The Great Sea Interconnector and its high-voltage politics
In this episode of The Agora, we unpack one of a sensitive and consequential energy project in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI).
It’s the subsea electricity cable designed to link the power grids of Greece and Cyprus. It’s an infrastructure project that sits at the centre of a much bigger story - one involving contested waters, Greek–Turkish tensions, European energy security, and now the diplomatic signals coming from Washington after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to Athens.
With Greece preparing to issue a NAVTEX for the next phase of seabed surveys, and with political pressure mounting ahead of the 2027 elections, the GSI has become a test of sovereignty, strategy and regional coordination.
In this episode, MacroPolis features editor and energy expert Georgia Nakou helps is break down what the project actually is, why it has become so politically charged, and what the coming weeks may reveal about the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Useful reading
Rubio says US committed to Mediterranean undersea power cable – Reuters
EU-backed east Mediterranean undersea cable project applies to resume seabed research, Greece says - Reuters
