Eleni Stamatoukou

Greece’s Leftist Ex-PM Alexis Tsipras Leaps into Political Unknown The resignation of former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as an MP with the SYRIZA party delivered a heavy blow to the left-wing force he once led - and opened the way for him to set up his own pa...

#AlexisTsipras’s resignation coincides with the imminent appearance of his new book. Greek commentators are more interested in what he will do next. But they are in no doubt that his departure is a major blow for the Greek left-wing party of #SYRIZA.

balkaninsight.com/2025/10/08/g...

Balkan Activists Detained as Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla Activists from several Balkan countries have been detained as Israeli forces raided the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of vessels which was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Gaza.

2/2 Greek, Turkish, Serbian and Bulgarian activists were detained in the Israeli raid on vessels participating in the flotilla transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza. Over 170 have now been deported, including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg.

balkaninsight.com/2025/10/02/b...

1/2 27 Greek citizens who participated in the #GlobalSumudFlotilla aid mission to #Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli navy last week "safely arrived in Athens” after being deported on a flight on Monday, said the Greek Foreign Ministry.

Endless Turmoil Threatens Greece’s SYRIZA Party With Extinction The left-wing party remains the main opposition force in the Greek parliament – but serial battles over policy and leadership and an ongoing identity crisis are pushing it towards oblivion, experts wa...

2/2 In the letter, #AlexisTsipras assured his former #SYRIZA colleagues that “we will not be rivals” and that “perhaps soon we will sail together again on more beautiful seas”. Tsipras's new book is planned to be published in December.

balkaninsight.com/2024/09/06/e...

Endless Turmoil Threatens Greece’s SYRIZA Party With Extinction The left-wing party remains the main opposition force in the Greek parliament – but serial battles over policy and leadership and an ongoing identity crisis are pushing it towards oblivion, experts wa...

1/2 #AlexisTsipras, Greek MP, former prime minister and ex-leader of the left-wing #SYRIZA party, submitted his resignation as a SYRIZA MP on Monday in a letter to the parliament speaker – although he is not quitting politics or leaving the party itself.

#Greece #GreekParliament

Balkan Activists Detained as Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla Activists from several Balkan countries have been detained as Israeli forces raided the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of vessels which was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Gaza.

Greek, Turkish, Serbian and Bulgarian citizens are among the activists who have been detained by the Israeli Navy following its raid on vessels participating in the #globalsumudflotilla, which was transporting #humanitarianaid to #Gaza. After being detained, they are expected to be deported.

Της Βασιλικής Σιούτη | LiFO Το πόθεν έσχες των πολιτικών ως λαϊκό ανάγνωσμα αντί για εργαλείο διαφάνειας και λογοδοσίας.

"Ούτε αυτή τη φορά προηγήθηκε ένας αυστηρός και ανεξάρτητος έλεγχος για το αν τα εισοδήματα και τα περιουσιακά στοιχεία των πολιτικών είναι πράγματι αυτά που δηλώνουν, όπως δεν έχει γίνει ουσιαστικός έλεγχος για τον τρόπο κτήσης τους."

www.lifo.gr/stiles/optik...

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⚡️Another serious cause: faulty overhead power lines operated by the national grid manager HEDNO.

⚖️ From 2012–2024, 30 legal cases were filed against HEDNO; 3 employees were convicted.

2/3 ⛔️Authorities avoid publishing fire cause data, crucial for building an effective strategy.

🔥 From 2000–2023, only 16.8% of wildfires were investigated, and only 12,1% have a cause.

📉 Human causes (negligence or arson) are responsible for 91% of fires.

Finding the Spark: Greeks Demand Probe Into Causes of Wildfires After another destructive fire season, experts and activists say that unless Greece starts investigating what’s starting these blazes, it will never be able to prevent them.

1/3 🇬🇷⚡️Greeks demand transparency on wildfire causes!

🔍 At Balkan Insight - BIRN, we investigated why Greece faces devastating fires every year.

👉 Experts say it’s not just climate change — but lack of prevention and abandonment of rural areas, once guarded by locals.

📍November 16, 1916: HMHS Britannic, the “sister ship” of the Titanic, sank off the coast of Kea after striking a German mine.

🔎 May 6–13, 2025: For the first time, artifacts were recovered from the historic wreck, at a depth of over 120 meters.

#Britannic #Shipwreck #History #Kea

Greek Court Convicts Novartis ‘Whistleblowers’ of False Testimony After court finds two former protected witnesses in the Novartis case guilty of false accusation and false testimony against several politicians, former prime minister demands to know who 'orchestrate...

