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While the tourism boom in Greece over the last years can be felt across the country, its epicenter is a group of islands in the Aegean known as the Cyclades. The tourism boom is also fueling seemingly nonstop development on the islands, putting the focus on the sustainability of this development model. Yannis Palaiologos, a journalist at large with Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss...

12 λεπτά

Turkey’s Parliament voted on Tuesday to approve Sweden’s membership into NATO, clearing one of the final hurdles for a major expansion of the military alliance. The move comes after nearly two years of Ankara setting roadblocks and delaying Sweden’s swift accession to the NATO alliance. Despite Tuesday’s vote Sweden’s accession is not yet guaranteed. Henri Barkey, the Cohen Professor of...

12 λεπτά

As Greece bounces back from a decade of economic crisis, earning praise in headlines and features across the board - from The Economist to the Wall Street Journal - it is also up against a series of challenges. One of those is the demographic challenge, which has been described as existential. Nikos Konstandaras, a columnist for Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to break down how Greece, given...

13 λεπτά

On Monday Greece introduced a bill that would allow for voting by mail, a long-standing request of diaspora Greeks and a measure that has been applied in almost all modern democracies. Interior Minister Niki Kerameus said the reform will make it easier to exercise the right to vote and will deepen democracy. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English edition, joins Thanos Davelis...

12 λεπτά

This week the leaders of the Hellenic Caucus in Congress sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to invite President Christodoulides to the White House to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus. They also urged the Biden administration to take a series of steps that could take the US-Cyprus relationship to new heights. In the meantime, Prime Minister Mitsotakis...

11 λεπτά

As Greece’s government looks set to get marriage equality legislation over the finish line, the bill itself has managed to rattle Greece’s political system - particularly within New Democracy, Greece’s ruling party. Given dissent within New Democracy over the bill, the government will need to look across the aisle to pass it. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos...

15 λεπτά

The seemingly unstoppable rise of tourism is transforming countries in ways that until recently belonged to the realm of the imagination. Greece is no exception, as it’s among the places most affected by this trend. Professor Stathis Kalyvas, the chairman of the Board of Directors at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and Gladstone Professor of Government at the University of...

13 λεπτά

About a week ago Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Turkey, where he met with Turkish President Erdogan. Diplomatic sources said Blinken arrived bearing potential gifts to entice Turkey to wrap up the issue of Sweden’s NATO membership. These included everything from new ways to provide F-16s to Turkey to a White House visit for Turkish President Erdogan. Michael Rubin, the director...

11 λεπτά

Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias recently outlined a new approach for how the Greek armed forces will be run, calling it “the armed forces of 2030”. Part of this new approach includes bolstering Greece’s defense industry, as Dendias noted that Greece cannot continue to buy everything it needs from abroad without producing anything of its own. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and...

15 λεπτά

This new year finds Washington in a bind over how to effectively engage with Turkey, a trend we’ve documented for at least half a decade. The tug of war over Sweden and F16s, and Ankara’s stance on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are the latest examples of this. Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to break down why a tough stance toward Ankara - setting clear parameters and enforcing them...

14 λεπτά

Greece’s government announced on Wednesday it will scrap all the fines imposed on the elderly who never got vaccinated against Covid-19, a move which has sparked heated debate in Greece. The decision comes amid a simultaneous outbreak of three respiratory infections, including Covid-19 and influenza. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition and Politico’s...

8 λεπτά

Over a year ago there were concerns that Turkey’s provocations and threats in the Aegean could turn into conflict. Over the last year, Turkey’s President Erdogan has pulled a 180 degree shift in policy, de-escalating tensions. 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,...

13 λεπτά

As Europeans prepare to head to the polls in June to vote for the European Parliament, there is a growing concern as far-right parties are making gains across the continent. We have seen far right candidates win elections in the Netherlands, while France’s National Rally and the German Alternative for Germany are gaining in popularity amid concerns over migration and inflation. Alexandra...

14 λεπτά

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Greece this weekend, and he and Prime Minister Mitsotakis once again highlighted how Greece-US relations are at their best, with both countries standing together in the face of some of the most acute challenges in the region. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the key...

13 λεπτά

2024 will see more than four billion people across three dozen countries head to the polls, in what the Washington Post has described as possibly “the greatest rolling spectacle of democracy in human history.” The stakes will be high in many countries, but all eyes, including in Greece, will be on the US elections as the latest polls suggest we may be in for a repeat of the 2020 election...

11 λεπτά

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis set the tone for the new year this week, announcing a mini cabinet reshuffle aimed at boosting his government ahead of expected reforms. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English edition, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what we should expect following this reshuffle and look at Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ agenda for 2024, which includes passing...

13 λεπτά

On Wednesday the US and a host of international allies warned that Iran-backed Houthi militants will face “consequences” if they continue to “threaten lives” and disrupt trade in the Red Sea. Earlier this week, what’s become an increasingly volatile crisis gained a new dimension as Iran sent a warship to the region, escalating tensions. Bradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on...

14 λεπτά

It seemed Sweden was ready to cross the finish line last week, with the stage set for Turkey’s parliament to vote on Sweden’s NATO bid. At the 11th hour, however, Turkey introduced new demands over its request for F-16s. This has put Washington in a bind, as for months the issue of F-16s to Turkey seems to have been linked to the sale of F-35s to Greece. Lena Argiri, the DC correspondent for...

9 λεπτά

The US has put together an international armada to deter Iranian-backed Houthi militias from Yemen from attacking shipping in the Red Sea, and this week Greece announced that it will participate in this US led mission - dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian. Nikolas Katsimpras, a lecturer in Columbia University’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program, an international affairs consultant, a...

10 λεπτά

The European Union on Wednesday broke years of political deadlock, striking a landmark deal on migration as negotiators worked through the night to agree on the overhaul of the bloc’s asylum procedures. The breakthrough was hailed as “historic” by EU leaders. Angeliki Dimitriadi, the head of the migration program at ELIAMEP, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this new migration deal, and break...

16 λεπτά