October 19, 2011
Spyros Gkelis, 34, is a professor of biology at Greece's largest university, in Thessaloniki. Last year the education ministry slashed the universities budget by 60%.
To fund his research work Gkelis, an internationally respected researcher in bioinformatics and plant biodiversity, expects to receive €676 (£590) this academic year.
In August Gkelis was paid €1,500; this month it was ¤1,200. Rent and bills come to ¤800 or ¤900. "I'm lucky," he said. "I don't have a family, I don't run a car, I don't own a house." (Home owners have just been hit by one of the new taxes: it depends on the size, but the average is ¤500-€600 and for many it's ¤800 or more, "almost a salary".)
The country, he said, "is on the edge; like a runner, who doesn't know how long he can go. It's frustrating, depressing, but also kind of exciting. Something has to happen now. My hope is that we can get rid of what's bad, and start over again. I just hope we can do it peacefully."
More
No comments:
Post a Comment