MacroPolis

ND set to carry Covid, wildfires baggage into September

In his first press briefing since being appointed as the government’s new spokesman, Yiannis Economou revealed on Thursday that a new framework aimed at limiting the spread of Covid in the autumn would be presented next week.

Warnings of post-holiday Covid surge, continuing wildfires store up risk for ND

The epidemiological situation in major resort areas across Greece is worsening, leading frontline doctors to warn of a tough winter ahead unless vaccination levels are boosted.

Wildfires and pandemic set political agenda as parties prepare for return to business

The suppression of the previous week’s catastrophic wildfires and the traditional end of the Greek summer holiday season is giving the country’s political forces an opportunity to regroup and prepare the agenda for the return to business.

After impact of fires, PM tweaks team, with focus on communication

After facing journalists on Thursday to defend his government’s handling of the recent wildfires, as well as its overall record, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Friday a small shake-up in some key posts, mostly related to the team around him.

Mitsotakis faces press in attempt to defuse criticism over wildfire handling

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an extended press conference on Thursday as part of what is seen as a concerted effort by the government to address the criticism it has faced over the management of the catastrophic forest fires of the prior week.

Govt sets out fire compensation scheme in first step to overcome destruction

The government has set out a three-step process for helping the fire-stricken areas of Greece recover from this summer’s devastating wildfires, starting with an immediate compensation programme that New Democracy hopes will help it deflect some of the criticism regarding the response to the blazes, particularly in Evia.

Mitsotakis apology for wildfires gets sceptical reception

An apology issued by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the management of the wildfires which continue to burn across parts of Greece has been greeted with extreme scepticism by the opposition, as public disbelief and anger continue to mount.

Anger over wildfires grows as PM prepares lines of defence

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government are coming under greater pressure by the day as the authorities struggle to contain and extinguish wildfires in Greece, particularly on the island of Evia, where more than 45,000 hectares of land has been burnt since the blaze began there last week.

Politicians have commissioned, and largely ignored, multiple reports on wildfires

By: Georgia Nakou

In February 2019, the then leader of the opposition Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed the publication of an expert committee report on the management of forest fires in Greece, calling its recommendations “a blueprint for the steps we will follow”.

PM sets criticism aside, highlights unprecedented conditions behind fires

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a televised address on Thursday night in which he stressed that authorities are prioritising saving lives over protecting property and nature as Greece battles dozens of wildfires, including a large blaze north of Athens.