GreekDiaries

Last year taxes on cars increased.

Like all people over the world also the Greeks make the necessary calculations to decide what they can afford and what not. Lots of them decided to buy a car with more cc because of relative low taxes when comparing with the security, the services and the comfort these cars offer. Other families decided to buy small cars as they are convenient in big cities. But as we all know the Greek government needs to pay off lots of money and therefore imports taxes, taxes and again… taxes. This time on cars with the result that lots of Greek families needed to sell their car and if this is not possible because of the crisis making it difficult to sell anything today as people do not take any risk of spending their money, they are forced to deliver their number plates and to park their cars at home. Others have to count their last penny to pay the necessary taxes. As for owning a second car… almost impossible.

Lots of Greeks cannot afford to have a car. It concerns not only big cars, but also the small ones. Something that was so common, today has become a luxury thing for many.

When people put on television, most of the time the crisis is being analyzed. Everyone is trying to read newspapers and to frequent popular shows to be informed about any evolution, decision or new laws voted. But not only informative shows are a part of television. This year Greeks could enjoy the humoristic soap Back at home, a story about a Greek family with three children who are not able to live on their own. It is impossible for them to pay rent or other necessary expenses. The whole family lives together in a nice house. The first child is married and has a child, the second one has also a child but lives separate from her husband and the third child is a musician who has a relationship with a German girl. As this family has bought this house with a loan and as they cannot pay the monthly credit, the parents try to find a solution. The solution will be that the German girl will lend them money and they will pay her off. But… they will not be able to do so. Economic problems, intrigues, mentality differences and unfortunatel how young people cannot live on their own are described in a humoristic way. If this soap is liked by the Greeks? Some do like it, some don’t. For some people no humoristic touch on this crisis is allowed, for others a moment of making the problem lighter is a moment to forget for a few minutes. Even if this is not a solution, it is an escape and in the end a few minutes of being able to have fun.