Greek Orthodox Easter met with celebrations [InTime News] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Celebrations of Greek Orthodox Easter took place across the country, with the biggest exodus of city dwellers to the Greek countryside and islands since before the Covid-19 pandemic. “Ι hope the light of the resurrection becomes our guide for a world free of war, conflicts, and hate and full of love and understanding for our fellow human”, said President Katerina Sakellaropoulou from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens to mark the occasion. “The world suffers from every kind of violence. We see it every day, with growing intensity between spouses, children and parents, groups and factions. But also between people, with the recent tragic developments in the Middle East,” said Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens. “Our thoughts must primarily be with our most vulnerable fellow citizens, those that more than ever these days are in need of our support, but also with all our uniformed personnel, those who day and night, even during these holy days, work to keep us all safe”, noted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis from the island of Tinos. The build-up to Greek Orthodox Easter also confirmed the gradual rapprochement between the government and the Church, following the rift over the legalization of same-sex marriages earlier this year. “We are here together to change our country. We must change. From the shadow of impunity and the complete lack of meritocracy to the light of hope, meritocracy, justice, democracy and peace” stated Stefanos Kasselakis, leader of main opposition party SYRIZA, who partook in the tradition of the ‘Botides’ on the island of Corfu. Spotlight - Nikos Michaloliakos, the former head of now-banned neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn, was approved for conditional early release by the Judicial Council of Misdemeanors of Lamia. Convicted in 2020, Michaloliakos was serving a 13-year term for the numerous violent hate crimes committed by Golden Dawn prior to 2013. The decision is particularly controversial as the court disregarded the recommendation of the public prosecutor who stated that Michaloliakos remained unrepentant over his involvement with the criminal organization. The Lamia Court of Appeals Prosecutor has announced their intention to appeal against the release. The court’s decision was criticized by all opposition parties to the left of ruling New Democracy, with Stefanos Kasselakis, the leader of main opposition party SYRIZA, accusing the government of embracing “far-right elements”. Another important issue is whether the release of Michaloliakos will act as legal precedent for the release of other convicted former Golden Dawn members, most notably Ilias Kasidiaris.
- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed on Saturday that he intends to travel to Athens on May 12 to address a gathering of supporters and members of his party. The visit has been anything but straightforward, particularly following the cooling of bilateral relations after the arrest of mayor elect of Himare Fredi Beleri. The Greek Foreign Ministry informed the Albanian prime minister’s office that it would be preferable if the visit was conducted following the European elections on June 9. In fact, there are several observers who note that the decision to visit Greece on May 12 may not be a coincidence as it marks the one-year anniversary since the arrest of Beleri, now a New Democracy candidate for Member of the European Parliament.
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OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
Brain drain remains a drain [Shutterstock]It’s been a constant theme of the last decade as the economic crisis took its toll. With unemployment skyrocketing – at some point even hitting 26% – hundreds of thousands of promising Greek minds went abroad in search of a better future. The painful process has not been reversed in any real sense. Some have returned, but the numbers are minimal. In theory, everyone in Greece, politicians of every ideological persuasion, as well as society as a whole, is keen to the idea on Greeks who live abroad returning to the motherland. Yet, not every accomplished Greek scientist or professional abroad who has developed modern attitudes and innovative ideas in their fields, is easily embraced back home. A case in point the recent resignation of the scientific director of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, who had returned from the US and whose efforts to change the way things work were not appreciated, to put it diplomatically. Many disheartened repatriates remain reluctant to make the decision to return, and among those who did so, many end up leaving. To address the problem we need to not only come up with innovative measures to attract successful Greeks, and implement them over the long run, but also change long held attitudes. It’s very difficult for wages offered in Greece to be competitive with respect to the ones the people we want to attract are getting in major western economies, like Germany or the US. And although Greece’s natural beauty, nice weather, way of life and, in many cases, family and other sentimental ties, might indeed be attractive aspects, they have to be complemented by systemic changes in the country’s structure and in the way both the private and public sectors operate. To start with there needs to be a level playing field and transparency and an ecosystem to be created where the driving force is the best ideas, not connections. Where organizations, institutions and companies – and the people in them – embrace the Greeks who dare to return and reward them, not view them with suspicion; at the end of the day, their contributions are part of a process that will benefit all. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  Athens International Airport (AIA) saw double-digit growth (15.3%) in its total revenue in the first three months of 2024 (January to March) compared to the same period in 2023, bringing the total up to approximately 115 million euros. In fact, this is the quietest quarter for the airport due to the seasonal lull in passenger traffic as demand is at its lowest. Over 29.9 million passengers are expected to pass through AIA this year, with continued growth of passenger traffic in Q1. This high volume of traffic reflects the resilience of airline travel, particularly leisure travel, despite the macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges as consumers continue to prioritize it. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | 5 Reasons to Spend Easter in Meteora Renowned for its spectacular “hanging” monasteries and reverent atmosphere, Meteora is the perfect place to spend Greek Easter. Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,452.24 points on Thursday, down from last week 0.19%. Trading is set to continue on Wednesday, May 8.” | | | “The latest six-month report by the OECD stated that the Greek economy remains resilient, forecasting growth of 2% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025. At the same time, however, senior sources within Greece’s Finance Ministry emphasized the critical role of the Recovery and Resilience Fund resources, stating that growth would have been just over 1% without them.” | | | “Over 30.08 million tourists visited Greece in 2023, up from 29.875 million the year before, according to the Bank of Greece. In its final report on 2023, the BoG noted that total receipts stood at 20.59 billion euros, a 16.5% increase from 2022, with an 11.6% increase in receipts from European Union residents for a total of 11.17 billion euros (54.2% of total receipts).” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 08/05/2024Campaigning ahead of European vote: Greece’s political leaders will continue their pre-European elections tour following Greek Easter, with both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and main opposition leader Stefanos Kasselakis set to visit northern Greece this week.
- 09/05/2024Europe Day: Europe Day is celebrated every May 9, the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in 1950, with several events taking place in Athens to mark the day. They will culminate with an event held at Anassa City Events on Sunday, May 12.
- 09/05/2024European Soccer Semi-Final: Following a 4-2 win in Birmingham, Olympiacos faces Aston Villa to compete for a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League final. If they succeed, they will be only the second Greek team to appear in a European soccer cup final (Panathinaikos lost to Ajax in the European Cup Final of 1971).
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Editor's Pick By helping a European country that has suffered an unjustified massive invasion, the Greek government hopes to send the message that changing borders by force cannot be tolerated.Manos KaragiannisRead the article |
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