Politics

The Greek government has reaffirmed its support for Cyprus and emphasized the importance of the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project, amid rising tensions over its viability and cost-sharing. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the project will move forward only if financial and technical concerns are resolved and its sustainability is not in question. “This is a project that will benefit Cyprus,” Marinakis said during a briefing with journalists. “The money cannot be behind only one side.” Tensions escalated after Cypriot media reported that Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) filed an objection with Cyprus’s energy regulator over a decision allowing cost recovery of €25 million in 2025. The report claimed ADMIE is seeking €251 million for expen...

The Greek government is moving ahead with plans to establish a ‘Pharmaceutical Innovation Fund’. Although anticipated, the mechanism described in the proposed legislation has raised industry concerns, primarily due to the country’s stifling pharmaceutical market environment. Greek health minister Adonis Georgiadis presented the draft law during Monday’s ministerial council, following its circulation to pharmaceutical companies. While the fund’s stated objective is to ensure accelerated patient access to innovative therapies, companies warn that unresolved issues with its financing model and cost-sharing mechanisms could undermine participation. “The primary aim of an innovation fund is to strengthen the country’s attractiveness for the early launch of advanced medicinal and priority therap...

A new opinion poll in Greece suggests an electorate marked by fatigue and caution, reluctant to embrace new political ventures even as dissatisfaction with the political system remains pronounced.The survey, conducted by Interview for the Greek news website politic.gr, focuses primarily on voting intention and projected election outcomes, while also gauging public reaction to two high-profile scenarios: the recent announcement of a new political party by Maria Karystianou and speculation about a possible new party led by Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s former prime minister.A Stable Lead Amid UncertaintyAccording to the poll, the governing center-right New Democracy party continues to hold a clear lead in voting intention, followed by the center-left PASOK party. Other parties trail at significan...

File photo. Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday evening that the end of the president of Venezuela Nicholas Maduro “regime offers new hope for the country,” in a post on X, adding that “priority must now be to ensure a peaceful and speedy transition to a new inclusive government that enjoys full democratic legitimacy.” “Nicholas Maduro presided over a brutal and repressive dictatorship that brought about unimaginable suffering on the Venezuelan people. The end of his regime offers new hope for the country,” Mitsotakis’ post reads, adding that “this is not the time to comment on the legality of the recent actions.” “The priority must now be to ensure a peaceful and speedy transition to a new inclusive government that ...

Something strange has been happening in Greece: animals are appearing out of nowhere. Between 2016 and 2022, the sheep population on the island of Crete more than doubled. Or so claim Greek state records, which, over a similar period, reveal other curious trends across the country. The slopes of Mount Olympus are said to be swaddled with banana plantations, high-security military airports have been turned over to olive trees, and pasture for goats and lambs now extends off the land and out into the crystalline depths of the surrounding seas.All these claims are as ludicrous as they are lucrative, and they point to an embarrassing scandal that is roiling Greek politics: the revelation that for years, enormous sums of EU funds were being pocketed by individuals claiming them as subsidies for...

Greece’s ruling centre-right New Democracy party accused the far-right Voice of Reason party of aligning with the EU far right, particularly Viktor Orbán, whom they say is harmful to the country’s interests on migration. After the EU elections, the Voice of Reason party led by MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou joined the far-right EU group Patriots for Europe. At a press conference on Tuesday, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis rejected calls for “Orbán-style” solutions on migration, describing them as catastrophic for the country’s interests. Referring to the Greek far right, he hinted that those “who supposedly want the good of Greece and want to solve the migration issue” cannot be affiliated with Orbán. “Orbán’s position in Europe is disastrous for Greece. If the views of these countr...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers an annual economic policy speech, at the International Fair of Thessaloniki Credit: Nikos Arvanitidis / AMNA Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, unveiled sweeping income tax cuts worth €1.6 billion ($1.88 billion) during his annual economic policy speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair. The reforms target families with children, young workers, homeowners, and retirees, as the government seeks to counter a prolonged cost of living crisis and declining public approval. “Fiscal stability is the foundation of our policy,” Greek PM Mitsotakis said, stressing that growth dividends should return to citizens through lower taxes rather than handouts. He noted that his administration has already eliminated 72 levies and pledged the ...

The Greek Parliament opened its plenary session Thursday in a somber atmosphere, holding a minute of silence to honor the victims of two tragedies that have shaken the country.Addressing the chamber, Vice President Georgios Georgantas said the consecutive losses had “crushed the country and society,” speaking on behalf of the Parliament’s leadership and lawmakers.The minute of silence honored the five female employees who lost their lives following an explosion and subsequent fire at the Violanta cookie factory in Trikala. Referring to the incident, Georgantas said the tragedy was a stark reminder that workplace safety must be treated as fundamental and non-negotiable.The observance also paid tribute to seven young Greek fans of PAOK who were killed in a tragic traffic accident in Romania....

Pavlos Bakoyannis was assassinated by terrorists on September 26, 1989. Public domain It was September 26, 1989 when former publisher and New Democracy MP Pavlos Bakoyannis was assassinated by three members of the November 17 terrorist group outside his office in downtown Athens. It was a dastardly crime which shook Greece’s political world to its very core. The year 1989 had already proved to be a turbulent one for Greece. After eight years of rule by PASOK, the New Democracy Party won two national elections in June and November of 1989, but in neither one had it gained the absolute majority needed to govern. An “Ecumenical Government” was finally formed on November 23, under Prime Minister Professor Xenophon Zolotas, who was supported by New Democracy, PASOK and the Coalition of the ...

A growing debate has emerged in Greece over whether protests near the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Athens undermine its sanctity — a controversy that, according to government sources, appears to have been sparked more by social media pressure than by institutional decision-making. During a meeting at the Presidential Palace on Monday, President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appeared to differ subtly on how the issue should be handled. Their exchange suggested that the decision to limit protests near the monument may have been made hastily, without full consultation with key ministers, including the Ministry of National Defence. In a pointed contrast, Mr. Tasoulas — who notably does not own a smartphone — urged for calm reflection and di...