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Last week HALC sounded the alarm over North Macedonia’s adherence to the Prespa Agreement, launching a letter and petition to the State Department urging it to remind Skopje that international agreements are binding - not optional - and that there will be consequences. North Macedonia’s newly elected leaders have repeatedly referred to their country simply as “Macedonia” rather than the...

16 λεπτά

The United States and Turkey are reportedly discussing the possibility of US companies building nuclear reactors in Turkey. This is seen as part of an effort to help Ankara move away from Russia, at the same time as Russia’s state-owned nuclear monopoly, Rosatom, is building a nuclear energy plant in Turkey at Akkuyu. While Washington looks like it is dangling the possibility of cooperation in...

9 λεπτά

On a narrow street in the old Greek quarter of Alexandria, the world renowned poet and writer Constantine Cavafy created some of the masterpieces that still inspire people across the world today. As of this past May, this home in Alexandria is now open to the public. Together with the Cavafy Archive in Athens, which is home to over 2,000 digitized manuscripts, with poems and handwritten notes,...

12 λεπτά

With Greece deep into its tourism season, issues of over-tourism and sustainability have largely dominated the headlines. A recent article in Kathimerini took a slightly different look at tourism, exploring how it impacts young Greeks. With the quintessential Greek summer increasingly out of reach for many in the country as they are priced out of certain locations, many young people end up...

12 λεπτά

Last week Keir Starmer led Britain’s center-left Labour Party to a historic win over the Conservative Party. Prior to the elections, in November, Starmer had indicated that if Labour won the general election he would not prevent an agreement for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. Ioannes Chountis, an adviser in the House of Lords and a council member of the Anglo-Hellenic League, joins...

10 λεπτά

While Hungary’s Victor Orban - who currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU - is bidding to become the dominant hard-right force in the EU, he’s also raising eyebrows on the international level. His latest meeting with Russia’s President Putin and his decision to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Azerbaijan - which included the pseudo-state in the occupied north...

12 λεπτά

The case of Fredi Beleri, the convicted mayor elect of Himare who belongs to Albania’s Greek minority, has heightened tensions between Greece and Albania over the past year. A recent poll exploring Greek attitudes toward bilateral relations and their views on Albanians who have made Greece their home shows that while attitudes toward Albanian immigrants have drastically improved, assessments of...

13 λεπτά

Last month was the hottest June ever experienced in Athens, at least since records began over 150 years ago. In fact, eight of the hottest 10 Junes ever recorded in Athens were during the last 20 years and four of those were in the last decade alone. This is having clear consequences for the city and its inhabitants, as rising temperatures and protracted heatwaves, beyond impacting daily life,...

13 λεπτά

This week kicked off with two former prime ministers and leaders of New Democracy - Antonis Samaras and Konstantinos Karamanlis - launching maybe the most severe criticism of Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his leadership that we’ve heard so far, touching on foreign and domestic policy. Their criticism comes amid broader political uncertainty among Greece’s leading parties following disappointing...

13 λεπτά

With the US in the midst of an intense diplomatic push to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Turkey has also waded into the mix. While it’s still unclear what Turkey is looking to achieve should a conflict erupt, it looks like a policy is taking shape, especially after Ankara followed up on Hezbollah’s threats to Cyprus with its own “warning”. Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos...

11 λεπτά

With SYRIZA on the brink of civil war, PASOK facing a new leadership fight, and New Democracy still reeling from the aftermath of the European elections, it seems like a period of uncertainty has set in among Greece’s top political parties. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the challenges facing Greece’s political leaders amid the...

13 λεπτά

Earlier this month, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew - along with many other countries and organizations - attended the Ukraine Peace Summit. Nearly 80 countries issued a statement calling for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war. The Ecumenical Patriarch’s signature was originally on that document. Then an outraged...

9 λεπτά

Greece is moving toward a six-day workweek, with regulations coming into effect on July 1 that make this possible for certain industries. The government hopes this move, which comes as other Western countries and companies are considering shorter office hours, will help deal with a labor shortage and, among other things, fight black market labor. Dr. Jens Bastian, an expert with the German...

11 λεπτά

With another summer tourism season in full swing, the question of over-tourism and sustainability - particularly in tourist hotspots like Athens and the Cyclades islands - is once again at the forefront. It seems the government is also beginning to address these concerns, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis announcing plans to limit the number of cruise ships visiting popular islands. Yannis...

12 λεπτά

All eyes in Athens were on North Macedonia this weekend, as its new government and prime minister were sworn in. While Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski referred to his country as “North Macedonia” when taking his oath, his statements regarding the Prespa Agreement have not been reassuring, and Greece has warned that the a la carte implementation of Prespa is a violation of the agreement....

16 λεπτά

Greece sent its frigate “Psara” to the Red Sea this week to join Operation Aspides, the EU’s mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks. The Psara is replacing the Hydra, which completed a three month deployment in the Red Sea, at a time when the Houthis are escalating their campaign. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to...

12 λεπτά

Days after the US and Cyprus announced the launch of a strategic dialogue, a historic step that takes the bilateral relationship to a new level and highlights Cyprus’s strategic role in the region, Hezbollah’s leader issued a threat against Cyprus amid rising tensions with Israel. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to break...

14 λεπτά

Over the past 30 years, Greece has lost some 250 square kilometers of its beaches. This is expected to rise as climate change and rising temperatures continue to push up sea levels. Experts warn Greece is in the “red zone” because measures to stabilize the country’s beaches are long overdue. Costas Synolakis, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Technical University of...

12 λεπτά

The aftershocks of the European elections are still being felt in Greece, as none of the big three parties reached their stated goals. The country’s attention has turned to the center left, particularly PASOK, where several party officials are calling for a leadership change. At the same time, there are growing internal discussions in PASOK and SYRIZA regarding forming a coalition. Political...

12 λεπτά

In the northern Greek port city of Kavala, an ultra-luxury Greek hotel owned by Egypt and built by Mohammad Ali Pasha has become a base to not only explore Kavala, but also Greece’s historic ties to the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the broader Middle East. Sean Mathews, a Greece-based journalist covering the broader region, joins Thanos Davelis to break down how Kavala can serve as a...

15 λεπτά