On Wednesday Greece filed a written statement with the Council of the European Union stating it will not support Albania’s EU accession process as long as the case of the imprisoned ethnic Greek mayor elect of Himare, Fredi Beleri, remains unresolved. The move comes as Greece has come under EU pressure over Albania. Athens has made it clear, however, that its stance on the Beleri case is about defending European principles as it has to do with respect for the rule of law. Vassilis Nedos, Kathime...
Nov 30, 2023•12 min•Ep. 881
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last minute cancellation of his meeting with Prime Minister Mitsotakis over the Parthenon Sculptures this week has caused a diplomatic row between Greece and the UK, with Athens calling Sunak’s decision “unprecedented” and “disrespectful.” Bruce Clark, a contributor to The Economist with a long expertise on Greece, the author of the recent book Athens, City of Wisdom, which dives into the story of Lord Elgin and the Parthenon Sculptures, and a member of The B...
Nov 29, 2023•12 min•Ep. 880
In about two weeks Minister Mitsotakis and Turkish President Erdogan will meet in Athens, marking the third meeting in five months between the two leaders. While the frequency of their meetings and the de-escalation of tensions are positives, the absence of tensions or conflict does not mean normalization and peace. Constantinos Filis, the Director of the Institute of Global Affairs and an associate professor of international relations at the American College of Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to b...
Nov 28, 2023•11 min•Ep. 879
This week Prime Minister Mitsotakis unveiled a recovery plan in wake of this summer’s deadly wildfires in Evros and catastrophic floods in Thessaly, outlining a series of initiatives to address the climate crisis. Expert Konstantina Karydi joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this plan and look at whether - despite the lack of critical investments across the globe when it comes to climate action and building resiliency - Greece is sending the message that it is ready to address the challenges posed b...
Nov 23, 2023•16 min•Ep. 878
On Monday Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus is fully ready to launch a maritime aid corridor for Gaza. Cyprus plans to use its port of Larnaca to gather international aid and send it on to Gaza, as it is one of the closest places in the EU to the Gaza Strip. Jack Parrock, Deutsche Welle’s EU correspondent who traveled to Larnaca last week to find out how this plan will work, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what it will take to get this humanitarian corridor up and running, a...
Nov 22, 2023•12 min•Ep. 877
While SYRIZA is embroiled in an internal crisis that has seen key politicians ditch the party and even contemplate creating a new political grouping in parliament, the latest opinion polls show the center left PASOK overtaking left-wing SYRIZA for second place. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English edition, joins Thanos Davelis to look at whether PASOK can build on this lead in the polls and take advantage of the crisis in SYRIZA to establish itself as Greece’s main opposition....
Nov 21, 2023•11 min•Ep. 876
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom published an in-depth report this week examining threats to religious properties in Turkey, including places of worship, religious institutions, and cemeteries. This research looks at various threats and attacks over the last two decades and documents whether assailants were brought to justice. It also investigates the role of Turkish authorities in the protection of religious sites and the impact of government action, indifference,...
Nov 18, 2023•16 min•Ep. 875
The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday in a further setback to the Nordic country's hopes of joining the Western alliance after 18 months of delays that have left NATO allies frustrated. The move comes as Turkey’s President Erdogan prepares to visit Germany, has openly aired his desire to be hosted by Biden in Washington, is looking to purchase US F-16s, and doubles down on his support for Hamas while slamming the US, Israel...
Nov 17, 2023•19 min•Ep. 874
On Tuesday Prime Minister Mitsotakis highlighted to German Chanellor Olaf Scholz that Greece has the fastest rate of debt reduction in the world. From around 206% of GDP in 2020, Greek debt is expected to decline this year to around 160% of GDP, and this downward trajectory is expected to continue throughout the decade. Yannis Palaiologos, a journalist at large with Kathimerini and the author of the book The 13th Labour of Hercules: Inside the Greek Crisis , joins Thanos Davelis to look at how G...
