Where’s the beef?

By Constantine Capsaskis

Newsletter Editor

Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The frenetic pre-election period is almost at an end with the finishing line just a week away. Looking perhaps to win over some of the 600,000 undecided voters (11.5% of the total electorate), the leaders of Greece’s six largest political parties took part in a televised debate this week to present their vision for the country’s future.

Due to its strict format, the debate did not see any overheated clashes or controversial statements, with the politicians choosing a more conservative approach to avoid any surprises. They each answered questions on themes from the economy and foreign policy to the environment and the younger generation.

The parties sparred over the issue of state surveillance and the wiretapping scandal, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stating that the “explanations given at the time were not enough”, but said that he “bravely assumed the responsibility” when the scandal broke. Both SYRIZA and PASOK leaders Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulakis used the opportunity to attack the prime minister, with Androulakis emphasizing that in a country with the rule of law those accused would face criminal charges.

One of the main takeaways from the debate was that the prospect of a coalition government of Greece’s “progressive forces”, namely main opposition party SYRIZA, center-left PASOK, and left-wing MeRA25, seems highly unlikely with the latter two parties all putting dampers on the plan.

For his part, Prime Minister Mitsotakis insisted on a platform of a clear majority for his New Democracy party.

The Greek Communist Party, MeRA25, and the right-wing Greek Solution party, all expressed satisfaction with the performance of their leaders in the debate, which offered them the occasion to speak to a national audience (something they have fewer opportunities to do than the bigger parties).

With just a week left till Greeks go to the ballots, the latest opinion polls have ND leading SYRIZA by a margin of between 5.8 and 7 points.

Spotlight

• Turning from the domestic to foreign policy, the somewhat tense relationship between Greece and the government of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama took a swift downturn this week after Albanian authorities arrested Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek mayoral candidate in the city of Himara. In response, Greek diplomacy has reacted decisively with Greece’s ambassador in the country lodging a formal protest as well as Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias reaching out to Edi Rama over the affair. Prime Minister Mitsotakis also emphasized that “Greece and the EU will not accept any compromises on the rule of law and the protection of the rights of the ethnic Greek minority.” The Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka responded that “we urge our Greek friends to refrain from making statements that disrespect the independent institutions of our country”.

• Trouble is brewing on the popular tourist destination of Mykonos over the last couple of weeks. Following a brutal assault on a member of the island’s archaeological service, thought to have been instigated by businesses interests on the island, the authorities have taken a closer look at the situation on the island. One of the main areas on which they have focused are illegal constructions, with the government seeking to carry out several demolition orders that have been on hold for years. At the same time, the operation of popular beach club Principote has been suspended after a request by the Environment ministry to revoke its licence over 40,000 square meters of illegal constructions. Police on the island have also been investigated, with Kathimerini’s Yiannis Souliotis noting that text messages between construction contractors and a police sergeant were particularly revealing.

MUST READS

• What’s missing from the pre-election debate
• Dimitra and Persephone
• Where the heck is ‘Vrisvani’?

OPINION

Greece’s role and rapprochement with Turkey

By Tom Ellis

Editor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition

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Despite the seemingly more positive undertone in the comments made to Kathimerini by both candidates in Turkey’s presidential elections, Greece has to remain vigilant, making good use of its deepening alliance with the US, membership in the EU, and close cooperation with major countries in its region, namely Israel and Egypt.

The rapid development taking place in the first of these tracks was at the forefront this past week as members of the diaspora held their annual Cyprus and Hellenic conference in Washington, where they met and discussed with leading members of Congress, including the majority leader of the Senate, the Republican and the Democratic leader in the House, as well as chairmen of important committees. The same day, in New York, major figures of the Greek American community hosted a dinner for President Biden.

As one influential voice in the Administration noted in a private conversation during the conference, the more the US invests in Greece – in the defense, energy, and commercial sectors – the more it is becoming a permanent part of Greece’s pivotal role in the regional equation.

The Greek Prime Minister, and all of the country’s politicians across the ideological spectrum, prefer a real improvement in bilateral relations with Turkey.

But as the revisionism of the last decade has become the strategic norm of almost all political forces in the neighboring country, Athens cannot but remain cautious about the prospects of Ankara moving away from its effort to become the hegemonic power from the Balkans to the East Med and even North Africa, projecting an aggressive behavior and infringing on rights of other countries, including Greece.

Athens is sincere in its readiness to work for a rapprochement. Still, given the reality mentioned above, it will wait for substantive signs from Ankara that it is abandoning its expansionist approach and is abiding by international law and accepted norms.

CHART OF THE WEEK

The inflation rate in Greece receded to 3% in April, the lowest since October 2021, driven mainly by falling energy prices. However, the rate of food inflation remains high at 11.4%, a trend that is expected to continue until at least the end of Q2. However, the fact that it is declining, even by as little as 0.1%, points to the fact that the downward trend for food prices may have started even if it is only gradual. An exception to this overall trend is dairy products produced from sheep and goat milk whose price remains at a high level.

ESCAPADE

Metsovo, Epirus: A Destination for All Seasons

In the wilds of Eprius, deep in the heart of the Pindus Mountains, nature, tradition and history coexist in the beautiful Vlach village of Metsovo.

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ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

1. “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index saw a second consecutive week of growth despite the elections on Sunday, perhaps pointing to market certainty about their result. The benchmark closed at 1,122.75 points, adding 1.04% from last week.”
2. “Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras made a public intervention this week to address Greece’s political world and warn that ‘there is no fiscal space to accommodate all these pre-election announcements’. He stressed that Greece should aim for a cyclically adjusted primary surplus of 2% of GDP.”
3. “The National Offshore Wind Farm Development Program has designated the areas where the first offshore wind farms will be installed, including zones near Crete, the northern Aegean, the Dodecanese, as well as the Cyclades. Both domestic and international investors are ready to bid on the projects.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

15/05/2023

Eurogroup and ECOFIN: European Finance Ministers will meet in Brussels for the two meetings. Among the issues expected to be discussed are the structural challenges facing the eurozone corporate sector from the prevailing geopolitical tensions.

19/05/2023

Pontic Greek Remembrance Day: Greece will commemorate the Pontic Greek Genocide Remembrance Day to mark the systematic killing of Greeks who lived on the shores of the Black Sea by the Ottoman Turks. It was officially recognized by the Greek state in 1994.

21/05/2023

Elections: The final week of campaigning will culminate with Greeks voting to elect a new parliament, determined by a system of proportional representation. Barring a majority for any party, an unlikely outcome, party leaders will be given an opportunity to form a coalition government.

PODCAST

Athens emerges as a magnet for Israelis buying Greek real estate

Athens is currently on the radar for many looking to purchase real estate, but it has also emerged as a magnet for Israelis looking to escape a cost-of-living crisis at home, and more recently, Israel’s political turmoil. Sean Mathews, an Athens based journalist, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Israelis are drawn to Athens, what this means for Athenian real estate, and why Athens has emerged as a safe bet for many across the region.