Politics

The annual wealth declarations of Greece’s political class have been published, offering a glimpse into the personal finances of the country’s leaders. Covering income, assets, real estate, vehicles, loans, and investments, the so-called “pothen esches” statements are intended to promote transparency and accountability.This year’s disclosures, released by the Parliament’s audit committee, include filings for the financial years 2022 and 2023 from the prime minister, party leaders, cabinet members, MPs, MEPs, and other elected officials.The wealthiest political leader is Stefanos Kasselakis, currently leading political party Movement for Democracy. His 2024 declaration (covering the 2023 financial year) lists an income of 1.75 million US dollars, along with 3.77 million dollars in shares, r...

Greece’s government is preparing to strip municipalities of their control over local planning departments, known as Urban Planning Services, and place them under the national land registry (Ktimatologio) from 2026. The plan, announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Thessaloniki International Fair, has triggered an open confrontation with local authorities.Under the proposal, responsibilities for issuing and checking building permits would be removed from municipalities and centralized in the Ktimatologio, which collects all geospatial data on property in Greece. The government argues the change will streamline procedures, reduce corruption, and bring planning and land records into a single digital framework.The move would also involve shifting the Ktimatologio from the Minist...

The five-day debate in the Greek Parliament over the 2026 state budget concludes today, culminating in speeches by the leaders of all political parties and closing with an address by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. A roll-call vote will follow, with the budget expected—as is customary—to pass with the votes of the governing majority.Despite moments of confrontation between government and opposition MPs, the discussion unfolded in relatively mild, almost subdued tones. Attendance in the chamber was thin across nearly all parties, reinforcing the sense of a debate that never quite caught fire. Today, however, marks its climax, as party leaders take the floor and the prime minister delivers the final word.Farmers, subsidies and structural reformWith the agricultural issue remaining the mo...

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Tsipras outlined the “next day” for Greece. Credit: Greek Reporter Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented his political memoir Ithaki (Ithaca) on Wednesday evening at the Pallas Theater in Athens in an event that reflected on his years in office but also signaled his intentions to form a new party. Tsipras used the presentation to outline the “next day” for Greece, emphasizing the urgent need for a new mindset and a different collective political culture. His message focused on reinvigorating citizen engagement in politics. His address delivered a full-frontal critique of the conservative government, calling for “resistance to the absolutism of the oligarchy and kleptocracy that governs today.” Image of Alexis Tsipras. Credit: Greek Reporter Tsipras defended his record in gover...

Among the highlights of Alexis Tsipras’ much-anticipated political memoir “Ithaki” (Ithaca), released on Monday, are the former prime minister’s two visits to Russia – one to Moscow and one to St Petersburg – along with his broader contacts with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin during the first half of 2015. Regarding his first visit to Moscow in April 2015, Tsipras notes that, on the one hand, “the Russian political leadership maintained reservations about the benefits that any outreach by the Greek government to Moscow would offer them.” On the other hand, he himself prepared for the trip “fully aware of the international context,” aiming, as he writes, to strengthen Greece’s negotiating hand vis-à-vis its creditors. In that first delegation – which, as Tsipras recount...

In tune with Turkish media reports, the Turkish Defense Ministry (MoD) released a statement taking umbrage with the Greek Minister of defense, Nikos Dendias, over his remarks regarding Greece’s military plan to safeguard the Aegean Sea.Without mentioning the Greek politician by name, the Turkish MoD states it is “closely following all developments in our region, including military activities of our neighboring country, Greece. As we always stress, ensuring the region, including the Aegean Sea, remains a zone of peace and stability is a top priority of our country.”The statement underlines that Turkey is fulfilling its obligations to that end, adding, “We [Turkey] expect Greece to demonstrate a similar constructive stance.”Referring indirectly but clearly to Dendias, the Turkish Ministry of...

Greece’s new ministers in key portfolios were sworn in at the Presidential Mansion on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ordered a cabinet reshuffle. The move, in a bid to address his New Democracy party’s declining trend in polls, follows the recent mass protests and a no-confidence vote the government survived last week. The no-confidence vote was put forward by the opposition over the handling of the deadly Tempi 2023 rail disaster and last week’s mass protests across the country. According to polls, most Greeks believe the government has tried to cover up the case and protect those responsible for the train crash. Mitsotakis said during the first cabinet meeting of his new team that the motto of the reshuffle is “faster and bolder”, while government spokesman and ...

Greece enters 2026 facing a pivotal twelve months that will effectively serve as the country’s long pre-election campaign, with social discontent and internal party friction threatening to reshape the political map before the next national vote. For Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, this is the final full year to govern before the election cycle formally opens.  The administration faces a convergence of structural crises: persistent inflation, a housing shortage that has alienated the middle class, and a credibility crisis in the agricultural sector following the OPEKEPE subsidies scandal. Internal pressure within the ruling New Democracy party is also mounting.  Former Prime Ministers Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras are expected to maintain distinct, often critical lines, part...

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