Land law

Two unions will be holding separate rallies in central Athens on Thursday evening to protest a law imposing strict penalties on anyone trying to prevent foreclosure auctions.

An amendment introduced on Wednesday to a Justice Ministry draft bill says that anyone trying to prevent foreclosure auctions with violence or the threat of violence will be instantly prosecuted.

The new law is aimed at cracking down on the vociferous and sometimes violent protests witnessed across the country against the sale of properties seized by banks from debtors.

Foreclosures on Greek properties will soon be carried out henceforth only electronically, according to a government plan aimed at curbing a spate of protests at courthouses that has led to the cancellation of numerous auctions.

Fearing that the government may suffer yet more political wear and tear as it tries to steer clear of pitfalls of the fourth bailout review, senior officials are increasing the pressure on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to hold early elections in March.

The first online foreclosures, set to start on November 29, will concern the assets of individuals or enterprises with debts of 500,000 euros or more (in some cases over 2 million euros).

The government is seeking to break the impasse created by Greek notaries who on Monday announced a boycott on property foreclosures, citing fears for their safety amid violent protests. 

The outlook for property foreclosures in Greece is unclear after notaries announced a boycott on auctions until the end of the year, citing abuse by protesters, though foreign creditors expect the first online auctions to take place this month. 

A bar owner at Kolonaki, central Athens, had his electricity cut off due to high unpaid bills. He was approached by an electrician who offered to reconnect the bar every Friday evening, so the bar could open for the weekend, and disconnect it again every Monday, to avoid detection - all for 800 euros a week.

A building belonging to the University of Crete in Hania that has been used as a squat by anarchists since 2004 is a "space for social and leisure activities for residents and visitors," the Culture Ministry said in a decision sent to its Central Council for Modern Monuments.

Greece has been left without a national zoning plan for the tourism sector after the Council of State canceled the second such scheme in a new decision.