Nov 16, 2023•11 min•Ep. 873
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was just in Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Migration, Turkey, energy issues, and the Middle East dominated the discussion, while the economy, once the top issue dominating relations between Athens and Berlin, took a backseat, reflecting Greece’s significant progress from the dire financial crisis of the previous decade. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor who was just in Germany, joins Thanos Davelis to look at...
Nov 15, 2023•14 min•Ep. 872
Following several weeks of tensions, a left-wing faction within SYRIZA, Greece’s main opposition, announced on Sunday that it was peeling off, accusing newly elected leader Stefanos Kasselakis of “Trumpian practices” and abandoning the party’s core left wing ideology for a sort of “right-wing populism.” Nektaria Stamouli, an Athens based journalist and Politico’s Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the current crisis within SYRIZA, look at the likelihood of a new...
Nov 14, 2023•11 min•Ep. 871
The Cypriot plan to supply Gaza with humanitarian aid, presented by President Nikos Christodoulides at the Paris Peace Forum this week, is gaining traction, particularly among EU member states. The planned sea corridor, in which Cyprus seeks a central role, was also the main issue discussed by Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on his recent trip to Amman and Ramallah, while President Christodoulides also spoke about it with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Professor Gabriel Haritos j...
Nov 11, 2023•12 min•Ep. 870
Egypt has been coming under “conflicting pressures” as the war in Gaza unfolds, both from Israel, the US, the EU, Hamas, and its public, all while looking at a potential economic crisis at home, leading to a difficult balancing act for Egypt. Despite these pressures, Egypt’s role in this conflict has become increasingly pivotal for the US. The recent visit by CIA Director William Burns to Egypt and Congress’s “exceptionally fast” confirmation of Washington’s new ambassador to Egypt underscore th...
Nov 10, 2023•16 min•Ep. 869
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 reportedly ready to press the “split” button. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a p...
Nov 09, 2023•16 min•Ep. 868
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 an inclusive approach. Ayla Jean Yackley, a journalist covering Turkey with stories in The Financial Tim...
Nov 08, 2023•11 min•Ep. 867
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 energy supply hub, creating jobs while helping Greece and the region become less reliant on Russian ene...
Nov 07, 2023•9 min•Ep. 866
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 installation in Greece is not only strengthening the NATO alliance and contributing to regional security ...
Nov 04, 2023•15 min•Ep. 865
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, especially when compared to other similar cities and coastlines across Europe. Nikos Roussanoglou, a jou...
Nov 03, 2023•12 min•Ep. 864
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 of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Mi...
Nov 02, 2023•18 min•Ep. 863
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 Ker-Lindsay, who has written extensively on the EU, the Balkans and Southeast Europe, joins Thanos Dav...
Nov 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 862
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 takes on a more dynamic role as a strategic hub, it’s also stepping up in the diplomatic arena. Vassil...
Oct 31, 2023•14 min•Ep. 861
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 join Thanos Davelis to break down the significance of both the relaunch of the CHIA caucus and Washington’...
Oct 28, 2023•16 min•Ep. 860
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 offered to buy Greece’s stake in Alpha Bank, marking the first investment in a Greek lender by another ...
Oct 27, 2023•13 min•Ep. 859
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 organization is called Ecogenia, and it is quickly gaining the attention of not only Greeks, but the US and the EU...
Oct 26, 2023•18 min•Ep. 858
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 a viable political solution. As Mitsotakis traveled to Israel, Turkey’s President Erdogan decided to f...
Oct 25, 2023•11 min•Ep. 857
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, European countries have boosted their security amid concerns that violence could spread to their capitals. The...
Oct 24, 2023•13 min•Ep. 856
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, linking mainland Azerbaijan to an exclave that borders Turkey and Iran. Aliyev has even threatened to solve...
Oct 21, 2023•16 min•Ep. 855
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 invited world leaders, including Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to Cairo this weekend for tal...
Oct 20, 2023•15 min•Ep. 854
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 Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himare. The sizable Greek minority in Albania has also denounced th...
Oct 19, 2023•15 min•Ep. 853
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 Israel and Arab countries, stands at the ready as well. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hel...
Oct 18, 2023•13 min•Ep. 852
