Politics
With focus on energy, Athens hopes for boost from Macron re-election
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hopes that the re-election of Emmanuel Macron as French President bodes well for his government’s hopes of further progress within the European Union on effective answers to the economic and energy challenges posed by the war in Ukraine and other recent developments.
PM goes big on minimum wage increase, but opposition unmoved
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been pinning his hopes on a pre-Easter minimum wage rise to boost the fortunes of his party which is being blamed for skyrocketing energy bills and high prices.
More fiscal space emerges for new energy relief package as parties jostle for support
The government is hopeful that some welcome developments on the fiscal front will help fund the next relief package it aims to put together, cushioning the impact of rising energy prices and possibly recovering some of the public support it has lost in recent months.
Tsipras strengthens hold on leadership at fractious SYRIZA conference
The first SYRIZA conference since the left-wing party was voted out of government in 2019 was planned as a long-awaited reboot in preparation for the next elections, as well as an opportunity to settle internal debates about the direction of the party.
Govt eyes own energy package if EU fails to approve joint action
Recognising that the cost-of-living crisis is its Achilles’ heel at the moment, the Greek government appears to be drawing up plans to launch its own scheme to contain energy prices if no joint action is agreed at EU level.
Parties rehearse arguments on social policy as labour law comes to vote
With cost-of-living worries topping the agenda for voters, the main political parties are beginning to focus more intently on social policy, which is expected to become a hotly contested ground as elections loom on the horizon.
Covid restrictions to be relaxed but public fixated on cost-of-living crisis
The government trailed on Wednesday a new relaxation of Covid restrictions but a new opinion poll suggests the pandemic has slipped down the list of voters’ priorities and that, ahead of elections next year, New Democracy’s fate could be decided by the cost-of-living crisis.
Proposals to reform primary health care draw first reactions
A major overhaul of the primary health care system promises to tap into the private sector in an effort to decongest public hospitals and introduce greater patient choice, however the reforms are already coming under attack from private doctors.
Expulsion of diplomats moves Greece further away from Russia, focus turns to energy
Bilateral relations between Greece and Russia entered uncharted waters after Athens made yet another momentous foreign policy decision by deciding to declare last week 12 Russian diplomats personae non gratae.
Imminent end for enhanced surveillance offers boost to beleaguered govt
Amid the incessant pressure it is facing on many fronts, led by the cost-of-living, budgetary constraints and the pandemic, there is a potential bright spot for the government in terms of a timely exit from the enhanced surveillance setup this summer.