Politics
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
Fire on outskirts of Athens puts PM's crisis strategy under scrutiny
A large wildfire on the outskirts of Athens broke out on Tuesday, piling fresh pressure on the centre-right government and all but killing off the prospects of snap elections later this year.
Early details show energy emergency plan facing practical challenges
As Greek authorities prepare for pan-European natural gas shortages in the coming months, the regulator’s national emergency plan offers a glimpse of the cost and effort that will be required to keep the lights on this winter.
Relief measures being lined up, but PM's eye also on reforms rollout
Although most of the focus will fall on what measures the government plans to unveil in the autumn to combat the cost-of-living crisis, reports suggest that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is also keen to promote his administration’s reformist credentials between now and the end of the year.
US amendment on Turkish jets adds new factor in Athens-Ankara ties
The US House of Representatives approved last Thursday an amendment to the annual defence spending bill that restricts the sale of F-16 fighter jets and modernisation tools to Turkey unless the US president decided such a transfer is in America’s national interests.
Flashpoints fuel contest for centrist voters
As the battle intensifies between Greek parties for the support of centre ground voters, a group which could decide the outcome of the next elections, opinion polls continue to show that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has a strong appeal among centrists, and that PASOK-KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis has overtaken SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras.
Rule of law and media freedom in spotlight after arson attack and European Commission report
The publication of a European Commission report raising the issue of threats to the practice of journalism in Greece on the day that the headquarters of a Greek media group were targeted in an arson attack highlights the troubled relationship between the media and politics in the country.
Opposition parties step up pressure after back-and-forth over election date
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis may have taken the possibility of snap elections off the table, at least for now, but the opposition parties are showing no appetite for letting up in their efforts to improve their standing ahead of the next vote.
Universities bill expected to pass despite many critics and united opposition
The latest in a series of ambitious education reform bills brought by the Mitsotakis government is due to be debated in Parliament this week, with opposition parties set to confront the government on what both sides are framing as an ideological battleground.
Govt turns attention to more relief measures in absence of snap polls
Following the recent efforts by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to kill off speculation about snap elections, the government’s focus is turning to what measures it will be able to unveil over the coming months to win the support of voters ahead of the national vote, which now seems set for the end of New Democracy’s four-year term towards next summer.