently has the lowest sovereign rating in the eurozone and the highest budget deficit ratio, its membership was enough to reassure investors that its 15-year issue in November was a safe bet. Writer Edward Russell-Walling

Greece gears up for tough times

Greece's service-based economy has been less exposed to the global downturn than elsewhere in Europe, but a positive outlook for 2009 will largely depend on how the tourist industry performs and whether lines of credit will remain available to smaller businesses. Writer Kerin Hope

Port of Piraeus: Greece's shipping sector has suffered from a major drop in freight rates
Port of Piraeus: Greece's shipping sector has suffered from a major drop in freight rates

To the Balkans and Beyond

Over the past decade, Greece's leading banks have expanded into south-east Europe. To remain competitive, however, they will now need to weather the financial storm and continue to focus on increasing their presence in the Balkans and the rest of eastern Europe. Writer Kerin Hope

Eyes on new Europe for profit

Greece’s avoidance of complex banking products means it has weathered the downturn better than other European countries. Now it is stealing a march on bigger economies by expanding into its near neighbours. Writer Stephen Timewell.

From minnow to big fish

Nikos Nanopoulos, Eurobank EFG

Nicholas Nanopoulos, chief executive of Eurobank EFG, talks to Stephen Timewell about his bank’s strategy and expansion in ‘New Europe’.


Cash management: the new age

The true costs of the bailout discussion


FX in Flux

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