Government votes for controversial bill to curb increase in arrivals from Libya [Shutterstock] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The Greek government passed a controversial motion to help curb the surge in migrants and asylum-seekers arriving from Libya, as a European Union delegation to the North African country faced a diplomatic debacle. Specifically, Parliament voted in favor of suspending all asylum applications for individuals illegally entering the country by sea from North Africa for a period of three months. This was the apex of the harder stance adopted by the government that also introduced further disincentives, including slashing several benefits, with Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris stating that his ministry was “not a hotel”. However, opposition parties and human rights groups have slammed the measure as illegal. The ‘Course for Freedom’ party filed a constitutional challenge against the motion, which was rejected by the government majority. Former Deputy Prime Minister and former PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, a professor of Constitutional Law and widely considered an expert in his field, called it “absurd”. It is worth noting that the vote has created turmoil within main opposition party PASOK, with the party deciding to effectively abstain from the vote by having its MPs cast blank ballots. This led to, expected, criticism from both the government and other opposition parties that PASOK is dithering, but also from within the party with several influential party voices including, as mentioned, Venizelos and Mayor of Athens Harris Doukas. Rights groups have also stated that a suspension of asylum applications violates both international and European law. “Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane”, said the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The government’s decision to pass the measure comes as Crete and its surrounding islands are facing a severe increase in the number of arrivals from Libya. Just on Monday and Tuesday, more than 2,000 people arrived on the island, with 520 being rescued off the nearby island of Gavdos on Wednesday. To exacerbate the difficulties in managing the situation, a European delegation to the Benghazi authorities of Eastern Libya, including EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and migration ministers from Greece, Italy and Malta, was declared ‘personae non grata’ and was denied permission to disembark at Benina International Airport on charges of violating established diplomatic rules and international conventions. However, Athens has maintained a measured response to the diplomatic incident, as a few days earlier Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis had visited Eastern Libya for bilateral meetings with de facto ruler Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Sadiq Haftar, the Field Marshal’s son, visited the president of the Greek Community of Benghazi following the incident, reportedly assuring him that the officials’ expulsion was “not directed against Greece”. Greece’s relations with Libya continue to be dominated by the issue of maritime border delimitation. On Sunday, the Libyan government in Tripoli submitted a diplomatic protest over Greece’s delineation of its Exclusive Economic Zone as published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Tripoli government claims that Greece is infringing on areas over which it claims it has sovereignty, something Athens rejects. Sources within the Foreign Ministry stated that Tripoli’s claims are based on the Turkey Libya Memorandum of Understanding, which is widely seen to be null and void. Spotlight - As Greece marked ten years since the 2015 referendum, the country’s political scene is awaiting the likely return of two leading personalities of the financial crisis. Namely, former prime ministers Alexis Tsipras and Antonis Samaras who are widely expected to attempt a political comeback in coming weeks. A controversy over the minutes of the meeting between the political leaders that took place following the referendum, with Tsipras calling for their publication, has thrust the former SYRIZA leader into the spotlight, with several people around him suggesting that he could use the momentum to form a new broader progressive party, that could even include more leftist cadres of PASOK. At a time when the opposition continues to fail to capitalize on the missteps of the government, there are those who believe that the return of Tsipras could create a viable potential opposition pole. These rumours have only been fuelled by the increased public presence of Tsipras, who also sparred with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this week. However, this has also caused consternation within SYRIZA, with MP Pavlos Polakis calling on Tsipras to quickly make his intentions clear. On the other side of the political spectrum, the release of an 11-page manifesto by a new political initiative, dubbed the “Movement of the 91”, could act as the first steps of setting up a new party led by Samaras. The manifesto, which reflects the deeply conservative positions of the now-expelled former New Democracy MP, sharply criticizes the government and calls on experienced political leaders to return to the forefront. “The country’s reconstruction can only be undertaken by political figures with leadership credentials, government experience, integrity, education, and demonstrated patriotism”, it states. Such a party would primarily aim to attract voters from among the more conservative supporters of New Democracy, threatening to erode its commanding lead in the polls.
