Politics

Greece’s centre-right government initially blamed ‘human error’ for the collision involving two trains which, it emerged, had been moving in opposite directions on the same line for some 12 minutes. The official investigation into the disaster is still going on, with questions still unanswered about signalling, radio communication and the responsibility of the stationmaster in Larissa, the station which the passenger train had just left moments before the head-on crash. The first four carriages were derailed, two of which were engulfed in fire. Some of the victims survived the initial crash, only to perish in the fire. Founded the summer after the crash, the victims’ association now has more than 240,000 followers on Facebook. “Because we knew that things were very difficult and that it wo...

(H1) We expect that through their posts the politicians will seek primarily to “construct” a positive self-image, rather than “attack” their political opponents (partially accepted).As already mentioned, relevant previous research on Instagram has shown that (Greek) politicians -independent of their political role- prioritized their self-presentation in a positive way over the “attack” against political opponents (Poulakidakos and Koutsikos, 2023). According to Fig. 1, Kyriakos Mitsotakis (the incumbent prime minister) appears to be almost totally dedicated to constructing a positive self-image, while the opposition leaders try to “balance” their TikTok strategy between a positive presentation of the self (mostly in the case of Nikos Androulakis) and attack to political opponents (mostly b...

Greece’s main opposition party, PASOK, submitted a no-confidence motion against the ruling New Democracy government on Wednesday, escalating political tensions as public anger over the government’s handling of the Tempi railway disaster and broader governance issues continues to mount.The motion comes in the wake of mass protests held across Greece last Friday, where demonstrators voiced frustration over the slow pursuit of justice for the 57 victims of the Tempi train crash and what they perceive as a cover-up and the government’s failure to address widespread institutional failures.An image of the aftermath of the Tempi rail disaster where 57 passengers, mostly youth, perished.It is the second time in a year that PASOK has attempted to unseat Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis through a ...

[Ismini Vlassopoulou/AMNA] Since the Greek parliamentary elections in May 2023, the contest for second place in political polls has resembled a game of musical chairs. The runner-up spot has rotated between leftist SYRIZA, once the main opposition party; socialist PASOK, currently holding that title in parliament; and, most recently, the anti-establishment party Course of Freedom. Now, Course of Freedom’s leader, Zoe Konstantopoulou — who broke away from SYRIZA in 2015 to form her own party the following year — appears to be solidifying her grip on second place. And she’s making no secret of her ambitions. With frequent television appearances, Konstantopoulou has begun actively articulating her political vision. According to Giorgos Arapoglou, CEO of Pulse polling company...

Mass protests are expected to bring parts of Greece to a standstill on Friday — the two-year anniversary of the country's deadliest railway disaster. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Mass protests are expected to bring parts of Greece to a standstill tomorrow, the two-year anniversary of the country's deadliest railway disaster. Public outrage over the Tempi crash is resurfacing, with a new poll showing 72% of Greeks believe the government tried to cover it up. Journalist Lydia Emmanouilidou reports.LYDIA EMMANOUILIDOU: Evdokia Tsagli remembers laughing moments before the train she was on collided head-on with a cargo train. Her carriage spun through the air.EVDOKIA TSAGLI: I think I said over 100 times to myself, when is it going to stop? When is it goi...

ATHENS, June 27 (Reuters) - Greek migration minister Makis Voridis resigned on Friday after being implicated in a European Union investigation into the misuse of subsidies to Greek farmers but he denied any wrongdoing.The EU earlier this month imposed a 392.2 million-euro ($460.3 million) fine on Greece over a major scandal involving the mismanagement of agricultural subsidies by a government agency between 2016 and 2022. Sign up here."Because my status as a suspect of committing criminal acts is not consistent with my status as a member of the government and in order not to hinder the government's work, I submit to you my resignation," Voridis said in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.Mitsotakis accepted Voridis' resignation and a government spokesman said a replacement woul...

Since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974,it has been an unwritten law of politics in Athens that former heads of government should avoid the limelight and refrain from making comments or giving advice.Silence, however, doesn't seem to be an option any longer for former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. He ruled Greece from 2015 to 2019 at the height of the debt crisis. Although Tsipras had kept a low profile in recent years, the former idol of the Greek left is now working on a comeback.Following numerous rumors, Tsipras finally confirmed that he intends to form a new party. In early October, he announced his resignation from the left-wing opposition party Syriza. He had been their chairman until June 2023, and relinquished his seat in parliament.In an interview with the...

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Thessaloniki on Friday afternoon for the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), carrying with him a package of tax measures aimed at easing pressure on Greece’s middle class.Tax Cuts for FamiliesAccording to government officials, the central theme will be the reduction of direct taxes, which they argue is the most effective way to ensure relief reaches citizens directly. The plan, they say, is a matter of fairness and common sense, particularly for families with children.Unlike short-term handouts, the government stresses that lowering direct taxes will raise disposable income in a lasting way, providing double value amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis that has gripped both Greece and other European countries.Officials also dismisse...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is under pressure from his own parliamentary over the cuts at ELTA. Credit: Dimitris Papamitsos / AMNA The abrupt decision by the Hellenic Post (ELTA) management to close over 200 post offices nationwide has triggered a fierce internal crisis within the ruling New Democracy (ND) party. Backlash from citizens, particularly senior citizens who relied on local branches for services such as pension collection, quickly escalated into a political firestorm, forcing the Prime Minister’s office to intervene. Parliamentary revolt over ELTA The crisis peaked during a marathon teleconference when dozens of ND MPs “exploded” against ELTA CEO Grigoris Sklikas, demanding explanations and, in many cases, his immediate resignation. He resigned from his post shortly...