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Regional elections held on Sunday[InTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The first round of municipal and regional elections are being held on Sunday, with polls suggesting that candidates endorsed by New Democracy, in many cases incumbents, are expected to perform strongly despite increasing challenges from conservative dissidents. These local elections are often seen in Greece as an extension of the country’s broader party politics,despite candidates running on independent platforms, with both New Democracy and opposition politicianscampaigning across the country. This means that Sunday’s elections could be seen as an unofficial “referendum” on both the government’s track record this summer as well as new SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis. Control of Greece’s 13 regional governments and major cities are of vital importance to the government. For the latest results, visit ekathimerini.com.  Spotlight The cross-border attack conducted by Hamas militants on Israel on Saturday, strongly condemned by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisand his government,could once again alter the status quo in the Eastern Mediterranean and comes after a week of “hiccups” in the Greek-Turkish rapprochement.Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Wednesday that an agreement over the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves off the island of Cyprus could be possible without finding a solution to its continued occupation.This rhetoric could be interpreted as an indirect, but clear, return to earlier proposals by Ankara that aim to undermine the existing framework for the resolution of the island’s division, something Athens has indicated can only be solved through unification based on the UN Security Council resolutions. Additionally, on the same day, pro-government media in Turkey ran a story that the military presence of the Hellenic Armed Forces on the Greek islands bordering the country was being reduced. This demilitarization, a significant bone of contention between Greece and Turkey, was swiftly rejected by Athens. “Whatever is threatened, will not be demilitarized,” emphatically stated Defense Minster Nikos Dendias during the launch ceremony of the Hellenic Navy’s first new FDI Kimon-class frigate. It remains to be seen if this return by Erdogan’s government to Turkey’s traditional talking points, along with its emboldened moves in the Caucasus and Syria, spells trouble ahead of planned meetings between Greece and Turkey on October 16. The consequences of Saturday’s attack will also shape the energy and security layout of the Mediterranean. Turkey’s initial ambivalent stance, with Erdogan calling on both sides to act with restraint, could “torpedo” the recent diplomatic efforts with Israel, including the proposed construction of a pipeline between the two countries.    It has been two weeks since the victory of Stefanos Kasselakis in the SYRIZA leadership election, but the party seems no closer to coalescing than it did on September 25. Kasselakis had his maiden address to the party’s parliamentary groupon Thursday, calling for “unity”, but following his speech 16 of the party’s MPs (out of a total of 48) rejected his proposals for the group’s leadership composition. The signs were also not promising after a meeting between Kasselakis and one of his most outspoken critics, former minister Nikos Filis, failed to resolve any of the issues. Evangelos Apostolakis, former Defense Minister and close advisor to Kasselakis, emphasized that “everyone needs to acknowledge the presence of a new leader” and called for an end to the intraparty strife.

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OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Immigrants participating in the regional elections[AP] When immigration comes up in the public discourse it usually focuses on how people of different origins coming into Greece impacts the political, economic and social fabric, and as time goes by on the country’s demographics. Unfortunately, most often than not the debate focuses on the reaction of some political parties on the extreme Right, and parts of society, to “foreigners” who – the argument goes – “take away our jobs”, notwithstanding the statistics showing that many of the tasks performed by immigrants are avoided by Greeks. Today’s elections give us an opportunity to appreciate the contribution made by many of the immigrants that have come to Greece. There were numerous candidates for positions in the local and regional level; people who came, study or work, and have been assimilated into Greek society; they want to be part of the democratic process and shape their own destiny, but also give back through their public service. So, although most people do tend to see the negative side of the migration issue, today’s regional elections, offer a chance to celebrate the positive which is more important in the context of the whole equation.

CHART OF THE WEEK

The revelations about the condition of the metal roof of the Athens Olympic Stadium has raised questions about the future of scheduled events at the venue, not least among them a mega-concert by British pop-rock band Coldplay that sold out in days. Specifically, over 122,000 tickets had already been sold with over 40,000 of these being purchased by international travellers. According to the latest official statements, the stadium is not expected to open within 2024 and a potential cancellation of the concert could see losses spiralling into the millions, particularly as foreign travellers have already booked flights and accommodation. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of a comparable venue that could match the Olympic Stadium in capacity (an attendance number of over 60,000).

ESCAPADE 10 of the Best Greek Destinations to Visit in October Greece in October presents a harmonious blend of mild weather, natural beauty, and cultural experiences. Here’s our pick of the country’s top destinations. Go to article >

ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The era of good feelings is well and truly over for the Athens Exchange (ATHEX) as the general index benchmark closed at 1,136.93 points this week, down 5.99% from last week.”

“The cost of forest fires in Greece is expected to rise in coming years from 2.4 billion to 2.8 billion euros in coming years according to a report by Scope Ratings. In the first nine months of the year, the cost of the fires was estimated to be 1.66 billion euros (0.8% of the 2022 GDP).”

“Passenger traffic at Athens International Airport exceeded 3 million in September, up 16.3% compared to last year. In particular, international traffic grew by 17.2% and totalled 2,063,746 passengers.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

09/10/2023Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: The four-day Autumn Session of the PACE will begin on Monday, with former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras rumoured to accept the proposal to take over as Chairperson of the Unified European Left delegation. 12/10/2023Liberation of Athens: The 79th anniversary of the liberation of Athens from the Nazi occupation forces will be celebrated with a series of events. 15/10/2023Local elections: A run-off election between the two top candidates will be held wherever a clear winner was not elected in the first round.

Editor's PickTourism and real estate are not enough for Greece to develop in a just and stable wayNikos KonstandarasRead the article

PODCAST

04/10/2023 • 18:13Is Turkey’s militarism a factor driving its foreign policy?Ryan Gingeras, a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the trajectory of Turkish militarism – which is once again in the spotlight following Azerbaijan’s offensive against Nagorno Karabakh – and explore how it increasingly impacts Turkey’s perceptions of affairs abroad.

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