- The fallout of the OPEKEPE scandal continues to be a thorny issue for the government, with divisions within the ruling party deepening under the threat of more inquiry committees. While recent polls do not suggest that there has been significant electoral damage, the vast majority of respondents (70%) are rejecting the narrative set forward by the government, namely that the OPEKEPE scandal is a result of chronic deficiencies, instead laying the blame solely at the doorstep of New Democracy. The government is looking to contain the damage by setting the agenda, particularly as main opposition PASOK has yet to crystalise its position, despite its leader Nikos Androulakis attacking the government in parliament. One of the main ideas put forward to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is that the ruling party should propose its own motion to investigate the scandal omitting criminal responsibilities for the implicated ministers. This is considered important, because there are concerns that in a secret ballot the government may face parliamentary losses that could fracture its majority.
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OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
Kimberly Guilfoyle a step closer to Athens [Tierney L. Cross / The New York Times]Barring some unforeseen development, the US will have an Ambassador in Athens by September. It is unfortunate that it took eight months – a period during which Greece’s broader region was up in flames, Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day military confrontation, and the war in Ukraine intensified – for Washington to move forward with the confirmation process for Kimberly Guilfoyle. President Trump’s pick as US envoy to Greece should have been in Athens sooner. But that is criticism of the past. Hopefully, we are moving to the next stage. The aim now is to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and highlight Greece’s significant role in a critical and extremely volatile region. Guilfoyle’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last Wednesday, went smoothly. She adequately addressed Greek American relations, Turkey, as well as the trilateral scheme of Greece, Cyprus and Israel, while making clear Washington’s interest in the growing significance of the port of Piraeus, which China included in its global strategic vision and invested accordingly, more than fifteen years ago. The former television news personality and former prosecutor appeared well prepared when answering questions from senators from both parties – Republicans Jim Risch and John Barrasso, and Democrats Chris Van Hollen, Cory Booker and Chris Coons – who have dealt with the region and recognise Greece’s contributions. As expected, she put a special emphasis on economic cooperation and investments, including when talking about the bilateral defence cooperation, noting that Greece has purchased or will do so in the near future, advanced US military equipment, including among others, F-35s, Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. Last, but definitely not least, regarding Greek-Turkish relations, she opted not to emphasize the value of international law as much as Trump’s negotiating abilities for finding peaceful solutions in regional disputes, an interesting approach that might prove controversial or crucial, depending on the way things develop. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  The rate of inflation in June hovered dangerously close to 3%, with the recorded 2.8% being the highest rate of 2025. The main driver of this uptick has been repricing in both foodstuff and services, as well as an increase in energy prices following recent geopolitical tensions. Food inflation was particularly high, despite only registering at 2.3% due to a significant reduction in the price of olive oil (-32.9%). Otherwise there were increases to the price of meat (6%), fresh fish (9.7%), fruit (8.1%), and beverages (10.8%). Additionally, accommodation costs went up by 7.2%, driven primarily by an 11.4% increase in rental prices and 23.1% in electricity costs. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | Leros: The underrated Greek island that has it all Discover Leros, a hidden Greek island where untouched beauty, wartime history, and slow-paced living thrive beyond mass tourism. Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,960.17 points, up 2.19% from last week.” | | | “Large foreign investors in Greece’s renewable energy market are exiting the country, as the high returns of the past have been eroded by energy cuts and exponentially increasing zero prices. German ABO Energy sold its Greek subsidiary this week, with Portuguese EDPR and France’s Total Energy also looking to reduce their stake in Greece.” | | | “Hoteliers are expressing their view that the declared overtime data released by the Labor Ministry (indicatively, a 1,055% increase in May, recorded as part of the Ergani digital labor card) is distorted as it does not reflect the specificities of employment in the sector and have called for more information on the calculation used.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 15/07/2025Cyprus: Greece and Cyprus will mark 51 years since the coup against Archbishop Makarios with several events, before commemorating the anniversary of the Turkish invasion on July 20.
- 16/07/2025Hospital industrial action: The union representing hospital doctors has announced a two-hour work stoppage to protest new regulations implemented by the Interior Ministry. Earlier in the week, the National Health System is launching an evaluation platform.
- 17/07/2025European Commission for Energy: European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen will visit Athens, where he is expected to meet with Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou to discuss several issues including the Greece-Cyprus and Greece-Egypt cables.
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Editor's Pick The truth, though, is that Europe’s leaderships have grown weaker with the passage of time. Europe rarely produces strong leaders, and when it does they are rarely champions of its liberal institutions and traditional valuesAlexis PapachelasRead the article |
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