Politics

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs is getting ready to lodge a formal diplomatic protest with the Israeli ambassador to Greece, Noam Katz, according to information from in.gr. The move came after the release of a video showing Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocking participants of the Gaza Sumud flotilla and calling them “terrorists.”The protest followed a joint statement by four opposition parties -PASOK, SYRIZA, New Left, and Course of Freedom- which condemned Israel’s handling of the flotilla. They described the operation as a breach of international law and maritime conventions, urging the Greek government to take “all necessary steps” to secure the release and safe repatriation of its citizens. A few hours earlier, Alexis Haritsis, president of the New Left, re...

The Greek Parliament has opened its new session with a crowded legislative calendar that promises weeks of political confrontation. Lawmakers will debate a series of measures ranging from labor reform to defense modernization, before turning in December to the country’s 2026 budget.The most divisive proposal so far comes from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Introduced by Minister Niki Kerameus, the bill includes a provision for a 13-hour workday for certain sectors, drawing swift condemnation from opposition parties and labor representatives. The measure is now under committee review. This week in Parliament there has already been heated debate with opposition MP and former Minister of Labor Efi Achtsioglou, accusing Niki Kerameus of using the governor of the independent Labor I...

File photo. Greece on Friday issued a sharp response to comments by Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, who accused Athens of pursuing “cheap politics,” with its top diplomat insisting the country will not accept instructions from Ankara. “Greece neither has phobic syndromes nor defines itself in reference to Turkey. And we do not accept instructions from anyone,” Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said. He added that Greece’s assertive foreign policy should be respected. “We understand the tension that may be caused by Greece’s strong and active foreign policy. Let everyone become familiar with this reality and not turn embarrassment into hostility,” he said, noting that good-neighborly relations “are not promoted by intemperate and u...

Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's former finance minister, is embroiled in controversy as he faces charges for past drug use. The charges stem from his public admission on a podcast that he tried ecstasy in 1989. His political party, Mera25, claims the charges are an attempt by Greece's conservative government to silence him.Varoufakis, known for his outspoken and unconventional approach during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations, described his ecstasy experience as 'terrific' but noted subsequent migraines. He also admitted to past marijuana use. The charges have stirred political tensions, sparking debates on the judiciary's role in political matters.Mera25 has condemned the charges, viewing them as a targeted effort to discredit Varoufakis. They emphasize their commitment to addressi...

Katerina Monogiou emphasizes that Greece stands at a pivotal crossroads, where the choices made today will determine the nation’s future strength and resilience. With New Democracy’s clear vision centered on economic stability, social cohesion, and national security, she underscores the importance of building a state that is both competitive and inclusive. As the elected representative of the Cyclades, she is deeply committed to ensuring that the islands are not only heard but also actively shaping the country’s progress. Monogiou believes that Greece’s advancement depends on unity, hard work, and forward-thinking policies that create opportunities for every citizen, regardless of region or background. For her, politics is not a series of formalities, speeches, or legislative proced...

Referring to “unwarranted worriers” who “live with a defeatist persecution mania,” Mitsotakis emphasized: “Greece exercises its sovereign rights in practice, not just in words, and is becoming the main entry and distribution hub for natural gas to all countries in Central and Eastern Europe.” “Some ‘professional worriers’ should not be unsettled, nor should they pretend to find traps in contractual clauses designed to safeguard the State against potential claims from companies,” he added. The Prime Minister further stressed that “those who still live with a defeatist persecution mania should consider that, so far, only Turkey—and unfortunately, some of our own—oppose the country’s national course, at a time when the Foreign Minister is in Washington for the second time in a year meet...

Greek political parties have clashed over the affair for years, as an expanding list of cases revealed the highly invasive surveillance tool on the phones of opposition politicians, government ministers, military officials, journalists and business executives. The Greek government has denied using the illegal spyware. On Thursday, the court found four defendants guilty of “breaching the confidentiality of telephone communications,” “tampering with a personal-data filing system … on a repeated basis,” and “illegal access to an information system or data.” Those convicted include Tal Dilian, a former Israeli military officer and founder of Intellexa; his business partner Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou; Felix Bitzios, a former deputy administrator and shareholder of Intellexa; and Yianni...

Political assassinations that shook ancient Greece. Alexander the Great bids his army farewell while dying, by Carl Theodor von Piloty (c. 1886). Credit: Unknown photographer, via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain The Hellenistic period was a veritable cauldron of ambition, betrayal, and sheer bloodlust. It was an era marked by dramatic power struggles and ruthless political maneuvers. Political assassinations that shook ancient Greece were both shocking and strategic, shaping the course of history. Here are some of the most famous ones. Philip of Macedon  Philip II of Macedon— Alexander the Great’s father—met his end at a wedding in Aegae, celebrating the nuptials of his dear daughter, Cleopatra. Enter Pausanias, a member of Philip’s very own bodyguard, who, driven by grievances both perso...

As “common sense” he described what he said on Tuesday about Nikos Dendias the parliamentary representative of the New Democracy, Makarios Lazaridis, stressing in his statements today that “we should all be very careful that statements that can sometimes even be misinterpreted do not pour water into the mill of an introversion that leads nowhere”. “What I said is common sense; I said that when we are first class executives and we are fighting for something, for that to happen there are problems. When there are problems and you are a first-class executive, before you say them in public, you have discussed them in the institutions and you have done your self-criticism,” he told SKAI. He claimed that “there is no grumbling. Mr. Dendias said a word more” and added that “for me, 3 is not a reas...

For the second time in less than a year, Greece’s Foreign Minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, is set to cross the threshold of the U.S. State Department for talks with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, at a particularly critical juncture for the international community.Although the meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, was officially announced only yesterday as an extraordinary development, it had in fact been in preparation for several days. With an eye firmly on the upcoming Greece–U.S. Strategic Dialogue, the two foreign ministers first spoke by phone nearly four weeks ago, on January 30. That conversation focused on the excellent state of bilateral relations and preparations for the sixth round of the Hellenic–American Strategic Dialogue, expected to take place in Athens by late spring.As ...