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European Chief Prosecutor in Athens [InTime News]
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi visited Athens this week, where she met with several government ministers and visited the port of Piraeus. The latter is a location of particular interest to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) as it is at the center of its investigation into alleged custom fraud. Dubbed “Operation Calypso”, the EPPO’s efforts in the Greek ports have led to the seizure of thousands of containers and revealed losses exceeding 800 million euros in unpaid custom duties. “This is not the work of small-time smugglers, but of criminal organizations, involving officials and bankers”, Kovesi said, adding that tax and customs fraud is amongst “the most powerful scams in the EU”. “The rules of the game have changed. There are no more safe havens for you”, she added. However, Kovesi also addressed both the investigation into the OPEKEPE agricultural payments agency as well as the failure to implement Contract 717, a €41 million EU-funded project to modernize Greece’s railway network. The latter has been particularly scrutinized as it is widely thought to have contributed to the Tempe railway disaster. “For many years, some people were stealing European funds that should have supported honest farmers in cultivating this beautiful country and not gone into villas and expensive cars. OPEKEPE became a byword for corruption,” she commented, adding that “the bad news, as in the Tempe case, is that the investigation could not go as far as it should have”. To this end, Kovesi called for an end to Article 86 of the Greek Constitution which states that only Parliament has the authority to investigate active or former ministers of any misdeeds. Kovesi unequivocally stated that EPPO investigations have been hampered by this provision. “The good news is that Parliament can amend Article 86,” she said. When meeting Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, Kovesi called for a strengthening of the EPPO’s offices in Athens, requesting the addition of a further three prosecutors (bringing the total up to 13) and the hiring of six administrative staff. The EPPO “is here to stay” emphasized Kovesi during a press conference following her visit. Spotlight
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 [Shutterstock]The efforts to lure back many of the Greeks who have left, especially during the crisis, are ongoing. According to data from the Ministry of National Economy, over 8,500 applications have already been submitted by individuals who wish to transfer their tax residence to Greece, taking advantage of the tax incentives put forward. Still, interpreting the data so far is a complex matter and it is not easy to reach conclusions with certainty. A positive outlook seems to emerge, but distrust is the dominant feeling among many, even those who do choose to return. This is mainly due to two reasons. The first, has to do with whether the tax incentives, which are indeed significant, will last so as to constitute a basic parameter of their planning. In this regard, the minister who is working on the issue must attempt to secure a broader consensus from other parties; this is a measure that, in general, enjoys broad support. The aim is to have a cross-party commitment that the implementation of the measure will continue over time and will not be overturned along the way. The process of repatriating tens of thousands exceeds the life of one government; if it is implemented properly, it will benefit Greece, not a single party, for many years to come. The second reason for distrust is a more general concern regarding the quality of everyday life – from the often unbearable traffic in Athens, to the quality of public transportation, or the condition of many streets, sidewalks, etc. Here the solutions are neither easy nor can they be implemented as quickly as they should be. Especially people who live in advanced countries – they are the main “target” of the repatriation effort – are used to a different everyday life based on rules and cannot easily come to terms with Greece’s many well-known shortcomings that unfortunately still exist. And these do not only concern the functioning of the state; they often also have to do with the behavior of individuals, including colleagues and competitors in whatever field one finds him or herself in. |
 A total of 15 Greek e-shops have been shuttered in 2025, facing fierce competition from the expanding presence of Chinese e-commerce platforms. Market experts warn that more closures may follow, with platforms like Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and others now accounting for approximately 20% of the domestic e-commerce market. As a result, the Greek E-Commerce Association (GRECA), in collaboration with other trade associations (including the Athens Chamber of Commerce), are proposing the imposition of a seven-euro levy on every low-value parcel, those valued at 150 euro or less, imported from third countries. This means that if the European Union does implement its own fee of two euros on such parcels, something being discussed currently, the total fee for these packages could reach a total of nine euros per parcel. |
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| “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,076.71 points, up 2.21% from last Friday for a six-week high.” |
| “Greece’s inflation recorded a sharp decline in September according to the latest data from Eurostat. According to the agency’s European Union-harmonized consumer prices index, annual inflation declined to 1.8% from 3.1% in August (the third lowest in the Eurozone).” |
| “The electricity transmission operators of Greece and Egypt (ADMIE and EETC) and the ELICA agency promoting the power linking of the two countries signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding to advance the Greece-Egypt GREGY interconnector.” |
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Editor's Pick Accusations of vested interests seeking to bring down a government are often a hallmark of administrations trying to justify poor performance. First, they point to external interests; next, they attack the media; and finally, they target polling companies.Read the article |
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