Who’ll Stop the Rain[InTime News]
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Just a few weeks after the devastation wrought by Storm Daniel, Greece was once again battered by a new storm. Storm Elias flooded several regions across the country, some for the second time in less than a month, and is a grim warning of a possible ‘new normal’. The storm hit the city of Volos and northern Evia the hardest, with the former being tested for the second time. The emergency services in the area received 1,820 distress calls over three days, as Hellenic Fire Service crews and Hellenic Army marines conducted rescue operations. The port city, one of Greece’s largest, has faced power outages and water shortages since Storm Daniel, a situation exacerbated this week. The municipal authority continues to hand out free bottled water as specialists have warned that the city’s running water is not fit to purpose. Indicative of the rising tensions in the areas struck by the weather phenomena, a video emerged this weekend showing a citizen verbally insulting the mayor of Volos as he inspected a heavily stricken part of the city. The mayor was then caught on camera physically attacking his heckler. The northern part of the island of Evia, that was devastated by wildfires in 2021, was also struck by intense rainfall, with the volume of rainwater in the area over two days approaching the annual average of Attica. Several villages were flooded almost in their entirety, with over 40 homes flooding in Rovies and the village mayor stating that the village was “70% destroyed”. The roads connecting the island’s north to the south were cut off and have not yet been fully restored, with hundreds of heavy vehicles (both private, state, and military) working through the weekend to restore access to the flooded villages. Finally, while Storm Elias may have caused a multitude of new problems, the areas hit by Storm Daniel have yet to fully recover. Residents face the spread of diseases, with nine people dying of leptospirosis. At the same time, the very landscape of the region itself was altered and the total cost of repairs for just the region’s infrastructure alone is expected to exceed 600 million euros. In response to both the destruction caused by both Storm Daniel and Storm Elias, as well as the difficulties in managing the situation in their aftermath, the government is reportedly planning to reform the state’s emergency response protocols. Spotlight
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OPINION
The government faces its first early test in the local and regional elections that will take place on October 8; and 15 where runoffs are needed. Following its overwhelming victory in last June’s national polls, the short and medium term seemed an easy ride for the government. But the inability of the state mechanism to adequately prepare for and deal with numerous natural disasters that hit Greece during the summer, from wildfires to floods, have put a serious dent in its popularity and made it more vulnerable than one would have expected a few months ago. And then came the unknown factor that is the new leader of leftist main opposition SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, and the effect his unconventional presence might have on the electorate. A former Goldman Sachs trader and political neophyte, Kasselakis aims to broaden the appeal of his party to centrist voters. With this goal in mind he is looking to capitalise on any potential gains in this first ballot after he became leader of the country’s second largest party. New Democracy’s clear dominance among both the governors of Greece’s 13 regions, and the mayors of the major cities will be tested. To what extent the candidates supported by the government – who are in most cases seeking re-election – will pay a price for the widely criticised mismanagement of the disasters, remains to be seen. What seems certain is that any potential losses will make the prime minister’s work more difficult as he faces numerous challenges, not only domestically but also on the international front, more specifically in the relations with Turkey and the effort that is underway to improve them. |
CHART OF THE WEEK |
The prices of fruit and vegetables continue to rise at a steep rate, with fruit prices in August jumping 10.6% year-on-year and those of vegetables, 17.5%. In fact, prices have been increasing in 2023 faster than they did in 2022 despite lower productions costs. Experts suggest that psychological factors are behind the price hikes, a situation that was exacerbated by the recent flooding in Thessaly. They also point out that there is a failure of competition in Greece both at the local level of producers and between the country’s major supermarket chains. |
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ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL |
“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index recorded its fifth consecutive week of losses but stayed above the 1,200-point threshold. Closing at 1,209.394 points on Friday, down 0.69% on a weekly basis, the benchmark dropped by 7.86% in September.” |
“Data released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority suggest widespread income concealment in Greece. Specifically, households in 2021 declared an average annual income that was 25% less than their average expenditure, while household deposits increased by 7%.” |
“About 41.5% of properties listed on short-term letting platforms were acquired solely for this purpose, more than double the equivalent average European rate according to a European Commission survey. This is also largely due to the high number of foreign investors who were attracted by the high level of returns.” |
WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA |
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Editor's PickThe security of a country facing existential threats cannot depend on individuals, personal relationships or casual alliancesAlexis PapachelasRead the article |
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