Politics

The Greek Parliament is set to vote later today on an emergency legislative act aimed at cushioning the impact of surging energy prices, as the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis seeks to contain the economic fallout from the ongoing war in the Middle East.The measures, introduced as fast-track legal provisions, include fuel subsidies, broader efforts to address rising living costs, and targeted support for the agricultural sector. Among the latter are interventions linked to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on the island of Lesbos, highlighting the government’s attempt to address overlapping crises.Government defends “realistic” approachGovernment officials have framed the package as a “balanced response while respecting fiscal limits”. Speaking on behalf of the Finance Ministry, Depu...

Türkiye and Greece held the 9th round of the Türkiye–Greece Positive Agenda Joint Action Plan discussions on Wednesday in Athens, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay and Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Haris Theoharis, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. According to the ministry’s social media statement, delegations from both countries reviewed progress made since the previous meeting in Ankara and discussed potential new areas of cooperation to be added to the ongoing Positive Agenda framework. A joint written statement released after the talks said the two deputy ministers welcomed advancements across a wide range of sectors under the Joint Action Plan, including trade, economy, customs, tourism, transport, innovation, science and technology, agriculture, environmental...

Greece’s governing party, New Democracy, retains a clear electoral advantage, even as public dissatisfaction with economic conditions and daily life remains widespread, according to a new opinion poll released this week.The survey, conducted by Metron Analysis for the TV boradcaster MEGA, suggests that while the political balance of power has not shifted dramatically, frustration with both the government and the opposition runs deep, while a large bloc of undecided voters could yet reshape the landscape.In the poll’s vote estimate, New Democracy stands at 29.4%, gaining nearly one percentage point compared with the firm’s January survey. The center-left PASOK trails far behind at 12.7%. Close behind are Plefsi Eleftherias at 11.2% and Elliniki Lysi at 10.9%. The Communist Party of Greece (...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged continued support for households facing rising costs, as his government prepares fresh fuel subsidies and broader relief measures amid the fallout from tensions in the Middle East.In his weekly social media briefing, Mitsotakis said authorities are working to launch the “Fuel Pass” subsidy platform within days, with payments expected before mid-month. The package, worth about €300 million, includes targeted interventions on fuel, fertilizers and ferry tickets for April and May, with expanded income criteria expected to cover roughly three in four households.He said a cap on profit margins for fuel and key supermarket goods will remain in place through June, while reiterating that the government would “stand by every Greek citizen” as it has ...

MeRA25 leader and former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has confirmed that he has been summoned to police headquarters in Athens for questioning over remarks about past drug use made during a recent podcast appearance. In a post on X, Varoufakis said two police officers visited his home to serve the summons, ordering him to appear before the narcotics police. He said he has been called in not as a witness, but as a suspect, describing the development as “news that would have been hilarious if it weren’t so scary.” Varoufakis said the investigation stems from comments he made on a podcast organized by young people and focused on issues concerning Generation Z. During the discussion, he was asked whether he had ever used drugs. “Determined not to do a Bill Clinton (remember the laughable ...

Greece’s government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis has dismissed speculation about early elections, saying the next national vote will be held in 2027 as scheduled.Speaking to Real FM, a Greek radio station, Marinakis said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “does not even entertain” such scenarios. “Even if someone suggested it, it would be rejected outright,” he said.Marinakis linked the rejection of early elections to what he described as a need for stability, pointing to heightened uncertainty stemming from the war in the Middle East. “At a time like this, stability is in short supply, and it is what countries need most,” he said, arguing that political continuity is essential both economically and more broadly.Government line on the economyHe also pointed to improvements in economic ind...

Outspoken MP Zoe Konstantopoulou appears to be the most popular politician in Greece at the moment, according to the latest poll caried out by research firm MRB.The survey, carried out between December 4 and 12, found Konstantopoulou ranking second behind Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis among respondents who were asked to select the most suitable politician to serve as prime minister. Mitsotakis led with 24.1%.Konstantopoulou’s rise in popularity is attributed largely to her widely viewed TikTok videos covering an ongoing parliamentary investigation into the OPEKEPE farm subsidy scandal.When asked which party they would support if elections were held soon, 22.6 percent of respondents favored the ruling New Democracy (ND), followed by PASOK at 10.9%. Meanwhile, 44.8% of those surveyed be...

Trying to avoid resignation, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insisted on Monday (8 August) that he was unaware that Socialist Party (PASOK) leader Nikos Androulakis’ phone had been tapped, seeking to distance himself from a growing eavesdropping scandal. The case, which broke last week, has sparked uproar, with opposition parties demanding a thorough investigation and labelling the revelations a ‘Watergate’ that should cost Mitsotakis’ post. The prime minister, whose party faces a battle for re-election next year, apologised to Androulakis on Saturday, saying he had no knowledge of the intelligence service tap and would not have approved it. On Monday, Mitsotakis added in a televised address: “What took place may have been lawful, but it was a mistake. I did not know, and obviousl...

The ruins of the Temple of Athena Nike, 427-424 BC. Credit: Thanos Matanis, Greek Reporter The roots of Western governments can be traced back to over two millennia to the Athenian democracy of ancient Greece. In ancient Athens, the Greeks devised a system of government that handed power to its citizens in unprecedented ways and paved the way to modern democracies and republics as we know them today. But how did Athenian democracy with its groundbreaking principles of citizen participation in public affairs change the course of history? Cleisthenes and reforms that gave birth to Athenian democracy The birth of Athenian democracy was an event in history like no other. It did not evolve overnight but rather emerged as a structured response against the ever-declining powers of aristocracy...

Greece and Turkey can manage their relations bilaterally without intermediaries such as the United States, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, amid growing domestic opposition ahead of his visit to Ankara later this month. The remarks come amid growing concern in Greece that Turkey’s role in Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, the sidelining of the United Nations and Trump’s close ties with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan risk fuelling a backlash against Greek foreign policy, long anchored in international law. “Under no circumstances do I believe – a view I think Turkey also shares – that we need an arbitrator or mediator to discuss matters that concern our two countries,” Mitsotakis told Skai TV. The Greek leader added that Athens maintains strategic relations not only with the Trump a...