ekathimerini -The Greek Letter - 22 September 2024 - The second of Greece’s latest generation of frigates was launched on Thursday and more...

 

Das Boot[InTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. As the Eastern Mediterranean continues to face serious instability, Greece has marked two important milestones in its deterrence capabilities. The second of Greece’s latest generation of frigates was launched on Thursday, with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias attending the launching of HN Nearchos in Lorient. The new Belharra type frigates are expected to seriously strengthen the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy and will allow it to play a leading regional role. Dendias also announced that Greece would be acquiring a further FDI Belharra-type frigate during the event, bringing the total up to four. “I am pleased to announce today Greece’s intention to start negotiations to acquire one more frigate, the fourth of the same type”, said Dendias. He added that three of the ships will also be able to carry ‘Scalp Naval’ cruise missile types. The first frigate,HN Kimon, is expected to be delivered in spring 2025, with HN Nearchos joining the Hellenic Navy six months later. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the purchase, part of a general overhaul of the Greek armed forces that includes new fighter jets and increased drone capacity, will not affect Greece’s fiscal commitments. “The expenditure for the new purchase has been budgeted in a way that does not disrupt our fiscal consistency. However, it was deemed necessary as the defense of the homeland is a non-negotiable priority,” noted the prime minister. It is also worth noting that ahead of the planned meeting between Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York next week, Dendias was accused of being a “provocateur” and an “extremist” by a spokesperson for the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party. “He [Dendias] went to Kastellorizo and made statements explaining how they would expand military equipment in the Eastern Mediterranean and target Turkey. His words cannot reach us without drowning in the Aegean”, said Omer Celik. Finally, the Hellenic Armed Forces are set to conduct a large-scale military exercise with their Egyptian counterparts in the area surrounding Crete, reaching Kasos and Karpathos which were at the center of the diplomatic fracas this summer. The Medusa ’24 military exercise (that will also include Cypriot, Saudi, and French forces) is also widely seen as an indirect statement by Egypt that, despite the current rapprochement with Turkey, it will not back down from its existing international agreements, including the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones with Greece. Spotlight European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announced the composition of the Commission this week, with Greece’s Apostolos Tzitzikostas assuming the Transport and Tourism portfolio. According to government sources available to Kathimerini, Tzitzikostas’ role can be seen as an upgrade with Greece being highlighted as “a key country for trade, energy and networks, both towards the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as to the northeastern end of the Mediterranean”. Prime Minister Mitsotakis also emphasized the importance of tourism as part of Greece’s new role in the Commission, stating that the fact that it includes tourism “is a great success for our country. We managed to persuade the European Union that tourism deserves its own space in European policies and its space is Greece, as the country is the leader in sustainable tourist development” adding that it “can contribute with proposals and initiatives towards the goal of sustainable tourism and the improvement of infrastructure”.   Main center-left parties PASOK and SYRIZA continue on the path to their leadership elections. In main opposition SYRIZA, which has slid to fourth place in recent polls, the aftermath of the vote of no-confidence in former leader Stefanos Kasselakis has led to an extremely polarized environment with the rival factions engaging in a brutal war of words. An MP who belongs to the internal opposition decried efforts by the environment of Kasselakis to intimidate her, with several other leading party members publicly airing their differences. PASOK, which is now polling in second-place, is set to have its leadership elections on October 6, with a second round (if necessary) the week after. To this end, the six candidates for leadership have agreed to a televised debate next week.

MUST READS A matter of national importanceGo to article > Tax evasion continues to pay offGo to article > Population decline is a harsh realityGo to article >

OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Mitsotakis – Erdogan at the UN and the cautious way forward[InTime News] It is always useful for the Greek Prime Minister to get together with the Turkish President, whatever the state of bilateral relations; be it tense or improved as has been the case during more than a year now. Through that prism the upcoming meeting of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expected most likely on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, is a welcome development. Still, one should avoid hyping expectations. As things stand right now the most likely outcome would be an agreement to continue the ongoing political dialogue, but with no signs of an imminent breakthrough on sensitive issues Turkey presents as bilateral disputes dividing the two neighbors. On the other hand, the lower level talks on the so-called positive agenda and confidence building measures have produced some tangible results and have led to an improved atmosphere, a positive development nevertheless, not only for the two countries, but also for the wider region, especially in today’s volatile scene. At the same time, it is self-evident that a calmer environment between Athens and Ankara is a necessary prerequisite for any potential new effort in resolving the half a century old Cyprus issue, and potentially clarifying – not negotiating – certain aspects of some issues raised which lack a legal basis. One hopes that the meeting of the two leaders not only will take place but will prove a positive further step in the traditionally uneasy relationship. But talk by some of a “turning point”, sounds more wishful thinking than reality; not to mention the danger of creating some distress if there is a sense that expectations have not been met. Cautious steps and a new normal of incremental progress and cooperation where feasible, instead of aggressive acts or rhetoric, is a win-win formula for all.

CHART OF THE WEEK

An experienced OB-GYN doctor was handed a two-year sentence following a guilty verdict in a case of negligent manslaughter, with the jury finding her responsible for the perinatal asphyxiation of an infant in 2018. The case is widely expected to open the floodgates on obstetric and gynaecological violence, and the unnecessary and dangerous operations that often take place in Greece with the goal of “scheduling” births. A recent European survey included the use of the Kristeller manoeuvre to induce labor, as well as several other unnecessary procedures, as a violation of the physical and reproductive rights of pregnant women. Additionally, the Hellenic Statistical Authority recorded that at least 30% of women, with the figure most likely being closer to 50%, were subjected to induced labor in Greece. This was not done to ensure the safety of the mother and infant, but rather to allow the medical staff to better organize their schedule.

ESCAPADE Tsitsanis: A taverna in operation since 1969 in Prodromos, