February 6, 2018
Greece, Politics
The revelations of Novartis-Gate and the publishing of the names of two prime ministers and eight ministers from New Democracy and PASOK have set the Greek political landscape on fire. One after the other those former ministers and prime ministers denied any involvement with statements to the media, some spent …
Read More »
February 1, 2018
Economy
He couldn’t help and couldn’t hide his political schadenfreude over the left-wing government of Greece. The man who rejected any early attempt by SYRIZA for relaxed austerity measures, the outgoing chairman of the non-institutional Euro Working Group that has exercised his full non-authorized power to raise or drawn Greece, the …
Read More »
January 29, 2018
Greece, Politics
“If we don’t want Skopje to be called Macedonia, then we have to go for war. There is no other way to impose our position,” SYRIZA MP Giorgos Dzimanis from Kastoria said on Sunday. If the term “Macedonia” is in the name of FYROM this can conditionally be favorable to …
Read More »
January 15, 2018
Greece, Politics
Monday evening Greek Parliament, Syntagma Square in downtown Athens: Inside the Plenary the leaders of political parties argue on the omnibus bill with the prior actions the government brought for voting. Outside the building, unions protest the bill in general, the provisions on strike and the cuts in children allowances …
Read More »
January 8, 2018
Greece, Politics
Partner of Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and mother of his two children, Peristera (Betty) Baziana gave her first ever interview to a Greek media, daily Efimerida ton Syntakton. The fact that the partner of a serving Greek prime minister gave an interview and some of her statements triggered a …
Read More »
August 10, 2017
Greece, Politics
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reacted strongly to foreign press reports suggesting that the country’s rule of law is in danger due to specific court decisions. The particular case refers to a legal dispute between Minister Nikos Kotzias and the magazine Athens Review of Books. However, the case …
Read More »
August 9, 2017
Greece
Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis announced on Wednesday the appointment of the economist Stelios Pappas, the father of Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas, as the new president of the Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization (OASTH). The company was nationalized beginning of July. In a statement, Spirtzis said Pappas’s appointment was part of …
Read More »
August 2, 2017
Greece, Politics
Lawmakers from the ruling leftist SYRIZA party and their coalition partners Independent Greeks (ANEL) have passed a controversial bill aimed at overhauling Greek universities and technical colleges. The vote was conducted by roll call in Parliament Wednesday following a request by main New Democracy opposition that has fought the reforms …
Read More »
July 24, 2017
Greece
The war of words between the Greek government and the judiciary escalated on Monday, when the president of the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, made a statement that was broadcast live on television. In his statement, the president of CoS, Nikos Sakellariou, spoke of a systematic government …
Read More »
July 23, 2017
Editor
Panagiotis Lafazanis, energy minister in the first SYRIZA government, claimed he had agreed with Moscow in 2015 that Russia would make a down-payment for a gas pipeline so that the money could be used to finance rexit if the country would decide to leave the euro zone. Lafazanis told Vima …
Read More »
July 18, 2017
Very Mix
Is Justice in Greece independent? The government has its doubts. “A new appeal will be filed, the court will decide in new composition,” Justice minister Stavros Kontonis said on Monday, after the five-member Athens Appeals Court rejected Irianna’s appeal to suspend her sentence and release her from prison. Three out …
Read More »
July 1, 2017
Turkey-GR
Turkish provocation at its best! A television broadcaster in Turkey quoted a Greek Muslim lawmaker from the government party. MP from Rhodopi in Thrace, Mustafa Moustafa was quoted to have said “Germany did not allow Greece to extradite the 8 Turkish soldiers to Turkey.” According to Turkish Start TV, Mustafa …
Read More »
June 29, 2017
Uncategorized
German conservative Manfred Weber cannot hide his dislike of the Greek government. It was just recently,when the CSU-politician from Bayern said that “Greece’s problem is the communist prime minister.” On the occasion of the debate at the German Parliament for the bailout tranche disbursement, Manfred Weber said “Germany will give …
Read More »
May 30, 2017
Greece, Politics
“If the partner has become a callous lender, who is also a liar and does not stick to the commitments and keeps changing the agreement framework on permanent basis, we should consider rupture with the lenders,” the spokesman of the parliamentary group of SYRIZA, Nikos Xydakis, said on Tuesday. Speaking …
Read More »
May 5, 2017
Greece, Politics
“Creditors are not our friends, they stand opposed to us, they just want to get their money back,” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the parliamentary group of SYRIZA on Friday just days before the lawmakers of the ruling party will be called to vote in favor of 3.6-billion euro …
Read More »
May 4, 2017
Greece
European parliament vice-president and head of SYRIZA fraction Dimitris Papadimoulis hit out at the chairman of EPP, Manfred Webber, who claimed the problem of Greece was the “communist Prime Minister.” “Weber is again completely out of step with the majority of the European Parliament as well as Jean-Claude Juncker and …
Read More »
April 15, 2017
Greece, Politics
It was first SYRIZA lawmaker Makis Balaouras, who claimed the Holy Light was a “pagan residue”. A couple of days later, the parliamentary spokeswoman of SYRIZA, Foteini Vaki described the Holy Fire as a “fake miracle.” The debate about the transfer of the Holy Light from Jerusalem and the official …
Read More »
April 11, 2017
Greece, Politics
Remember this science fiction scenario about the United States of Europe? A powerful minister and close aide of prime minister Alexis Tsipras calls for a Federal European Union. for more integration in the form of United States of Europe. Supporting the European Union goes hand in hand with supporting federalism …
Read More »
April 10, 2017
Greece, Politics
Three former ministers and ten more members of the Central Committee of ruling left-wing SYRIZA asked for early elections before ratifying the additional austerity measures agreed with creditors in Malta. “The only one who can decide about the own life are the Greek people,” said the dissidents. They submitted a …
Read More »
March 31, 2017
Greece
One more lawmaker of ruling SYRIZA admitted that he received the Christmas Bonus (13th pension) for low-pensioners although he receives a good and mostly tax-free salary from the Greek Parliament. Are these the only MPs? Hardly. Triantafyllos Mitafidis said on Friday that the mistake in granting the so-called once-off 13th …
Read More »