A court in #Greece on Monday found two former protected witnesses – who claimed ten politicians were bribed by the Swiss global healthcare company #Novartis, including two former prime ministers – guilty of false accusation and repeated false testimony.

balkaninsight.com/2025/09/15/g...

Fake Farmers: Greek EU Aid Scam Highlights Scourge of ‘Clientelism’ Millions of euros in EU subsidies were paid out to Greeks who fraudulently declared pastureland, but while state complicity is clear, the government looks unlikely to fall.

The Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority ordered the freezing of the assets of former New Democracy member Kalliopi Sermetzidou, who, along with her partner and two relatives, allegedly misused EU agricultural subsidies of around 2.6 million euros.

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/17/f...

ΠΑΓΝΗ: Κατέρρευσε ψευδοροφή στην καρδιολογική κλινική - Τραυματίστηκε ασθενής στο κεφάλι Σύμφωνα με το νοσοκομείο, ο ασθενής βρίσκεται σε καλή κλινική κατάσταση, αλλά για προληπτικούς λόγους υποβλήθηκε σε αξονική τομογραφία εγκεφάλου

ΠΑΓΝΗ: Κατέρρευσε ψευδοροφή στην καρδιολογική κλινική - Τραυματίστηκε ασθενής στο κεφάλι

Πότε ξεκινάει η δίκη για τα Τέμπη, ο φάκελος των 60.000 σελίδων, ποιοι θα λογοδοτήσουν | ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ Εστάλη ο φάκελος στον Άρειο Πάγο - Δισέλιδο το έγγραφο του ανακριτή, δεν αναφέρει αδικήματα - 10 γενικοί γραμματείς του υπουργείου Μεταφορών θα κριθούν από το Δικαστικό Συμβούλιο

Η πολύκροτη δίκη για την τραγωδία των Τεμπών αναμένεται, εκτός απροόπτου να ξεκινήσει την άνοιξη του 2026, ενώ 10 γενικοί γραμματείς του υπουργείου Μεταφορών μαζί με τον Κ. Καραμανλή, θα κριθούν από το Δικαστικό Συμβούλιο ίσως νωρίτερα από τη δίκη.

www.tovima.gr/2025/09/09/d...

Fugitive Moldovan Oligarch’s Extradition From Greece Faces Delays Greece has confirmed it intends to extradite Vladimir Plahotniuc back to Moldova – but no date for the transfer has been set, amid claims that Moldova's authorities are playing politics with the timin...

Fugitive oligarch #VladimirPlahotniuc will be extradited from Greece to Moldova, but timing is everything. His lawyer accuses Chisinau of delaying until just before the Sept 28 elections to score points.

#greece #moldova #russia

balkaninsight.com/2025/09/08/f...

Greece Passes Law Potentially Jailing Rejected Asylum Seekers Tough new bill introducing fines and prison terms for illegal migrants draws condemnation from opposition parties and human rights organisations.

#Greece’s parliament approved a bill toughening the measures for rejected #asylumseekers. The bill has been however criticised by opposition and #humanrights organisations as abusive and #racist.

#migration

balkaninsight.com/2025/09/03/g...

Greek Police Say Millions of Euros Taken in EU Farming Funds Fraud Minister says Greek police investigation shows 1,036 claimants falsely obtained EU agricultural subsidies worth 22.7 million euros from 2019 to 2024.

#Greekpolice investigated 6,354 tax identification numbers, of which 1,036 were identified as having illegally received EU agricultural subsidies amounting to 22.7 million euros over the period 2019 to 2024.

#farming #Greece #eusubsidies

balkaninsight.com/2025/09/02/g...

‘McDonald’s vs. KFC’: Greek Bill to Allow Private Universities Stirs Anger A government bill in Greece to allow the creation of private universities faces stiff resistance among university students and staff.

Despite opposition from students and academics, 4 branches of foreign universities have received operating licenses in #Greece, marking the first wave of establishment of #nonstateuniversities in the country, Greek education officials announced today.

balkaninsight.com/2024/02/13/m...

Turkey Bars Balkan, European Mayors From Visiting Jailed Opposition Leader A delegation of mayors from Europe and the Balkans has been blocked from making a solidarity visit to the jailed opposition mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu.

The mayor of #Athens, Haris Doukas, expressed his support for detained Istanbul mayor #EkremImamoglu during a solidarity visit to the Turkish city with other EU mayors. "This is not only a sign of support for him, but also a stand for democracy, against authoritarianism," the Greek mayor stated.

