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Greece’s National Transparency Authority (EAD) is examining allegations of misuse of up to €500 million in EU development funds earmarked for the installation of smart water meters by municipalities and local water and sewerage companies (DEYA), officials told Kathimerini. The case is also under investigation by the Hellenic Competition Commission and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens, which has received a large dossier of complaints related to the EU-funded program. Sources familiar with the probe, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that investigators are uncovering potentially incriminating evidence against those involved in procurement. The matter has attracted increasing attention among government officials in recent weeks. EAD confirmed it is...

“I am running for the presidency of the Eurogroup because our history is not merely national, it is profoundly European,” Pierrakakis said. Credit: AMNA Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Greece’s Minister of National Economy and Finance, has officially announced his candidacy for the President of the Eurogroup, as confirmed by the Council of the EU. His opponent is Vincent Van Peteghem, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget, responsible for Administrative Simplification, of Belgium. Although Pierrakakis has only been in his current ministerial post for eight months, he is reported to have gained the respect of his European counterparts, giving him a strong chance to succeed the current President, Paschal Donohoe. What is the Eurogroup Presidency? The President of the Eurogroup is a crit...

Greece’s Defense Minister, Nikos Dendias, is travelling to Brussels on Monday, 1 December, to take part in the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council in its defense ministers’ configuration. The meeting brings together defense officials from all EU member states for high-level discussions on security and defense priorities.The morning session will focus on the latest developments in Ukraine, with ministers expected to exchange views on the situation on the ground and ongoing European support. The Ukrainian Defense Minister, Denys Shmyhal, is scheduled to participate in the talks, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, adding further weight to the discussions.Following the plenary session, ministers will attend a working lunch dedicated to the EU’s Defense Readiness. The conversati...

Farmers across Greece intensified their protests on Monday, blocking major national highways with their tractors and signaling an escalation of their mobilizations as tensions with the government rise. Demonstrators say they will remain on the roads until authorities address the financial hardships they face.The national highway connecting Athens and Thessaloniki, a key north–south artery, was shut down near the city of Larisa after dozens of tractors entered the roadway. Farmers from several nearby regions joined the demonstration, leaving both directions of traffic blocked.Violent clashes marked the first day of protests. In the area of Nikaia, farmers broke through barriers and attempted to overturn a police vehicle as they pushed toward the highway. Police responded with tear gas and f...

Gas Exploration in Crete, Greece / Credit: Flickr, Stephen Conn CC BY NC 2-0 Gas exploration in Greece’s Ionian Sea, due to start by US energy giant ExxonMobil, in partnership with Energean and HelleniQ Energy, could offer Greece an energy bonanza for decades to come. Critics, however, charge that the deal’s terms are heavily skewed toward corporate profits and pose an unacceptable risk to the Mediterranean’s fragile marine environment. The core of the debate lies in “Block 2,” a sprawling offshore concession northwest of Corfu, where a substantial natural gas reserve is believed to exist. Block 2 lies approximately 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northwest of the Greek island. Its western edge is adjacent to the maritime border (Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ) between Greece and Italy, and...

By Catherine Tsounis   Young people are contributing their talents to the workforce of modern Greece. They are creating opportunities for future generations who will be better off because of their efforts. The community of Tripoli enjoys easy access to the sea, traveling by bus along the coast of Kynouria to Astros, Peloponnese. Alexandros, the owner of the Anaktorikon Hotel, suggested that we take the bus to its final stop and spend the day at Mpatarolas Seaside Restaurant. It was not a windy morning at 10:30 a.m. Children were trying to catch fish with nets in a small stream. It was a simple, warm, family beachside scene. Round-trip tickets were under 10 euros per person. When we arrived on that July morning of 2025, a vibrant teenager welcomed us with excitement and a bright smile. “You...

A 50-year-old woman was seriously injured on Saturday in the town of Argos in southern Greece when a large section of a balcony suddenly detached and collapsed onto her as she worked in the courtyard of her apartment building.Firefighters and emergency medical responders arrived quickly at the scene, where the woman was found conscious but in severe pain. She was first transported to the hospital in the nearby city of Nafplio. Doctors there determined she was a polytrauma patient and ordered her transfer to KAT Hospital in Athens for specialized treatment.Speaking from the hospital, the woman described the moment of the collapse. She said she had been in a ground-floor storage room beneath the balcony when it gave way. The structure fell onto another balcony before a piece broke off and st...

US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, holds a joint press conference after their meeting at Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Sept. 16, 2025. (AA Photo) December 01, 2025 09:45 AM GMT+03:00 U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Washington is prepared to act as a bridge between Türkiye and Greece, calling the tensions between the two NATO allies “meaningless.”Speaking to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Barrack said the U.S. could help the two countries come closer, adding that disputes rooted in “events from hundreds or even thousands of years ago” no longer justify ongoing strain.‘Can we be the mortar between two bricks?’Barrack said the issue is being discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump.“We are talking to President Donald Trump about this. We are thinking...

Rebrain Greece, the national initiative designed to reverse the brain drain and support the return of Greeks living abroad, is heading to New York for its next major outreach event. On Sunday, 7 December, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance will host ReBrain Greece NY at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, an effort officials describe as one of the government’s strongest steps yet toward repatriation. According to senior officials from the Ministry, Rebrain Greece has evolved into one of the most targeted and effective mechanisms for attracting highly skilled Greeks back to the country. Connecting diaspora professionals with jobs in Greece The New York event will bring together representatives from 35 leading companies operating in Greece, aiming to link highly specialised Greek ...

On December 1, 1913, the island of Crete celebrated its union with the rest of Greece after centuries of Ottoman rule. Credit: Greek Reporter On December 1, 1913, the island of Crete was officially integrated into the Greek state after Sultan Mehmet V had finally relinquished all sovereignty over the island exactly a month earlier. Crete’s liberation from Ottoman rule was the result of a violent struggle that lasted close to a century and cost a great deal of blood to gain, as Cretans joined Greece’s War of Independence on June 14, 1821, according to most historians. However, on Sunday, December 1, 1913, the official announcement of the island’s union with Greece took place in a festive atmosphere in sunny Chania in the presence of King Constantine and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos....