Politics
Athens encouraged by Med7, Macron support in Turkey dispute
The Greek government is satisfied with the outcome of the Med7 summit in Corsica, chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has taken a leading role in efforts to rally opposition to Turkey’s actions in the East Med.
More fires at Moria add to pressure for effective response to asylum crisis
Hundreds more refugees and migrants were left without shelter on the island of Lesvos on Wednesday night, after a series of fires burned through the informal encampments which had survived a catastrophic fire that burned the Moria asylum centre the night before.
Moria fire propels migration issue back to top of political agenda
Just as the Greek government was expecting some relief from the refugee challenge that has caused it political problems since it came to power last summer, a large fire at the Moria camp for asylum seekers on the island of Lesvos has brought the issue back into sharp focus.
Parties debate pandemic response as public approval deteriorates
The parliamentary season kicked off on Monday with a special session on the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
PM prepares for low key policy speech as poll suggests support for govt still high
The government is trying to dampen expectations ahead of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s speech in Thessaloniki on Saturday – a task made easier by the fact that the first major opinion poll since the summer break has indicated that support is still strong for his New Democracy party.
Diplomatic efforts to get Athens and Ankara talking gather pace, but face obstacles
Serious diplomatic efforts got underway this week with the aim of defusing tension between Greece and Turkey.
Tsipras plans SYRIZA reboot, as govt pandemic response faces multiple challenges
SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras is said to be planning a shake-up of the main opposition party in advance of the return of Parliament in September.
Trouble from Turkey prompts plans for extra defence spending after years of cuts
The growing tension between Greece and Turkey has sparked talk among government officials in Athens about boosting defence spending which, in turn, has fuelled positive and critical reaction from commentators.
Fire at archaeological site puts govt's crisis handling under scrutiny
A fire at the archaeological site of Mycenae has become the subject of a heated political debate, raising issues of public trust in the government and the media.
PM seeks fine balance as he prepares to unveil latest set of fiscal measures
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is building up towards his economic policy speech in Thessaloniki on September 12, although the government is trying to lower expectations about what the public should expect.