Government survives vote of no-confidence

By Constantine Capsaskis

Newsletter Editor

Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis survived a vote of no-confidence in Parliament on Friday, capping off a week of intense political hostility.

The rumblings began on Tuesday when the head of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) Christos Rammos, the independent privacy watchdog, sent the Speaker of Parliament, party leaders, and the Justice Minister a?letter noting that his agency had identified the surveillance?of one minister and five officers of the Hellenic Armed forces by the National Intelligence Service.

The letter provoked the?furious response of the government, with its spokesperson accusing Rammos of seeking to become a “political actor in a sensitive period” and Mitsotakis questioning his independence.?Rammos rejected the criticism?as “deeply insulting [to his] honor and reputation”.

The letter was also used as a springboard by main opposition party SYRIZA to?submit a no-confidence motion against the government on Wednesday?accusing it of being behind the mass wiretappings, with leader Alexis?Tsipras having also met with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou?on this issue.

The motion?was defeated by 156 to 143 votes, with all government parliamentarians voting against and all opposition parties voting in favor, but not after days of bitter political debate in the House. In fact, Deputy House Speaker Nikitas?Kaklamanis had to intervene on several occasions?to maintain decorum, at one point even asking “Are we not ashamed? Is this a parliamentary session?”.

Indicatively, as a small amuse-bouche, “a violation of institutions” and “hooliganism by far-right extremists” were among some of the comments made by SYRIZA parliamentarians, while government MPs responded with comments referring to the opposition as “political apes” and accusing Rammos of being a “fifth columnist”.

The debate between Mitsotakis and Tsipras on Friday was also a tense affair, with tempers boiling over regularly.?Accusations of corruption were bandied around regularly?by both leaders, with both Mitsotakis and Tsipras using strong language during their speeches. The showdown is?likely to set the tone?for the remaining pre-election period.

All other opposition parties?also voted to censure the government, with the leader of PASOK’s parliamentary group Michalis Katrinis stating that the government “has?greatly damaged the country, democracy, and the rule of law.”

Dimitris Koutsoumpas, head of the Greek Communist Party, stated that his party’s “censure of the New Democracy government?is a given and a constant”, while?also attacking SYRIZA?for its alleged involvement in wiretapping the Communist Party when in government.

Greek Solution leader Kyriakos Velopoulos attacked the government stating that “we are not in favor of the censure motion?just on the issue of the wiretapping”, while DiEM25 head Yanis Varoufakis said that “DiEM25 is obviously in favor of the motion.”

However, according to Kathimerini’s?Stavros Papantoniou, the greatest loser from this week’s debate was PASOK, as?the absence of its leader,?Nikos Androulakis, from proceedings as he is not a member of the Greek Parliament (he is an MEP) was?strongly felt.

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OPINION

From heroism during the Holocaust to Golden Dawn, to a brighter future

By Tom Ellis

Editor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition

Last Thursday, Greece, along with the rest of the world, honored the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

People spoke of Greece’s painful experience during WWII, when almost 90% of Greek Jews were murdered. Τhey spoke also of the?determination to resist?– as highlighted by the heroic defiance of Archbishop Damaskinos and the mayor and the bishop of Zakynthos – which has special relevance today?given the alarming rise in antisemitism worldwide.

More recently, the support Golden Dawn managed to get in the ballot is?a dark chapter, albeit a short lived one, in the history of the country; a result of the economic crisis, still it should not have happened.

The revolt against the system, its decades of nepotism and corruption, as well as the prevailing injustices and inequalities,?should not have been expressed?through?voting for a party that used Nazi symbols.?Especially not in Greece, given the historical experience of WWII, the destruction and pain the country went through and how fiercely it fought Hitler’s forces.

The commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day offers an opportunity for some?honest reflection?on how Greeks think today.

It is not only the extreme version of antisemitism represented by Golden Dawn that is an issue. For decades there was a?tendency to not differentiate?between attacking the Jewish people as a whole and policies of the state of Israel.

But one can disagree with an action taken by Israel and not be caught in the slippery slope of antisemitism. Israeli Jews themselves, through their different political parties,?constantly and fiercely criticize their governments?on so many fronts.

I dare say there is light at the end of the tunnel. The present young generation of Greeks is?moving away?from confusing a totally acceptable reaction to a specific political decision of a government with the racist, shameful blaming of Jews for being Jewish.

Greece’s deepening cooperation with Israel, both bilaterally as well as trilaterally along with Cyprus, is not only the?right thing to do?geopolitically, is has helped bring the two peoples closer, and in doing so has?inflicted a major blow to antisemitism.

Having learnt from the painful past, and given the progress seen in the present, one has reason to believe?the future will be brighter.

CHART OF THE WEEK

The total income from Greek short-term letting properties is estimated to have reached 2.2 billion euros in 2022, up from 1.4 billion in 2019. The significant recorded increase in the average price per overnight stay is considered a clear indication of increased demand for short-term letting properties, while also signifying a stabilization of supply that did not see an equivalent growth rate. Indicatively, available properties numbered approximately 105,700, just 0.1% higher than those available in 2019. Increased prices were also the result of higher demand for higher quality accommodation in popular tourist destinations, including the center of Athens and the islands of Mykonos and Santorini.

ESCAPADE

Why Greece Remains a Top Choice for Tourism in 2023

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ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

1. “The?Athens Exchange?(ATHEX) general index?broke the 1,000-point mark, closing on Friday at 1,015.48 points. This marked a 3.74% increase from last week, with the main index?adding just under 10% in the first four weeks?of the year.”
2. “Credit ratings agency Fitch upgraded Greece’s rating to BB+,?one notch below investment grade. It noted that it?expects the country’s deficit to decrease, while also praising the efforts to Greek banks?to reduce their non-performing loans.”
3. “Greece’s?current account deficit may even reach 9% of the country’s GDP?estimates one bank according to the latest data released by the Bank of Greece. This would mark?the third consecutive year?in which Greece records a high current account deficit, with the?OECD expecting this trend to continue?into 2023 and 2024.”
4. “Pierre?Gramegna, the executive director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM),?met with Greek officials this week, including Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Finance Minister Christos Staikouras. Following the meeting, Gramegna emphasized the need for?continued reforms?and?fiscal prudence.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

30/01/2023

FM in Israel: Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will?meet his new Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen and are expected to discuss, among other topics relating to the?strong?bilateral co-operation?between the two countries, the?energy resources of the Eastern Mediterranean.

01/02/2023

President of Cyprus in Athens: The President of Cyprus?Nicos Anastasiades?will meet with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the?recent escalation of tension by Turkey?and re-establish that?there cannot be a two-state solution?on the island.

01/02/2023

SYRIZA pre-election rallies: Main opposition party SYRIZA leader?Alexis Tsipras?will?begin his latest series of tours?and rallies?across Greece’s electoral regions?ahead of the upcoming elections. The first of these will take place in the Athens suburb of Peristeri.

04/02/2023

European Capitals of Culture: The city of?Elefsina, selected as one of the three 2023 European Capitals of Culture, will hold?an opening ceremony, the Mysteries of Transition, to mark the?start of the artistic program.

PODCAST

Chios and Oinousses: The Greek islands leading global shipping

When breaking down the story of Greek and global shipping, two islands stand out today – Chios and Oinousses. Steven Tagle joins Thanos Davelis to discuss his latest in-depth report from both islands that breaks down how they came to lead the world’s shipping industry and how sea trade became Greece’s version of the American dream.