Greek Politics
Amendment for migrant workers passes amid turmoil for government
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hoping to move on swiftly from Tuesday’s vote in Parliament, which saw MPs approve an amendment that permits the Greek authorities to issue migrants who have been living in the country for over three years with work visas with the aim of easing labour shortages in key sectors of the economy.
New Democracy leadership headed for showdown with right wing over migrant labour bill
A government proposal to offer working visas to resident irregular migrants is set to pitch progressive lawmakers against the far right, highlighting an internal rift within the ruling New Democracy party. The vote on Tuesday looks set to further strengthen the position of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis against his internal critics.
Budget marks return of trust, argues Mitsotakis
The 2024 budget was passed through Parliament yesterday with the votes of the 158 New Democracy MPs, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis claiming that his government has rebuilt trust within the country as well as abroad.
Kasselakis sets sights on government over cost of living
As the budget debate in Parliament builds up to Sunday’s vote, SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis has insisted that any progress the Greek economy has made over the last few years has come at the expense of average citizens.
Budget debate begins as poll highlights opposition's weakness
The debate over next year’s budget began in Parliament on Wednesday, ahead of this Sunday’s vote. Although the government is coming under attack over the cost of living and taxation, this political pressure is still not translating into any substantial shift in public opinion.
Tempe rail crash charges reignite debate about scrupulousness of investigation
The Tempe train crash, in which 57 people lost their lives in February, is back in the headlines and part of the public debate again, months after the government felt that its resounding wins in this summer’s two general elections put to bed any questions about political responsibility for the disaster.
Latest hooliganism crackdown greeted by mixture of anger and scepticism
The government’s response to the latest hooliganism incident has managed to anger the country’s top football clubs while questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the measures.
Sports-related violence on the agenda again as PM struggles to find response
For at least the third time since it first took power in 2019, the New Democracy government is examining what measures it can take to rein in sports-related violence after a policeman was seriously injured at a volleyball match.
Unpopular tax bill set to become law despite objections
New Democracy’s legislation against tax evasion looks set to clear the final hurdle today in the teeth of strong objections from opposition parties and legal concerns raised by Parliament’s scientific council.
PM focusses on fairness of tax bill, leaving limited space for opposition
Ahead of the visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, the political attention in Greece turned to tax issues on Wednesday as the parties debated the government’s contentious tax bill, which will see the self-employed taxed based on a minimum income.