Politics
Spying scandal triggers high-level resignations, serious questions for government and PM
After evading and playing down for weeks claims it was spying on journalists and political rivals, the government was rocked on Friday by the resignation of the Prime Minister’s general secretary, Grigoris Dimitriadis, and the head of the National Intelligence Service (EYP), Panagiotis Kontoleon, in what is shaping up as the biggest scandal yet during Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s tenure.
Numbers stacking up for PM to announce winter relief package
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis heads for his summer holidays on Friday knowing that upon his return he will have to decide with his ministers what relief measures the government will set out at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) next month.
Summer Covid wave sparks fresh warnings, as opposition unites on gender-based violence
The government’s confidence in its handling of Covid-19 over the summer is being challenged by the high death toll recorded in July, and the expectation of a new wave in the autumn.
Government claims tourism season a major success, opposition begs to differ
Greece’s best years for tourism arrivals since 2019, before the pandemic, is being viewed by the government as timely tonic, but is becoming a bone of contention for the opposition, which feels that New Democracy is trying to exaggerate the upturn for communications purposes.
Government on mission to manage expectations in anticipation of tough winter
As the political leadership prepares for the summer recess, top government officials are starting to adopt a cautious tone in view of what is expected to be a challenging winter ahead.
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.