As Public Opinion Shifts, Greece Eyes Benefits of Nuclear Power Recent remarks from Greece’s prime minister suggest the government is ready to embrace nuclear power, amid signs of a shift in the public mood.

Greece’s PM Mitsotakis says the country should be “ready to join the nuclear alliance.”

👉 Public support for #nuclear has jumped from 18% in 2018 to 43% in 2023.
👉 Advocates see lower emissions & costs with #SMRs.
👉 Critics warn of waste & safety risks.

Is nuclear Greece’s future—or a gamble?

Fresh Blazes Across Greece Test Firefighters’ Limits Thousands of firefighters and volunteers are battling blazes in what is described as the ‘worst 24 hours of the wildfire season’.

“It is certainly the most difficult 24 hours of the fire season,” Kostas Tsigas, president of the Fire Service Officers’ Union, told the Greek public broadcaster on Wednesday.

#Greece #wildfires

balkaninsight.com/2025/08/13/f...

Blaze on Crete, Greece, Forces Tourists and Locals to Flee Large fire on Greek island prompts residents and tourists to evacuate the area, as authorities report a ‘difficult situation’.

A wildfire in Keratea, Attica, which broke out today at 2 pm, is out of control, burning houses. Locals have been alerted to evacuate their homes. Strong winds of 9 Beaufort are blowing in the area. Air and ground forces are trying to contain the fire.

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/03/b...

Blaze on Crete, Greece, Forces Tourists and Locals to Flee Large fire on Greek island prompts residents and tourists to evacuate the area, as authorities report a ‘difficult situation’.

#Greece has been hit by more #wildfires as a blaze broke out in an agroforestry area on #Kefalonia island, causing locals to evacuate their homes, while fires are also burning vegetation in #Megara, West Attica. Firefighters have been fighting the blazes.
balkaninsight.com/2025/07/03/b...

Fake Farmers: Greek EU Aid Scam Highlights Scourge of ‘Clientelism’ Millions of euros in EU subsidies were paid out to Greeks who fraudulently declared pastureland, but while state complicity is clear, the government looks unlikely to fall.

2/2 Semertzidou resigned after media reported that she and her relatives fraudulently received €2.5 million in agricultural subsidies – a claim she said “does not correspond to reality”.

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/17/f...

Fake Farmers: Greek EU Aid Scam Highlights Scourge of ‘Clientelism’ Millions of euros in EU subsidies were paid out to Greeks who fraudulently declared pastureland, but while state complicity is clear, the government looks unlikely to fall.

1/2 Greek public broadcaster ERT reports that EU prosecutors have ordered a preliminary investigation into a recently-resigned member of the ruling New Democracy party, Kalliopi Semertzidou, over alleged wrongdoing while receiving EU subsidies.

Greece Swelters, Fire Warnings Issued, as Heatwave Rolls On With temperatures soaring as high as 44 degrees Celsius, authorities are urging the public to be vigilant about fires and to avoid outdoor work.

#Wildfires have broken out in five regions across #Greece this Friday. #Firefighters are battling flames in Kilkis, Thesprotia, Ioannina, Kastoria, and Ancient Olympia, while temperatures in some areas—such as Messenia, Peloponnese—have soared to 46°C.

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/25/g...

Greece Swelters, Fire Warnings Issued, as Heatwave Rolls On With temperatures soaring as high as 44 degrees Celsius, authorities are urging the public to be vigilant about fires and to avoid outdoor work.

2/2 Even temperatures inside people’s homes have hit unbearable levels, said @greenpeace.eu - #Greece and Greece’s Passive House Institute in a study noting that “indoor temperatures in uninsulated and inadequately upgraded homes reached up to 34 degrees Celsius”.
balkaninsight.com/2025/07/25/g...

Greece Swelters, Fire Warnings Issued, as Heatwave Rolls On With temperatures soaring as high as 44 degrees Celsius, authorities are urging the public to be vigilant about fires and to avoid outdoor work.

1/2 With temperatures soaring as high as 44 degrees Celsius, authorities in #greece are urging the public to be vigilant about fires and to avoid outdoor work.

#heatwave

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/25/g...

As More Migrant Boats Arrive, Greek Island Feels Impact of Libya Tensions Tensions between Greece and Libya have a direct effect on the flow of refugees and migrants arriving on the shores of the island of Crete, in turn pushing Athens to adopt ever more repressive measures...

2/2 The surge of migrants in the Greek island of #Crete led #Greece to tighten its migration stance by suspending #asylum applications for 3 months; while a new bill proposing prison for people residing illegaly in Greece is promoted.

balkaninsight.com/2025/07/24/a...