Ekathimerini - The Greek Letter : Visiting the Oracle before the elections 30 Nisan 2023

 

Visiting the Oracle before the elections[InTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Hundreds of political figures, business leaders and experts travelled to Delphi in central Greece this week to attend the eighth iteration of the Delphi Economic Forum. Among those making their way to the center of the ancient Greek world were the leaders of Greece’s three largest parties, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, and PASOK’s Nikos Androulakis. With elections just three weeks away, the Forum presented an excellent opportunity for the three to discuss their vision of the future. “Greece has taken important steps to reduce its public debt. It has attracted investment, new jobs, and this growth has allowed us to support households”, said Mitsotakis reflecting on the past four years. Looking ahead, the prime minister said that a future New Democracy government would seek to continue the work of digitization and would raise both the minimum and average wages by 25%. Tsipras used the stand at Delphi to call on the parties of the wider Left, primarily PASOK, to align and form a progressive coalition government. “If we are short 5-10 seats to have the majority we need to move forward”, he said, “they [the Greek Communist Party and MeRA25] will have the responsibility to either support this government or pave the way for Mitsotakis”. However, Androulakis was quick once again to put a damper on any premature coalition scenarios as he remained firm on his position that he would not support a government led by either Mitsotakis or Tsipras, but did state he was in favor of a coalition government following the May elections. “The main culprits behind the country’s major problems cannot be in leading positions”, he explained. The three main parties also revealed their at-large list of candidates for the upcoming elections. Irini Agapidaki, Secretary General for Public Health, heads the list for New Democracy, while Harvard Associate Professor of Medicine Othon Iliopoulos and political planning chief Panagiotis Doudounis are at the top of the list for SYRIZA and PASOK respectively.  Spotlight Evangelos Venizelos, former deputy Prime Minister and PASOK veteran, discussed the upcoming elections with Kathimerini English Edition Editor Tom Ellis and focused particularly on the role PASOK can have in a future government. He emphasized that coalition governments are not only the most widespread model of governance in Europe, but also the norm. He stressed that his political party, having borne the brunt of the fallout from the financial crisis by displaying responsible leadership, should not just be an afterthought but must maintain a sense of its own strategy.   The Foreign Ministry and the Hellenic Armed Forces, in collaboration with both regional and European partners, successfully evacuated dozens of Greeks, dependents, and citizens from other countries stranded in Sudan following the widespread conflict in the country as the Hellenic Air Force conducted several flights from the region with support provided by Greek special forces. The Republic of Cyprus has also been a critical link in the chain of evacuation, with several rescue flights from Sudan arriving on the island. MUST READS Interviews and press releasesGo to article > Election ennuiGo to article > For research to bloomGo to article > OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition US, Germany eyeing new effort after elections in Turkey and Greece[AP/Lefteris Pitarakis] The prospect of a new initiative for bringing Greece and Turkey closer and resolving what divides the two countries is being discussed more loudly in many circles, including diplomats of the major international players. Talking to Kathimerini and during the Delphi Economic Forum, influential voices of the heavyweights Washington and Berlin, signaled their countries’ intention to see progress being made following the upcoming elections in the two countries. Both US Ambassador to Athens George Tsunis and Jens Plotner, foreign and security policy advisor to the German Chancellor, an experienced diplomat who knows the issues well as he has also served as Ambassador to Athens, noted that after the election cycle in the relevant countries is concluded – Cyprus had its own elections last February – there will be a window of opportunity as all three countries will have ahead of them long periods without the shadow of polls hanging over them. That would presumably allow for some flexibility and enable politicians to come forward with constructive ideas. The potential new effort gets some needed push from the positive atmosphere created following February’s devastating earthquakes, resulting from the genuine Greek sympathy and immediate support offered to Turkey. Tsunis noted that “this is not Israel and Palestine where the problems are much more significant” and that the two countries “are perfectly capable of solving some challenges in the relationship”, adding that the US can play a supportive role, if asked. The same message was sent by Plotner, who recently hosted in Berlin a meeting of close advisors