Politics

The result was no surprise — but showed how much Greek politics has swung to the right. The conservative New Democracy clinched a definitive victory in the country’s second set of parliamentary elections on Sunday, winning 40.5 percent of the vote and 158 seats. The center-left Syriza and Pasok parties trailed with 17.8 and 12.1 percent of the vote, giving them forty-seven and thirty-two seats, respectively. “People gave us a safe majority,” said reelected prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “The major reforms will therefore proceed with speed as this is the choice of the Greek people and I will honor it in full.” But the big story of these repeat elections played out on what might once have been called the margins. Three far-right forces, two of which had never previously entered parliame...

(ANALYSIS) Much of the Christian world, especially the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, has been roiled by reports that an Egyptian court has mandated that St. Catherine's Monastery be taken over by the government. This issue is especially explosive because St. Catherine's is arguably Christianity's most important monastery — but the situation also appears to be complex. This great monastery lies in the Sinai desert at the foot of what church tradition holds is Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. It was built in the sixth century during the reign of the Emperor Justinian when the area was part of the Roman/Byzantine Empire. It is an enthralling place. Apart from its connections to God's revelation at Sinai, one of the trees within its...

Christos Mantas and Konstantina Oikonomou are Visiting Researchers at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese. Their current research project, “Liminal Spaces and Identity at the Margins: The North Azovian Greeks of Ukraine (Urums and Roumeans) in Conflict and Transition,” examines the historical vulnerability and contemporary fragmentation of this minority group within the broader context of war, forced displacement, and contested memory. The project will be presented at the upcoming 12th European Workshops in International Studies (EWIS), where Konstantina serves as convenor of the workshop “Exploring Liminal Spaces in International Politics and International Law: Critical Perspectives on Conflict and Transition”. For the in...

Migrants rescued south of Crete wait to be registered on their arrival at the port of Lavrio, near Athens, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. [Petros Giannakouris/AP] More than 500 migrants arrived at the port of Lavrio near Athens on Thursday after being intercepted south of the island of Crete, as Greece implements emergency measures to address a surge in Mediterranean crossings from Libya. The migrants, consisting mostly of young men, were transferred overnight aboard a bulk carrier after their fishing trawler was intercepted by Greek authorities. Service vessels helped bring them ashore at the mainland port. They will be sent to detention facilities near the capital. Their transfer to the mainland was ordered because makeshift reception centers on Crete have reached capacity...

The wealth declarations of Greek party leaders for 2022 and 2023 were published on Monday along with those of other public officials, according to public broadcaster ERT.  Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared €70,457 in income for 2023, mainly from his parliamentary role and property rentals. Furthermore, he reported €508,859 and $20,479 in investments, 11 bank accounts with €110,663 in total deposits, and 26 properties in Crete, the Cyclades and Epirus. He also owns two cars. PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis reported €128,610 in income, €940,778 in a Belgian bank, €135,571 in Greek banks, and properties in Crete, Athens and Belgium. SYRIZA president Sokratis Famellos declared €72,507 in income, €57,841 in deposits, eight properties in Greece and Germany, and one car.  Communist Party...

ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced measures to support pensioners and tenants in rented accommodation, after the release of data on Greece’s fiscal overperformance by ELSTAT and Eurostat. According to the figures announced, Greece surpassed targets for a record surplus of 11.4 billion euros (4.8% of GDP) in 2024. The measures announced by the prime minister are estimated to cost approximately 1 billion euros and will aim to support pensioners, but also to address the critical issue of housing for tenants. Pensioners are one of the most vulnerable social groups, and their support is vital. Of the total package of measures, 250 million euros will be allocated to support them. Housing is another critical issue that requires immediate attention. Rising rents and the lack of ...

A sharp diplomatic exchange unfolded on Thursday as Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to messages from Greek political leaders marking the annual Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor, observed on September 14.In a strongly worded statement, the Turkish ministry described the Greek claims as “unfounded and outrageous,” emphasizing that such references contradict “historical facts.” It urged Greece to avoid actions that could “incite hostility between the two nations.”Earlier in the day, Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas commemorated the National Day of Remembrance, stating, “Today we remember the genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor, following a historical presence of over 3,000 years. We honor the memory of the thousands of Greeks who were killed....

A new opinion poll by Alco shows that most Greeks believe the government attempted to cover up aspects of the Tempi train crash, highlighting continuing public anger three years after the tragedy. The survey, presented on Tuesday night, found strong dissatisfaction among citizens with how the government handled the disaster and revealed persistent distrust toward state institutions. Majority believe there was a cover-up According to the findings, between 67% and 72% of respondents believe the government tried to conceal aspects of the Tempi case. The result reflects continuing public scepticism toward the handling of the investigation. At the same time, 73% of respondents said they do not believe the people truly responsible for the disaster will be punished, reinforcing perceptions of im...

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis has just presented a plan on how to deal with the country's growing water scarcity problem during a special meeting at the Maximou Mansion. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The national plan addresses the urgent need for reform, with the aim of preparing Greece for the major challenges of the next 30 years. Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that water is and will remain a public good and a resource of vital importance and that it must be treated as such. The meeting included a detailed presentation of scientific data, which clearly shows the magnitude of the problem the climate crisis is causing in all Mediterranean countries, tak...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is heading toward a new general election, two days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right New Democracy party won a victory in a national vote but failed to clinch a majority in parliament. A power-sharing deal was put mathematically out of reach Tuesday, after the main opposition party formally received — and summarily rejected — an invitation to try and form the country's next government. Mitsotakis had swiftly ruled out seeking a coalition, opting instead for a second election, expected on June 25. That would introduce a change in the electoral system that favors the winning party and likely hand him an outright victory. The 55-year-old Mitsotakis won just over 40% of the vote Sunday, hammering his main opponent by 20 points. He has promised ...