Politics
Greece promotes its suitability for mediatory role in Middle East
Athens is seeking a mediatory role in the Middle East if conditions permit it. This was the message that emerged following the joint statements Kyriakos Mitsotakis made with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, following the first High Level Cooperation Council between Greece and Cyprus, in Athens on Friday.
SYRIZA loses Umbrella during stormy weekend
Stefanos Kasselakis’s decision to clash head-on with dissenters in his party led to members of SYRIZA’s left-wing Umbrella faction walking out over the weekend amid fears the opposition party will become a personal vehicle for its new leader.
Kasselakis focusses on honing European profile as SYRIZA heads for split
Momentum is building towards an acrimonious split between the new leadership of SYRIZA and the left wing of the party, with key figures signalling their imminent departure to time with a critical meeting of the central committee this weekend.
Facing internal scrap, SYRIZA leader Kasselakis hits out at former PM
SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis, who is preparing for a potential showdown with some of his critics within the party, appears to have undermined his own efforts to build bridges with centre-left PASOK just hours after meeting the third party’s leader, Nikos Androulakis.
SYRIZA and PASOK join forces to pressure govt as polls show gap between them narrowing
The leaders of Greece two main opposition parties, SYRIZA and PASOK, have shaken hands on an initiative to pressure Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s New Democracy administration for answers on the surveillance affair and the Tempe rail crash.
Government braces for self-employed tax protests, but insists on soundness of measure
The government is bracing itself for a backlash against the new tax on self-employed income it presented last week, while at the same time trying to win over public opinion for the measure.
Mitsotakis visits China to keep relations ticking over
Athens is seeking to maintain open diplomatic channels with China at a time when Beijing’s relations with Brussels and Washington are strained due to economic rivalries and different approaches in geopolitical crises.
Government officials escalate attack on watchdogs, as spyware report touches on PM's office
A new media report appears to draw closer links between the dissemination of the Predator spyware and the Prime Minister’s office, as the independent authorities probing the evidence for extra-judicial surveillance of public figures and journalists accuse the government of interference.
Government feels pinch from public's fears about high cost of living
The growing concern among Greek households about rising prices, particularly for basic goods, has pushed the cost-of-living issue back up the political agenda and is putting greater pressure on the government, which wants to be seen to be taking action to combat any cases of profiteering or exploitation of market conditions.
Government faces uproar over tax evasion measures despite solid poll ratings
The announcement of a new tax regime for self-employed earners has elicited a strong reaction from opposition parties. The measure is part of a reform package that the government claims are necessary to combat tax evasion, but its critics say it amounts to unfair targeting.