Politics
ND faces fiscal balancing act and more challenges over spying scandal
The government is trying to look ahead to the package of inflation-busting measures Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce in just over a month at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), but the opposition sense it can impede New Democracy’s momentum by focussing on the spyware scandal.
Baerbock visit leaves Athens hopeful of shift in Germany's stance on Greek-Turkish disputes
German Foreign Minister Analena Baerbock visited Athens for the first time since her appointment next week and there is a feeling among Greek officials that it may have marked a shift in the way Berlin views the enduring disputes between Athens and Ankara.
PM pledges another billion for energy bills as govt retreats over environment bill
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged to pull out all the stops to help households deal with high energy bills, although it is not clear that the relief measures are having the desired effect in terms of winning over public opinion.
Digital initiatives challenged by opposition focussed on cost of living and political hires
The New Democracy administration unveiled a digital wallet as part of its ongoing e-government overhaul, but for opposition SYRIZA the announcement was an opportunity to ask questions about the stalled digital ID project and the conservatives’ record in public administration reform.
ND exults in Saudi Arabia deals as opposition calls for answers over spyware
The government’s efforts to ensure that a blaze of positive publicity accompanied the range of agreements that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday were somewhat overshadowed by questions about what links the conservative administration might have to attempts to eavesdrop on journalists and political rivals.
Govt presents menu of energy proposals in Brussels as power subsidy cost balloons
Athens continues to press for solutions to the energy crisis at an EU level as the cost of domestic subsidy programmes skyrockets, threatening to cut further into the budget.
Athens cultivates Saudi Arabia relations, prepares for MBS visit
For some time, Athens has been investing in new partnerships in the wider Middle East region to justify its openness to a multidimensional foreign policy, but also to attract investments.
Fires continue to test capabilities and spark political confrontation
Wildfires continued to test the government and the country’s civil protection capabilities over the weekend, although a new opinion poll suggested that New Democracy has not been damaged by the recent blazes and is, instead, closing in on a potential parliamentary majority at the upcoming elections.
Questions posed about pace of absorption for RRF funds
As the dust settled from this week’s forest fire on the outskirts of Athens, SYRIZA turned its attention to the government’s performance in absorbing funds from the European Union’s Covid response package, the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Opposition challenges government account of prompt wildfire response
With the wildfires which burned through the northeast suburbs of Athens extinguished, the political recriminations have begun. The government is claiming success, but opposition parties are accusing the New Democracy administration of arrogance and misplaced priorities