Greece's budget deficit in the first two months of 2012 shrank by more than 50% compared with the same period last year.
Athens said the budget gap dropped to €495m from €1.05bn in the same period last year. The deficit was below the government's €879m target.
Readers should note that the figures refer to the state budget deficit and not the general government shortfall, which is the benchmark for the EU's assessment of Greece's economic policy programme.
Greek poets joined the anti-austerity protests in Athens today to mark World Poetry Day, following a wonderfully eloquent call to arms.
If not now when?
As winter seems to wish to settle permanently astride our lives, preventing the coming of spring.
As the threat of a Waste Land becomes increasingly real as an imminent prospect for our country.
As we have every reason to doubt whether poetry can innocently celebrate its day, when justice, our very being and country are fast collapsing around us.
We set out to meet poetry and spring in the streets of Athens; we set out to seek the hope of resistance amid the bewildered, angry, and desperate eyes of fellow citizens.
Read more:http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/21/eurozone-crisis-live-bernanke-on-europe
