podlist.gr

Since Stefanos Kasselakis was elected as the new leader of Syriza, the party has been riven with internal strife and tensions. Key party members have either announced their departure from the party or been pushed out, while members of the “Umbrella” faction, which represents the left-wing opposition within the party and include figures like former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos, are...

16 λεπτά

Turkey’s main opposition party ousted its longtime leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu this weekend following his comprehensive loss in the presidential elections earlier this year. Members of the Republican People’s party (CHP) voted on Sunday to replace Kılıçdaroğlu with Özgür Özel, who has called for reform both in how the party is managed and how it approaches the upcoming elections, vowing to take...

11 λεπτά

On Monday Scott Nathan, the CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, or the DFC, signed a financing agreement for a $125 million loan to ONEX Elefsis Shipyards and Industries to rehabilitate and modernize the Elefsina shipyard near Athens. The investment will develop the Elefsina shipyard, which is strategically located near several key gas trade routes, into a maritime and...

9 λεπτά

The wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East have highlighted not only Greece’s role, but specifically the important role the naval base at Souda Bay - often described as the “crown jewel” of US-Greece military cooperation - plays in the Eastern Mediterranean. As Souda Bay takes center stage amid this regional instability, Steven Tagle joins Thanos Davelis to look at how the oldest US military...

15 λεπτά

The Athenian coastline - known as the Athens Riviera - is quickly emerging as a real estate hotspot, attracting both high end Greek and foreign investors, digital nomads, and tourists. A recent special report in Kathimerini has even called it the “El Dorado” of real estate as the area - despite having some of the most expensive real estate prices in Greece - remains an investment opportunity,...

12 λεπτά

Turkey marked its 100th year as a republic on October 29th, and Turks have been debating the country's evolution and how it measures up to the vision of the deeply secular Kemal Ataturk. While celebrations focused on the previous 100 years, it is also clear that President Erdogan’s ambition is to usher in another century forged more in his own image. Ryan Gingeras, a professor in the Department...

18 λεπτά

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed to bring the economies of the Western Balkans and the European Union 'closer' on Monday as she began a four-day tour of the region. Her plan includes a €6 billion investment package, to be delivered on condition the countries make reforms to open up their economies, overcome their conflicts and modernize their administrations. Professor James...

18 λεπτά

With the war in Ukraine on one side, and the outbreak of war in the Middle East on the other, Greece has become a strategic hub, and is practically the only reliable US partner in a region that is in constant turmoil. Whether it’s the port of Alexandroupolis in northern Greece, or Souda Bay in the south, Greece’s geopolitical value is becoming more and more tangible. At the same time, as Greece...

14 λεπτά

Today we’re heading to Washington, DC, where we’ve seen a number of key developments throughout the week, from the relaunch of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance Caucus to US lawmakers demanding that the State Department use all tools available to the US to hold the Turkish government accountable for supporting the operations of the terror group Hamas. Endy Zemenides and Sinan Ciddi...

16 λεπτά

Last week Standard & Poor’s became the first among the “big three” rating agencies to upgrade Greece to investment grade since the country’s debt crisis. Securing investment grade has been a key target for the Mitsotakis government, and the upgrade was hailed as "a great achievement and a game changer" for Greece. A few days later, in another vote of confidence in Greece, Italy’s UniCredit...

13 λεπτά

This year the Biden Administration launched the American Climate Corps, with the ambitious goal of putting more than 20,000 young people on career pathways in the fields of clean energy, conservation and climate resilience. At the same time, a group of Greeks, inspired by the AmeriCorps model of civil service, have embarked on a mission to become Greece’s national climate corps. The...

18 λεπτά

On Monday Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis traveled to Israel, where he met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and made it clear that he was there “not only as an ally, but as a true friend,” stressing that the Hamas attack on October 7th was “truly horrific.” This visit came on the heels of the Cairo Peace Summit on the Palestinian issue, where Mitsotakis reiterated the need for...

11 λεπτά

From Egypt to Brussels, governments are feeling the impact of the war in Gaza following the Hamas terror attacks against Israel on October 7th. While we saw Turkey try to take on a mediating role early on, it has shifted to openly criticizing both Israel and the US, leading many to wonder if President Erdogan is making a U-turn on efforts to mend relations with Israel. At the same time,...

13 λεπτά

Recent reports have sounded the alarm about the possibility that after its attack on Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan could soon invade Armenia proper, with Politico reporting that Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned a small group of lawmakers about this possibility. These concerns come as Azerbaijiani President Ilham Aliyev calls on Armenia to open a “corridor” along its southern border,...

16 λεπτά

The Hamas attack against Israel has upended the Middle East, and Egypt and its President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, like many others in the region, have been feeling the pressure. Given his unpopularity amid an economic crisis and broad pro-Palestinian sentiment among the Egyptian public, Egypt’s president is likely to be careful in how he manages the conflict in Gaza. At the same time, Sisi has...

15 λεπτά

European leaders met this week in Tirana with their counterparts from the Western Balkans amid efforts to reinvigorate the enlargement process and bring the region into the European Union. This has put the spotlight on Albania, which is keen to move its accession bid forward. Greece, however, has made it clear that this progress could be in jeopardy over the continued imprisonment of Fredi...

15 λεπτά

In the wake of the Hamas attack against Israel, both Cyprus and Greece quickly condemned Hamas, expressed their solidarity with Israel, and their willingness to contribute toward efforts that could lead to a deescalation. Cyprus has once again become a safe haven for people heading to and leaving Israel, while Greece, as the only EU and NATO member in the region with good relations with both...

13 λεπτά

Ahead of the second round of local elections everyone was expecting New Democracy to cement its political dominance across Greece. Instead, New Democracy candidates suffered surprise defeats in key regions and municipalities, including Athens and Thessaloniki. This has many wondering if we are seeing the first cracks in New Democracy’s grip over Greek politics. At the same time, this was a good...

10 λεπτά

With the second round of local elections set to take place on Sunday, ruling New Democracy, which posted a sweeping victory in the first round last week, is looking to build on this momentum to cement its dominance over Greece’s political scene. At the same time, the main opposition SYRIZA seems to be caught in a popularity rut, while Stefanos Kasselakis, its newly elected leader, is facing...

13 λεπτά

Turkey’s President Erdogan appears to be shifting away from his initial moderate tone following the shocking Hamas terror attack this past weekend. Instead, he slammed Israel and the US this week over their response to this terrorist attack. At the same time, Erdogan vowed on Wednesday to escalate Ankara’s ongoing military campaign against the Kurds in northeast Syria even as Syrian Kurds...

13 λεπτά