Politics

Seeing an increase in fuel prices within a few days and not only, in the context of international tensions and the crisis in the Middle East, the Greek government announced emergency measures to curb them as well as the phenomena of unjustified profits. The main measure is to place a ceiling on the profit margin for fuel, food and basic consumer goods, as announced by Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis during his emergency meeting with the country's president. "We are sending a clear message that this economic turbulence should not lead to speculation for profit, which would exacerbate an already existing problem. Therefore, today maximum profit margin limits are announced for fuel and supermarket products," said Prime Minister Mitsotakis. Later, in a press conference, the country's Deputy Pr...

AbstractMotivated by our EU funded ERA chair projects, that require proposing reforms to yield the Greek academic system more competitive with a particular emphasis on fostering brain gain and preventing brain drain, we propose policy changes on a wide range of topics, based on our joint academic management experience inside and outside of Greece in conjunction with our diverse backgrounds in the humanities, computer science, and the life sciences. The proposed reforms can contribute to increase the competitiveness of Greece in research and development (R & D). We classify proposals by their associated costs and include a plethora of zero cost proposals that do have the potential to increase efficiency and net research time as well as to improve current working conditions in Greek acad...

A change to Greece’s child custody laws, passed quietly just before Christmas, has drawn growing political and media attention after it emerged that the first person to use the new provision was a sitting cabinet minister involved in a divorce case.The amendment was approved on Dec. 19 as part of a broad bill transferring OPEKEPE, the troubled state agency responsible for managing European Union agricultural subsidies, to Greece’s independent tax authority, AADE. Included among dozens of unrelated articles, the custody provision initially attracted little notice before becoming the focus of closer scrutiny.The issue came into sharper focus with the involvement of Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, who co-signed the bill while in the midst of contentious divorce proceedings with her former...

A delegation of Greek political and civic representatives concluded a series of institutional meetings in Ontario this week with provincial officials, economic stakeholders and diaspora organizations in a visit aimed at strengthening ties between local authorities in southern Greece and the Greek community in Canada while exploring cooperation in tourism and technology. The delegation traveled to Toronto at the invitation of the Pan-Messinian Federation of the United States and Canada and the Pan-Messinian Association of Toronto “Papaflessas–Hypapanti,” under the leadership of their president, George Vlahakis. The visit brought together representatives of local government in the Greek region of Messinia and members of cultural institutions, reflecting a broader effort to deepen institution...

Greece has reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of navigation and diplomatic solutions in the Middle East, amid rising regional tensions. Speaking at the Foreign Affairs Council, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasized the country’s support for international law, civilian protection, and peaceful conflict resolution. Addressing the strategic importance of maritime routes, Gerapetritis stressed that Greece advocates for the unrestricted passage of all ships in the region and called on Iran to respect international maritime law. He highlighted that the European-led operation “Aspides” is already active, involving two EU member states, to support these objectives. Gerapetritis also underscored Greece’s solidarity with affected countries in the Gulf region and reaffirmed suppo...

The Greek government is facing growing pressure over rising fuel and food prices as lawmakers prepare to debate a temporary cap on profit margins in the energy and retail sectors. The measure is expected to be submitted for approval in parliament on March 19.Officials in Maximos Mansion, the office of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, are closely monitoring the impact of price increases on household budgets, amid fears that inflation could undermine the government’s economic narrative of gradually improving incomes.Profit Cap on Fuel and Supermarket GoodsThe temporary measure, introduced through emergency legislation, places limits on profit margins for businesses in the fuel supply chain and applies to dozens of supermarket products.Under the regulation, fuel stations are allowed a maxi...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek-flagged oil tanker was damaged in a suspected drone attack in the Black Sea while approaching the Russian port of Novorossiysk, authorities said. Greece’s shipping ministry said the attack occurred early Saturday, causing material damage, but the 24 crew members were unharmed and the vessel’s seaworthiness was not under threat. The Maran Homer, chartered by U.S. oil giant Chevron, was traveling from Thessaloniki in northern Greece to the Black Sea port and was due to sail on to Istanbul. It was struck by a missile or drone before picking up Kazakh oil, according to Greek government officials and the vessel’s Greek operating company. Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Athens would lodge a “strong complaint” with the country deemed responsib...

Is the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) submarine power cable project dead in the water? The GSI project, which is worth €2 billion ($2.36 billion), seeks to build a subsea electric cable connecting Greece and Cyprus and later Israel. The aim is to integrate the Republic of Cyprus into the European electricity transmission system and bolster the energy security of EU member states Greece and Cyprus. But although the project was launched in October 2022 with the aim of completing it by the end of 2023, it is currently not clear whether it will ever actually come to fruition. Project faces multiple challenges There are several reasons for the current uncertainty. Not only is the GSI an expensive project, it is also technically difficult and faces massive geopolitical challenges. What's mo...

[Intime News] Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday Greece will recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right, and defended the country’s close relations with Israel amid its ongoing military operation in Gaza. “Greece will recognize the state of Palestine. The question is when, how and the timing that we will choose as the right one, so as to provide an additional push for what I believe should be the final aim of this effort, which is a two-state solution,” he said during a press conference at the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), where he elaborated on the government’s future political and economic agenda. Mitsotakis defended Athens’ close relations with Jerusalem, saying the country’s strategic relationship w...

It was late on the night of January 25, 2015, when the crowd in central Athens erupted into cheers. Greek flags waved against the glow of floodlights, and a raw rock anthem, “Rock the Casbah”, blared through the speakers; its title as unexpected as the political moment itself. A 40-year-old engineer-turned-activist emerged from the tunnel of the auditorium stage: Alexis Tsipras. He raised his fist, the crowd roared. For a country battered by years of crisis and austerity, the scene felt like a collective exhale; a promise that something new might finally begin. To understand why that night mattered, you have to understand the man at its center. Alexis Tsipras had built his career on the promise of rupture; a clean break from the Greece of bailouts, corruption and political dynasties. He w...