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Record breaking heat-waves, limited rainfall, and a spike in tourism have many in Greece concerned about the availability of water. This is something we’ve heard experts talk about with regards to Athens. In Greece’s Cycladic islands, however, which see millions of visitors every summer, this problem seems even more pronounced. Alexia Kalaitzi, an award-winning journalist and features reporter...

9 λεπτά

With the speed at which developments in Syria are unfolding after the fall of the Assad regime, dynamics in the country and the region are in flux. One question many are asking, however, is whether a decade or so of backing elements of Syria’s armed opposition is now about to pay off for Turkey and President Erdogan. Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council...

12 λεπτά

The news that Cyprus is eyeing a future in NATO has made headlines recently, with many arguing such a step could be transformative for Cyprus and the region. The story of Cyprus and NATO, however, is not new, but goes back to the creation of an independent Cyprus and a 1959 "gentleman's agreement". Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, a professor at the Department of History and Archaeology of the...

11 λεπτά

With the incoming Trump administration preparing to take office in over a month, countries like Greece and Turkey are trying to work out what this will mean for the region and their ties to Washington. Ryan Gingeras, a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history, joins Thanos Davelis to look...

15 λεπτά

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to visit Lebanon in the coming days, an important diplomatic move that underscores Greece’s commitment to fostering stability and security in the region. It would also make Mitsotakis the first EU leader - as Kathimerini notes - to visit Lebanon since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah. Steven Howard, the Director of Policy and...

13 λεπτά

While Greece and Turkey’s foreign ministers are working to lay the groundwork for a key summit between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdogan early next year, there are growing concerns that progress in resolving differences in the Aegean Sea is proving all but impossible. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis for a look at the ongoing...

12 λεπτά

Ex-German chancellor Angela Merkel’s memoir was recently released, and many are racing to see what she has chosen to reveal about key moments and players from Europe’s recent past - from the financial crisis to migration and the pandemic. Naturally, Greece is at the heart of a number of these developments. Xenia Kounalaki, a journalist, columnist, and foreign editor at Kathimerini, joins Thanos...

12 λεπτά

In a lightning offensive Syrian rebels seized Aleppo and are threatening other regime-held territories in the country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s closest allies, Russia and Iran, pledged unconditional support to his government on Monday, while a number of other countries invested in Syria - including Turkey, Israel and the US - are watching developments closely. Steven Cook, the Eni...

11 λεπτά

Developments over the past few months in Greece have seen SYRIZA lose its position as the main opposition in parliament to PASOK in the wake of leadership elections in both parties, the creation of a new political party on the left, and the ouster of a former prime minister from New Democracy. At the same time, the ripple effects of the US election are also being felt in Greek politics - as in...

12 λεπτά

The launch of a strategic dialogue between Cyprus and the US last month was quickly followed up by another historic development: President Christodoulides’ visit to the White House. With US-Cyprus ties deepening at a rapid pace, this was a chance for Christodoulides to present his strategic vision for Cyprus, including, as reports indicate, the potential future integration of Cyprus into NATO....

10 λεπτά

Earlier this month we saw a mini crisis break out in the southern Aegean as Turkey deployed four frigates near the Greek islands of Kasos and Karpathos thinking that an Italian ship - which had been at the center of a 40-hour crisis last July - was in the area conducting research for the future deployment of underwater cables linking Greece and Cyprus. While this was ultimately a...

11 λεπτά

This week Greece saw workers in the public and the private sector go on strike, demanding better wages in the face of rising costs across the board. This comes despite Greece’s economic success story, whether it's achieving investment grade or outperforming its Eurozone partners, and as the government announced it is set to make another early repayment of €5 billion of bailout-era loans. Nikos...

11 λεπτά

On November 17th Greeks commemorated the 51st anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising - a seminal moment that effectively delivered the first real blow to the military dictatorship, or the junta, that was ruling Greece. While the story of the uprising itself is well known, the Greek diaspora around the world also played an important role in the fight against the junta. Alexander Kitroeff, a...

14 λεπτά

On Monday the US warned Turkey against hosting Hamas leadership after reports emerged that some Hamas leaders had moved to Turkey from Qatar, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller saying Washington will make it clear to Ankara that there can be no more business as usual with Hamas. Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at FDD and an expert on Turkish politics, joins Thanos...

12 λεπτά

This weekend Prime Minister Mitsotakis took a bold and risky move to expel former prime minister and lawmaker Antonis Samaras from New Democracy. The story, and its potential impact on the government, is the main issue dominating the headlines in Greece over the past few days. Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of the risk analysis company Teneo, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this latest...

12 λεπτά

In 2016 European leaders treated Trump’s win as an aberration, something to ride out. Eight years later, European leaders are now trying to gauge what a second Trump presidency will mean for the continent. While Jean Monnet famously said “Europe will be forged in crisis,” the political turmoil in Germany and France, Europe’s two largest economies, has many asking if Europe is up for the...

14 λεπτά

This week President-elect Donald Trump unveiled his picks for a number of positions that will have a direct impact on US diplomacy and national security - including his nominations of Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State and Representative Michael Waltz for National Security Adviser. As Trump’s national security team takes shape, Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president for research...

18 λεπτά

This past weekend Stefanos Kasselakis announced the formation of a new political movement as SYRIZA prepares for a key leadership race. The decision not only throws the party into further turmoil, but leaves it weaker than ever and on the verge of being replaced as Greece’s main opposition party. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss Stefanos...

12 λεπτά

Last Friday Greece and Turkey’s foreign ministers held a much anticipated meeting in Athens to see if there is a way forward on resolving differences between the two countries, primarily in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. While there were no major breakthroughs last week, continued talks between the two countries on critical issues are seen as important - especially when it comes to...

10 λεπτά

Last month Greece unveiled a new and ambitious National Energy and Climate Plan that will almost eliminate electricity sector emissions by 2030. While these steps are massively important for the environment, they are also seen as an opportunity to unshackle Greece’s economy and create thousands of jobs. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis with an inside look into Greece’s ambitious climate...

11 λεπτά