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A recent court ruling in Egypt has sounded alarm bells in Athens and around the world as it seems to put the status of St. Catherine’s monastery in Sinai, a UNESCO world heritage site, at risk. This has prompted reactions at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis speaking with his Egyptian counterpart and emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the monastery’s status as a Greek...

18 λεπτά

The US and the EU seem to have agreed to speed up trade talks after President Trump issued and then postponed a 50 percent tariff threat. While many European leaders welcomed this move, it’s still unclear whether Washington and Brussels can bridge the divide between them. Max Bergmann, the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern...

12 λεπτά

This week Turkey’s President Erdogan said he was putting together a team to draft a new constitution, a move that comes in the wake of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest. Many critics see this push for a new constitution as a power play designed to allow Erdogan to remain in power beyond 2028, when his current term ends. Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for...

15 λεπτά

Reports indicate that President Trump and members of his administration are looking for ways to circumvent or lift CAATSA sanctions and put arms sales, particularly of F-35 jets, back on the table with Turkey. They are coming up against a challenge that is significantly more complex than simply waiving sanctions. Lena Argiri, the DC correspondent for ERT - the Greek Public Broadcasting Company...

9 λεπτά

There’s a new bipartisan bill - the Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act - that’s once again putting the spotlight on Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and their potential roles in IMEC, a project increasingly seen as the answer to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of HALC, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why this new legislation matters, look at how the East Med...

11 λεπτά

This week EU ambassadors agreed on a €150 billion defense lending scheme, Security Action For Europe, or SAFE. EU officials are calling this "an important step toward a stronger Europe." In a move that has raised eyebrows in Athens and Nicosia, the agreement allows for limited participation by third countries – including Turkey. Following the announcement, Prime Minister Mitsotakis called on...

10 λεπτά

Since before President Trump’s return to office, the focus in the US has been on China. As the Trump administration turns up the pressure on Beijing, this is also putting the spotlight on vital infrastructure - from the Panama canal to China’s Belt and Road initiative. This has the potential to impact Greece as well, given its close ties to the US, the investment China’s Cosco made in the port...

10 λεπτά

The conflict between Pakistan and India has put Turkey’s arms industry in the spotlight, exposing the limits of its much lauded drones and raising questions about whether Turkey’s arms industry is a loser in this latest round of conflict. Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Thanos Davelis as we...

9 λεπτά

A recent map published by the EU’s Copernicus program is sounding the alarm ahead of wildfire season showing drought conditions and risk assessments across Europe. This is particularly alarming for southern European countries like Greece, which has seen devastating wildfires in recent years. Nikos Efstathiou, an independent journalist who is studying wildfires and how the media reports on them...

16 λεπτά

A decision earlier this year by authorities in the occupied northern part of Cyprus to allow headscarves in schools has led to mass protests against what many see as President Erdogan’s increasing authoritarianism and a creeping Islamification from Ankara. The protests also touch on broader issues, with Turkish Cypriots expressing concerns about money laundering, crime, and a wider Russian and...

13 λεπτά

Albania’s long-time Prime Minister Edi Rama secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in Sunday's election, winning a comfortable majority. This win came on the back of a wave of pro-EU sentiment among voters, as Rama made securing EU membership for Albania a key part of his campaign. Rama was also bolstered by a strong network he has built up over 12 years in power. John Psaropoulos...

16 λεπτά

In a move that took many by surprise, President Trump announced this week that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria. The decision represents a sea change for Syrians, as UN figures estimate that nine out of ten Syrians live in poverty. This move was also something countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey had been calling for, with Turkish President Erdogan reportedly...

12 λεπτά

On Monday the Kurdistan Workers’ party, or the PKK, made a historic announcement that it would disband, ending its four-decade-long armed campaign against the Turkish state. The move comes amid a new push to end this conflict, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives and spilled over into Syria and Iraq. Alan Makovsky, a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress and a former senior...

14 λεπτά

Since President Trump stepped back into office, and amid escalating competition with China, it looks like one project we’ve been hearing more and more about is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor - or IMEC. This is reflected in comments from President Trump, in diplomatic moves we’re seeing in the wider region from Greece to India, and most recently in Congress, where a new...

10 λεπτά

From a recent decision in a German court that could pave the way for migrants to be deported back to Greece to a labor shortage ahead of the critical tourism season, migration issues look to be back on the table. This is also the case at the European level, where the EU has gotten tougher on deportations over the past months amid wider concerns about the populist far-right. Angeliki Dimitriadi,...

13 λεπτά

Friedrich Merz officially became Chancellor of Germany this week, but only after two rounds of voting in the Bundestag - a first for a new chancellor in postwar German history. His initial failure to clinch the position raises concerns about his leadership, and has Europeans asking whether Germany under Merz can step back into its traditional European leadership role. Katja Hoyer, a historian,...

11 λεπτά

Since the pandemic we’ve seen the Greek government step in to tackle low wages, raising the minimum wage from €650 in 2019 to the latest announcement in early April bringing the gross wage up to €880. These steps come amid both a cost of living crisis and a labor shortage ahead of the summer in the tourism industry, but also other key sectors like agriculture and construction. Yannis Mouzakis,...

12 λεπτά

On Tuesday President Trump said that the US would stop attacking the Houthis in Yemen because the group had "capitulated", adding that the Houthis had pledged to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. This move comes after pressure from both regional players like Saudi Arabia - which President Trump is planning to visit - and from within the MAGA camp. Sean Mathews, a journalist for the Middle...

14 λεπτά

President Trump said that he had a "very good and productive" call with Turkish President Erdogan, adding that Erdogan had invited him to Turkey and that he would also be coming to Washington. The call comes in the wake of a new crackdown on dissent in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, amid speculation that Turkey could send its Russian S-400 missiles to Syria, and...

12 λεπτά

While visiting the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus this weekend, Turkish President Erdogan said that his country’s presence on the island will continue for centuries, adding that “whoever doesn’t know this must learn it.” Erdogan’s speech drew a swift response from Greece, and comes as the UN is looking to restart talks on the Cyprus issue. At the same time, Athens is looking to resume...

11 λεπτά