Provocative Intervention Staikoura: “Why did you write it?”

In politics many things are said and not done and many things are done and not said, said the deceased. Konstantinos Karamanlis. This historically proven reality seems to have permeated part of everyday journalism, where many things are done and not said.

But a “Karamanlik” politician should have known that in the end everything comes out and that power has limits.

The Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras, “Naked” of responsibilities, exhausted by the pandemic crisis, exhausted from trying to regain lost popularity, he considered it fair to explode against “Vimatos” for an exclusive piece of news that we published in the electronic version on Monday, for publication. 10-year bond, considering that he suffered a “mistake” after not controlling the information and that “we did harm to the country” (!).

So what happened? On Monday at noon (13.14 ′) we published in in.gr and in www.vima.gr the news about the new exit of Greece in the markets under the title “Greece returns to the markets with a 10-year bond – Concern for the reduction of public revenues AND the subtitle “The new exit to the markets despite the fact that the credit program of the year has been exceeded is considered a” defense movement “since the financial staff predicts that the duration and effects of the pandemic exceed the original scenarios. ”

For about eight hours the news was on the Internet “air” normally and had even been reproduced by other media. However, on the evening of the same day (21.56 ′) when they apparently received the news at the Ministry of Finance, I received a phone call from Mr. Christos Staikouras, who, unusually irritated, once again attacked me and the newspaper . He began without saying “good night”, stating the following:

– «Do you know that after the announcement of the bond issue I will postpone the issue? Why did you write it? Do you know that loan costs will increase? I’ll postpone it and report you and “Vima”.

In the apparent anxiety crisis that had gripped Mr. Staikouras, I tried to calm him down by telling him that “To Vima”, like Reuters and Bloomberg and all the media, have announced as they should – if they have the news – all the Greek bond issues . recent years. In fact, given that after the PSI, the return of Greece to the markets and the evolution of the country’s borrowing costs was an important event for the country, the eurozone and of course the markets.

Then I thought that the explanatory subtitle was probably the one that had put Mr. Staikouras out of his mind and when I realized that he was getting more and more of himself, I reminded him that he is a minister and I am a journalist. Different and clear roles …

Mr. Staikouras continued to move from one level of crisis to another. He kept repeating “Why don’t I announce the posts in advance? Who told you, who put you σας “, Which obviously implies that the only news that should be written is what it advertises and what it filters!

“Why did you write it?”

However, the culmination of interference in work and in the work of any self-respecting medium, indicative of the “mentality of the political Staikoura”, was the following reaction, on the verge of hysteria:

“Since I didn’t announce it, why did you write it? (ss: as if we had to ask you); What do they offer with this news in the country, who do they serve? ”. and continuing with the same style of unprecedented misery, he attacked “Vima” in all aspects, obviously without understanding what his job is and that of journalists and the media in general.

We let readers decide that he had to confirm the news on Tuesday noon, announcing to Bloomberg that Greece is re-entering the markets to borrow the 1.5-2 billion euros that the country needs.

Bob Traa left at night

For the record, I must point out that the IMF representative in Greece had carried out a similar misery attack-intervention in the newspaper. Bob traa in 2011, when we revealed the wreck of the first memorandum and the austerity measures of the troika, which had then fallen into the void.

Then we had described in “Vima” the story of “tragic Viceroy Bob Traa” on the front page of the newspaper. ESIEA, as well as the European Union of Journalists, had unequivocally condemned his position, until he abandoned the Greek stabilization program (memoranda) overnight.

This is followed by the full text that provoked the anger of the minister, who is evidently desperate at the dire situation in which the economy has fallen, and the ODDIH announcement that confirmed 24 hours later what “To Vima” wrote first.

What tovima.gr wrote on Monday

“Greece re-enters the markets with a 10-year bond. Concern about the reduction in public revenues.” “The Public Debt Management Agency will issue a new ten-year bond within a week, except unexpectedly on Wednesday, to raise around two billion euros and support cash reserves, as government revenues are seen heavily affected by the pandemic.

The new entry into the markets despite the fact that the year’s credit program has been exceeded is considered a “defense move”, as financial personnel predict that the duration and effects of the pandemic exceed initial scenarios. Loan needs at the end of July, according to the Bank of Greece, exceeded 12 billion euros.

As “To Vima tis Kyriakis” wrote, this year the country has already resorted to the markets on three occasions, raising 7.5 billion euros, while in the coming weeks another issue of 1.5-2 billion euros is expected through the reopening of an old one. problem.

This movement accelerates as market conditions allow it, the cost of money is at historically low levels, but no one knows if these ideal conditions will remain until the end of the year, when they go to the markets of Italy and Spain to order. borrowed. huge and exorbitant amounts due to COVID derailing its public finances.

At the same time, ODDIH continues the issuance of government bonds that returned for a value of 13 billion euros to keep the funds full with low borrowing costs, since the interest rates of interest rates move to zero ”.

What ODDIH announced on Tuesday

Last Tuesday, the site naftemporiki.gr wrote:

“ODDIH is proceeding to reissue the 10-year bond. According to the agency, Barclays, Citi, IMI-Intesa Sanpaolo, Morgan Stanley, Nomura and Société Générale have been instructed to reissue the 10-year bond issued in June with a yield of 1.5% and maturing on June 18, 2030.

This issuance is expected to take place tomorrow, although it is reported that it will take place in the “near future based on market conditions.”

The measure aims to strengthen the Greek state’s cash, in a period of greater needs..