The Greek Letter ekathimerini.com - 11 October 2026 - U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Athens - Constantine Capsaskis - and more...

 

Secretary of State Rubio in Athens[InTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted an official visit to Greece this week, reaffirming the strong and strategic relationship between the two countries. “As you see a world that faces these destabilizing events, you recognize how important this alliance with Greece is to the United States,” Secretary Rubio said during his visit. “It is a source of stability in an unstable world”. The visit was made as part of the sixth strategic dialogue between the United States and Greece, with talks between the two sides focusing on issues of defense, security, energy, shipping and technology. The two sides also renewed an agreement that paves the way for the return of dozens of illegally trafficked Greek antiquities from the US. One of the agreements reached between the two sides concerns the sale of US military equipment to Greece, worth an estimated four billion dollars. Athens also secured an initial approval for the release of advanced weapons systems for Greece’s F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets and its F-16 Vipers. A joint security program that deepens counterterrorism information sharing between US and Greek law enforcement agencies was also announced, with Secretary Rubio stating that Greece was a key partner on border security, counterterrorism and combating transnational criminal organizations. Energy was also an issue that was high on the agenda, including several ongoing connectivity projects like the Great Sea Interconnector. “We are very committed to the success of these projects and we are very committed to the partnership that we have with Greece on energy security”, said Secretary Rubio. However, he also recognized that the particular project, which is set to link the power grids of Greece and Cyprus, is “connected with a very sensitive situation that also concerns other countries” and added that “issues of this nature that are sensitive and important are probably better addressed through private diplomacy”. When asked to comment on Greek-Turkish relations, and specifically if the US would intervene in the case of a sharp escalation in the Aegean, in an exclusive interview with Kathimerini Executive Editor Alexis Papahelas, Secretary Rubio stated that “To me, it would be unimaginable that something like that could happen. These are two NATO allies and two NATO partners – so it just can’t happen. It wouldn’t be good for anybody. It wouldn’t be good for either Turkey or Greece, but it also wouldn’t be good for the United States. So, rather than even think about it, I would just say it’s something that, to me, is unthinkable, something that we could never allow to happen, and I don’t believe will happen.” Secretary Rubio concluded his visit to Athens with a speech atop the Pnyx Hill, praising Greece as “a model ally”. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who met with the Secretary of State following his speech, emphasized the historic ties between the two countries and highlighted their common interests, including preserving freedom of navigation. Reflecting on the visit, Mitsotakis would later say that it underscored Greece’s strategic role in the Eastern Mediterranean. Spotlight The situation surrounding the status and properties of Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula continues to be in flux ahead of a looming deadline on October 24, when a stay on an Egyptian court decision that the monastery lies on state land expires. In fact, unless a deal between the monastery and the Egyptian government is struck before October 22, there will not be enough time for the paperwork to be filed before the decision comes into effect. Athens, which has helped mediate in negotiations, believes that a further extension is unlikely, following four previous delays. Greek official Giorgos Kalantzis traveled to Jerusalem seeking intervention from the Patriarchate there, while Sinai’s Abbot Simeon plans to assist the efforts.   Despite the school year having started almost a month ago, there continue to be approximately 16,000 teacher vacancies across both primary and secondary educational levels. This was also exacerbated by hiring errors that preserved severe gaps. In the Fourth Athens District, for example, general education vacancies were omitted by oversight during the second hiring phase. This has led to severe difficulties in many schools, which have insufficient staff members to meet requirements. As a result, there are reports of children having to sit in classes above their own grade level. The situation is even more critical when it comes to special educational needs, with the National Confederation of Disabled People expressing deep concern over parallel support, warning that “insufficient staffing creates serious risks to substantive and individualized support for students”. To help mitigate the situation, the Education Ministry has scheduled a third round of hirings in November.

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OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Government, opposition looking ahead[InTime News] Just days after the departure of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that naturally brought foreign policy at the forefront, with an obvious impact on the US-Greece bilateral relationship, and indirect repercussions on the Greek-Turkish front, the country’s domestic politics returned to center stage. With the conclusion of America’s top diplomat two-day visit – that included many agreements on weapons, and an emphasis on Greece’s stabilizing role in its neighborhood and beyond, with energy and shipping some of the clearest examples of the latter – domestic issues returned to center stage. According to all indications the next elections will take place sometime late spring, and the center right and center left are trying to figure out the best ways to deal with the challenges each one is facing and plan their campaign strategies accordingly. The way things stand right now, New Democracy seems all but assured of first place. The uncertainty concerns the extent of the ruling party’s victory which will determine if it will be able to form a government by itself, something that seems highly unlikely. The goal for ND is not just winning, but the extent of the victory. A few days ago, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself noted that if he does not clear more than 25% of the vote, compared to 40% four years earlier, he might be challenged. Still, he remains optimistic that he will attain a much higher result. On the center-left opposition, some prominent members are pushing for a “progressive” electoral alliance, which till now seems elusive as the leaders of the two main center-left parties, Alexis Tsipras of the Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) and Nikos Androulakis of PASOK, are not willing to move towards that direction, viewing each other as the main political rival, instead of the conservative prime minister. ELAS and PASOK are in a fierce battle for second place with most analysts agreeing that in the very likely scenario of an indecisive election, the party that will achieve that goal will have the upper hand in trying to form some kind of broad “progressive front” to more seriously challenge ruling New Democracy.

CHART OF THE WEEK

Following the death of popular singer Giorgos Mazonakis at a private clinic run by an unqualified doctor falsely claiming Honolulu credentials, the Athens Medical Association (ISA) has received hundreds of complaints in under a month. Most allege unproven treatments or actions contrary to medical science. ISA has announced that it is impossible for it to examine the veracity of the allegations and is willing to forward them to the National Transparency Authority and regional authorities. In a letter to Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, ISA highlighted its operational constraints. Currently, ISA has seven three-member inspection committees overseeing 16,500 entities and 28,500 doctors, whereas 20 committees are needed.

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ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The Euronext Athens (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,559.18 points, down 2.93% from last week.”

“The European Commission has approved Greece’s request for a fiscal exemption to cover investments in energy security, putting in motion a one-billion-euro plan. At the same time, the Commission also included three Greek endeavours in its 46 strategic raw material projects.”

“Inflation in Greece continues to be persistently higher than in the rest of the Eurozone, with Eurobank noting four key reasons for this. It names increasing domestic demand due to Greece’s economic growth, limited competition, labor shortages, and high energy dependence.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

13/10/2026Social Media Ban : The government’s legislation that seeks to ban access to social media platforms for under-15s will be introduced to the relevant parliamentary committee next week. 14/10/2026Heating Oil: The government, following the introduction of an amendment in Parliament, is set to announce the level of subsidies for heating oil ahead of the winter, thought to range from 20 to 30 euro cents per liter. 14/10/2026SYRIZA: The leadership of leftist party SYRIZA has reportedly told 12 independent MPs who left the party that they have until Wednesday to make their intentions clear, namely either founding a new parliamentary group or resigning and returning the seat to the party.

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PODCAST

06/10/2026 • 53:11Russia’s hybrid war and Europe’s far right turnAlexander Gabuev, Dimitar Bechev, and Lambrini Rori join Thanos Davelis as we dig into Russia’s escalating hybrid campaign against Europe the questions it raises for policymakers on the continent, whether the rise of far right parties that are sympathetic to Russia will impact Europe’s response, and whether Greece should also be concerned about the upsurge in support for far-right parties in Europe.

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