Politics
Opinion polls show drop in support for ND, continuing concern about inflation
Two opinion polls published on Thursday indicate that there has been a rare decline in support for the ruling New Democracy party since December as voters remain unhappy about efforts to contain the cost of living and amid substantial scepticism about the marriage equality bill due to be voted in Parliament in mid-February.
Cabinet clears marriage equality bill without drama as Tempe inquiry hears grave accusations
Same-sex marriage looks set to prove less of a stumbling block for the government than initially thought, while a last-minute attempt to extend postal voting to national elections torpedoed the consensus cultivated with opposition parties.
Late switch smashes accord over postal vote, but marriage equality compromise still intact
The government’s surprise attempt to extend the postal vote to national, as well as European, elections appears to have undermined any chance of political consensus over the issue.
Government tests cross-party consensus with postal vote amendment
New Democracy’s surprise decision to extend its proposal on postal voting to national elections has made opposition parties reconsider their support for the reform.
PM changes tune on inflation, ready to take further steps
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged more measures to combat inflation just days after his government intervened in a bid to contain the cost of living.
Mitsotakis identifies triangulation as key to success, Kasselakis gathers MPs for policy talks
As Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis talked up in Davos his government’s record on tackling the migration issue, broadening citizens’ rights in Greece and improving the country’s economy, SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis welcomed his party’s MPs to his home on Spetses for a few days of intensive discussions aimed at getting the leftists out of the rut they have been in since last summer’s general elections.
Government pins hopes on new measures to control runaway price hikes
The government’s latest raft of anti-inflation measures designed to tackle prices on supermarket shelves was tabled in Parliament this week. The New Democracy administration is promising tough enforcement against profiteering, but opposition parties continue to call for a more radical approach.
FM gauges mood in Middle East, seeks to bolster ties with Egypt
The ongoing war in the Middle East as well as the increasing maritime insecurity in the Red Sea topped the agenda of talks Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis held during this week’s mini tour of countries in the region.
Majority for marriage equality in sight despite reluctance among ruling party MPs
After two days during which New Democracy MPs were briefed privately by government officials about the reasoning behind the marriage equality bill, as well as its details, the party appears confident that most of its lawmakers will back the legislation, although this still means that many could vote against it.
Centrist voters emerge as key to same-sex marriage initiative
The latest polls are yielding a more nuanced picture of the Greek public’s attitude to same-sex marriage and adoption, potentially backing up Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s instincts in pursuing the legislation against the objections of the ultra-conservative wing of his party.