Politics

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Popular Greek singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos, known for his allegorical and deeply poetic lyrics that commented on Greek politics, identity and society, has died. He was 80. A prominent figure on the Greek cultural and intellectual scene, Savvopoulos died Tuesday night, his family announced on his official social media account. The musician had been hospitalized in recent days, and had been battling cancer for several years. Known by his nickname Nionios — a commonly used nickname for Dionysis — Savvopoulos rose to prominence in the 1960s, gaining national fame with his subtly revolutionary songs during the 1967-1974 military dictatorship. He w...

Yanis Varoufakis is a Greek economist and the leader of the DiEM25, the left-wing, pan-European political alliance that he co-founded in 2016 with the Croatian philosopher Srećko Horvat with the aim of “democratising Europe”. Varoufakis came to prominence as Greece’s finance minister during the 2015 eurozone crisis and has since authored several best-selling economics books, most famously Adults in the Room: My Battle with Europe’s Deep Establishment, which was turned into a movie by the Oscar-winning film director Costa-Gavras in 2019. Here, he speaks to Equal Times about his last title, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism (Vintage, 2024), which chronicles the epochal shift wrought by Big Tech, and what can be done to counter it. Your book argues that we live in a new “technofeudalist...

According to Greek law, only the country's parliament can investigate allegations of misconduct against former ministers. Karamanlis maintained his innocence during the debate but requested to be referred both to the committee and subsequently to the judicial authorities. There were three separate proposals for investigating the rail disaster: New Democracy’s proposal targeted only Karamanlis and only on felony charges; the main opposition Pasok’s proposal named eight political figures; a third proposal, submitted by citizens including a victim’s relative and supported by smaller parties and independent lawmakers, targeted 11 political figures, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, with charges of high treason. The proposal by the ruling party, which holds the majo...

The Greek government has sought to strengthen the Hellenic Air Force in response to Turkey, which appears on track to rejoin the F-35 Lightning II program in the near future. On Tuesday, the Hellenic Air Force received the latest updated F-16 Fighting Falcon, following the aircraft’s receipt of the “Viper” upgrade. It was the 42nd Fighting Falcon to be upgraded over the past two years via a partnership between Lockheed Martin and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), the largest aviation firm in Greece. It also marks the halfway point for the ongoing program, which calls for its entire fleet of F-16s to receive the upgrade, with the goal of completing the work by 2027. “The F-16 Viper enhances interoperability within NATO, improves operational effectiveness, and strengthens Greece’s...

In New York’s mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy has ignited debate across the city’s immigrant communities, and the Greek-American community is no exception. Like many New Yorkers, they are divided between those who welcome his progressive vision and those who fear the economic turbulence it might bring.Mamdani, the 34-year-old state assemblyman from Astoria and self-described democratic socialist, has built his campaign around the theme of affordability: rent freezes, higher taxes on the wealthy, free childcare, free buses and expanded public services. His message has struck a chord with younger Greek Americans who see him as a champion for working families squeezed by rising costs and stagnant wages.Dr. Hara Vamvouri told Ethnikos Kirikas (The National Herald) that Mamdani’s appea...

Ruling New Democracy remains the Greece’s leading political force, according to a new opinion poll conducted by Interview for the newspaper Political, which also gauges public attitudes toward potential new political initiatives involving former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, Maria Karystianou — the mother of a victim of the Tempi rail disaster — and Pavlos De Grèce, son of Greece’s former king, Constantine II.According to the survey’s findings, if national elections were held today, nine parties would enter parliament. New Democracy would come first with 31.9%, holding a 17.9-percentage-point lead over PASOK, which follows in second place with 14%.Course of Freedom (Plefsi Eleftherias) ranks third with 8.3%, followed by Greek Solution (Elliniki Lysi) at 7.3% and the Communist Party (KKE) ...

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Ι will be among the guests at an official reception in Ankara on Wednesday evening hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in honor of visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.According to a relevant announcement a day earlier, the official dinner will take place at the Beştepe presidential mansion in the Turkish capital.During his brief stay in Ankara, His All Holiness Bartholomew, the primus inter pares of the world’s Christian Orthodox Patriarchs, will be accompanied by the Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon, His Eminence Emmanuel. The hierarchs are expected to return to Istanbul late in the evening.Mitsotakis is heading up a large Greek government delegation comprised of several ministers for the latest convening of the high-level coopera...

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to meet a delegation of livestock farmers at the Maximos Mansion in Athens on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. The meeting, long anticipated, will focus on the ongoing challenges posed by a recent outbreak affecting goats and sheep. Farmers are expected to present specific requests for income support, reflecting broader concerns over sector stability. Authorities have emphasized that tackling the outbreak requires strict adherence to scientifically backed measures rather than choosing between vaccination or biosecurity alone. This approach involves coordinated action from the Ministry of Rural Development, regional authorities, the police, and the coast guard. Ahead of the meeting, farmers in Serres staged a demonstration with tractors, rallying under...

Maria Karystianou, a paediatrician and mother of one of the victims of the Tempi train crash, announced in a TV interview that she is founding a new political party. The party aims to channel the widespread discontent many citizens feel towards the political system. According to a recent poll, Karystianou's popularity stands at 33 percent — ahead of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (26 percent) and all other leading politicians in Greece. Maria Karystianou in her role as president of the association of families of Tempi victims on the second anniversary of the train crash, 28 February 2025. (© picture-alliance/dpa) Attractive to those who feel left behind and marginalised The online news site Liberal notes that Karystianou has broad appeal: “She has vehemently brought 'j...

Edi Rama Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted to the statement made to Greek-American journalist John Defterios at the Summit held in Abu Dhabi, which attracted the attention of Greek media and politics. In his reaction, Rama emphasizes that the statement was taken out of context, emphasizing that it was part of a joke.  Rama expressed surprise at the media reaction in Athens, while emphasizing that Greece is an irreplaceable neighbor for Albania.  The Prime Minister, in response to the reactions, declared that there is no doubt about the origins of ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, adding that Ancient Greece is the cradle of European civilization.  "I am amazed by the reaction of some media outlets in Athens and some tired Greek politicians regarding my not at all tendenti...