Politics
Govt faces fallout from hospital vaccine mandate, as school opening poses fresh challenges
The vaccination mandate for hospital staff came into effect on Wednesday, resulting in thousands of temporary suspension notices for unvaccinated workers.
About-turn over ministry post undermines impact of PM's reshuffle
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s attempt to send a message of renewal via Tuesday’s cabinet reshuffle stumbled at the first hurdle after the would-be head of the newly created Civil Protection Ministry, former admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, turned down the position.
Opposition to vaccines hardens, revealing deep rift in public attitudes
Low vaccination rates are emerging as an intractable issue for the Greek health authorities, as the return of holidaymakers and the start of the school year are expected to lead to a new surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations.
PM removes under-fire ministers from posts in late-summer reshuffle
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to remove some of his key ministers from the firing line on Tuesday as part of a cabinet reshuffle, while also creating a new ministry to oversee civil protection in the wake of the pandemic and wildfire challenges.
Athens ponders impact of Turkey's role in Afghanistan
Viewed from Greece, the dramatic events in Afghanistan have placed Turkey’s role in the central Asian country under particular scrutiny for a number of reasons.
PM expected to reshuffle cabinet in bid to leave wildfire damage behind
It is widely expected that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will conduct a cabinet reshuffle in the coming days, hoping to draw a line under a challenging summer for his government.
University exam results stir political differences as entrance numbers drop
A row erupted between the government and the opposition on Friday as the results of university entrance exams were published, revealing that the number of students going into tertiary education will fall by more than 20 pct this year.
Crunch time nears for health system as Covid surge meets staff suspensions
The Greek health system is preparing for a tough autumn, as surging hospitalisations are set to coincide with staff suspensions under the new rules which make vaccination for Covid-19 compulsory for all healthcare workers.
Leaders' debate over wildfires puts spotlight on govt credibility
In the first party leaders’ debate of the new political season, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mounted a defence of his government’s response to this summer’s forest fires, arguing that limited mistakes were made and that efforts are already underway to repair the damage and improve Greece’s capability to deal with such challenges.
Govt announces stricter measures for unvaccinated to curb autumn pandemic wave
Growing pressure on the health system and the threat of a new wave of Covid-19 infections as holidaymakers return to the cities have prompted the Greek government to announce a new raft of public health measures for the autumn.