of Turkish President Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis. As many in Greece and Cyprus rightly feel that Athens or Nicosia are not the aggressor or the revisionist, they expect their strategic ally, the US, and their fellow EU partner, Germany to take this reality into account. Mediating does not mean keeping “equal distances” when the starting positions of the parties involved are not equal when measured against internationally accepted norms, and international law. Still, it would be a mistake to expect any mediator to support Greece beyond the obvious encouragement to use international law as the main toll of resolving differences and being critical of any threats and aggressive actions or even rhetoric. Third parties will facilitate the creation of the necessary conditions, try to cement the positive momentum, offer some ideas, but will keep a distance and will most certainly avoid being seen as dictating any potential agreement. CHART OF THE WEEK There are long-term shortages in antibiotics, respiratory medicines, cough syrups, eye drops, and medication for diabetes (both injectable and in pill form) that have created difficulties for thousands of Greeks. According to the latest update by the National Pharmaceutical Organization there are long-term and serious shortages for approximately 150 products. However, according to pharmacists, there are many more products that have very limited supplies which means they are often unable to provide patients with their prescribed medications for large periods of time. There are many reasons behind this situation ranging from production issues, short supply of primary ingredients, the under-supply of the Greek market by pharmaceuticals, to parallel exports. To remedy the situation, there have been calls to increase the number of medicines for which parallel exports have been banned.   ESCAPADE 10+1 Best Under-the-Radar Museums in Greece From traditional folk museums to state-of-the-art, interactive technoparks, here’s our list of some of Greece’s lesser-known museums. Go to article > ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL “The five-week positive streak of the Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended on Friday as the benchmark index closed at 1,085.11 points, down 2.36% from the week before. However, overall, April saw a monthly growth of 2.89%.” “The vast majority (75%) of Greek businesses aim to increase wages, with most (36%) planning to increase them from 1% to 5%. However, 66% of businesses think that compensation expectations by those seeking employment are unrealistic.” “Several leading figures, including CEO and Chairman of Fairfax Financial Holdings Prem Watsa, pre-eminent economist Nouriel Roubini, and former head of the IIF Charles Dallara, spoke at the Delphi Economic Forum and praised the steps made by the Greek economy but stressed the need for political stability and continued reforms.” WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA 01/05/2023International Workers’ Day: Greek unions have called for a one-day strike on Monday to mark May Day. This includes industrial action in public transportation in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as ferry services across the country. 02/05/2023Election rallies: Greece’s political leaders and parliamentary candidates continue their flurry of pre-election activities as the country inches closer to elections. They include SYRIZA leader Tsipras speaking from Serres on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mitsotakis attending an Attica regional government event on Wednesday, and PASOK leader Androulakis touring the Peloponnese with visits to Pyrgos and Kalamata. 03/05/2023Karaivaz arrests: The two brothers who have been arrested in connection with the murder of crime journalist Giorgios Karaivaz in 2021 will appear before a prosecutor on Wednesday. Editor's PickCurrently, existing Greek law prohibits animals from entering archaeological sites, with the exception of guide dogs.nikolas-zoisRead the article PODCAST 28/04/2023 • 14:02Greece: From the depths of crisis to a European success storyPeter Spiegel, the US managing editor of the Financial Times, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss Greece’s transformation from the depths of the financial crisis to today. We look at the importance of maintaining this momentum after the upcoming elections, while placing this discussion within the broader context of global uncertainties – from the banking sector to Ukraine and the US-China rivalry. We’d like to hear from youShare your feedback at newsletters@ekathimerini.com Did you receive this email from a friend?Subscribe to our newsletters here NEWS   ECONOMY   OPINION   SOCIETY   CULTURE   SPORTS   IN DEPTH Kathimerini English Edition is published as a single paper with the International Edition of NYTimes     Kathimerines Ekdoseis Single Member SA, Ethnarhou Makariou Avenue & 2, D. Falireos Street, Piraeus 185 47, Greece You’re receiving this email because you signed up for news and updates from ekathimerini. Manage your email preferences or Unsubscribe from all future emails. Copyright © 2023 Kathimerines Ekdoseis All rights reserved.