Politics

Greek authorities arrested Nikos Papadopoulos, a far-right MP with the Niki party, after artworks in Athens’s National Gallery were vandalized. Papadopoulos has been released from custody since his arrest on March 10, according to Ekathimerini. Papadopoulos was accused of damaging four artworks by Christoforos Katsadiotis, three of them resembling religious icons. On X, Papadopoulos denounced the artworks, writing that he attempted to take down “four sacrilegious images” when he took them off the wall and threw them. Related Articles But Papadopoulos claimed that he did not vandalize any works, and per Ekathimerini, Papadopoulos’s lawyer has alleged that the politician was “unlawfully detained.” According to Papadopou...

Greek centre-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided today to reshuffle the cabinet as his New Democracy party’s free fall in polls continues. The government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote last week put forward by the opposition over an alleged cover-up of a deadly train crash that killed 57 people, mostly young people. According to polls, most Greeks believe the government is shielding the politicians responsible for the train crash. With the reshuffle, Mitsotakis is attempting a reset as the parliamentary debate over the crash is expected to escalate. Background brief: The train accident that could crash Greece’s government Hundreds of thousands of Greeks are expected to take to the streets across the country… 5 minutes A right-wing ...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s center-right government on Saturday welcomed a credit rating upgrade by Moody’s, the last major ratings agency to lift junk status on government bonds that began 15 years ago during a severe debt crisis.“(This) upgrade marks the closing of a great cycle for the Greek economy and certifies the country’s return to European normality,” Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said, describing the action as “a success not only of the government, but of all Greeks.”Moody’s announced the upgrade to Baa3 from Ba1 late Friday. It cited public finances that “have improved more quickly than we had expected” as a key factor in its decision.The agency highlighted the government’s policy stance, institutional improvements and stable political environment, saying it expects Gree...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ cabinet reshuffle has been described by New Democracy insiders as a ‘major renewal’, providing opportunities for a new generation of leaders. According to officials, the government is shifting towards a younger and more technocratic approach, aiming for greater efficiency and faster decision-making.Kostis Hatzidakis, former Minister of Finance and now Deputy Prime Minister, has been assigned a broader coordinating role, overseeing economic and production-related ministries. At the same time, Akis Skertsos, Greece’s Minister of State, will handle social and institutional affairs, in addition to his general government coordination responsibilities.The crucial role of linking economic policy and fiscal achievements with everyday life for Greek citizen...

Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of Plefsi Eleftherias, is the new firebrand in Greek politics as opinion polls put her party second after ruling New Democracy. Credit: AMNA Zoe Konstantopoulou is the new rising star in Greek politics, having secured second place in popularity within a month, following the governing New Democracy party. Greece has been in political turmoil since the February 28 mass rally when hundreds of thousands of Greeks protested nationwide and abroad demanding accountability and justice for the death of 57 (mostly young) people who were killed in the Tempi railway disaster on February 28, 2023. The number of disgruntled citizens and the no-confidence motion for the Kyriakos Mitsotakis government that followed the rally shook the ruling party, forcing a rushed cabinet resh...

The Tempe tragedy has unleashed a wave of public discontent, exposing deep frustration with the government’s actions—or lack thereof—over recent years. In its wake, an unexpected political shift has emerged, reshaping the landscape in surprising ways. The small leftist party Course for Freedom, once hovering around 4% in support just months ago, has surged to approximately 14% in the latest polls, securing second place. This rapid rise has thrust the party, centered entirely on the dynamic and polarizing figure of Zoe Konstantopoulou, into the spotlight as a formidable contender. Konstantopoulou, widely known simply as Zoe, founded Course for Freedom after breaking away from SYRIZA in late 2015. A former speaker of the Greek Parliament, she has long been a commanding presence, and he...

“[T]he executive director of Frontex has said that he expects all these recommendations to be implemented. Otherwise, he would consider reducing or cutting funding for co-financed assets,” said Chris Borowski, spokesman for the EU border agency Frontex. Those co-financed assets refer to a number of Greek coast guard vessels. Officials from the Greek coast guard and Greek government did not respond to a request for a comment. In January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found Greek authorities guilty of conducting systematic pushbacks of migrants, and violating human rights law in the process. The EU has previously called on Greece to investigate allegations of migrants being abandoned at sea and deportations by its authorities. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis rece...

By&nbspEuronews Published on 07/10/2025 - 12:14 GMT+2 Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has resigned from his parliamentary seat, fuelling speculation that he will form a new political party. In his announcement on Monday, Tsipras said he was stepping down as a Syriza member of parliament, but "not resigning from political activism". "I cannot, and I do not want to, formally participate in a parliament that, democratically stripped bare, mainly at the responsibility of the majority, is unable to perform the role that the constitution prescribes and the citizens demand," he said in a statement. Later on Monday, the leftist told his former colleagues: "We will not be rivals. And perhaps soon we will trave...

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu joke prior to signing bilateral agreements, during a meeting in Athens, Greece, on April 14, 2025. [Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters] The close defense relations between France and Greece were affirmed Monday during the visit of French Minister of Defense Sebastien Lecornu. In practical terms, the two countries signed a 33-million-euro agreement for the procurement of 16 French-built Exocet anti-ship missiles and, specifically, the more advanced version MM40 Block 3. They will complement the existing, earlier makes of Exocet now in Greece’s gunboats. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias told Lecornu that he will propose the activation of the option to buy a fourth advanced French-built frigate. Pre...

The ancient Greek orator Dio Chrysostom (1st-2nd century CE) said in his speech To the People of Alexandria that there were two kinds of democracy: one good and one bad. According to Dio, one form of democracy “is reasonable and gentle and truly mild”. It allows for free speech. It is fair, magnanimous and respectful of good people and good advice. But Dio continues with darker words about democracy: The more prevalent kind of democracy is bold and arrogant, difficult to please in anything, fastidious, resembling tyrants or much worse, seeing that its vice is not that of one individual or of one kind but a jumble of the vices of thousands; and so it is a multifarious and dreadful beast. In the modern world, there are many arguments about the nature of democracy, and many words both ...