Politics
PM prioritises saving lives as govt fire strategy comes under more scrutiny
A wildfire that broke out on Tuesday north of Athens has put the government’s ability to tackle such natural disasters under further scrutiny after New Democracy promised a more professional approach than its predecessor, SYRIZA.
After wildfires, concern about power supply sparks hot political debate
As Greece braces for the peak of what is expected to be a record-breaking heatwave, public calls to limit power usage have prompted a fierce response from opposition parties to the state of the government’s planning for extreme weather events.
Wildfires rekindle longstanding political battle as heatwave forces agenda change
The annual political clash over the response to wildfires in Greece began in earnest this weekend as blazes raged in various parts of Greece, particularly Achaia and Rhodes.
Govt ploughs on with reform bills as politicians' wealth declarations draw attention
Parliament has been voting on some of the government’s reform bills but the political and media attention has mostly been focussed on MPs’ annual derivation of wealth declarations.
Schools bill vote brings differences on education to fore
The government has succeeded in passing another raft of reforms to the education system despite stiff opposition from minority parliamentary parties and teachers’ unions.
PM cautious about extending compulsory vaccinations
Despite the recent slowdown, Greece’s vaccination programme reached another landmark on Tuesday, when the number of fully vaccinated Greeks passed 5 million.
Stalling vaccination campaign, protests raise concerns on health and political fronts
Vaccination uptake in Greece is grinding to a halt, with authorities struggling to respond to a combination of vaccine hesitancy and an increasingly active anti-vaccination front.
Government compromises on 2 pct rise for minimum wage
It was confirmed at a cabinet meeting on Monday that the minimum wage will rise by 2 pct, a symbolic increase that is the result of the government’s unwillingness to leave salaries unchanged but also its desire not to come into conflict with business owners who are being tested by the pandemic.
PM relies on patchwork of measures to keep Covid at bay as jab uptake flags
The government continues to press ahead with a patchwork of measures to enforce or encourage vaccination, as uptake appears to have stalled among a significant section of the population.
Turkey's Varosha move adds new complexity to Greek-Turkish relations
Exactly 47 years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Ankara sought to leave its mark for the 20 July anniversary, which was marked this week on the northern part of the island.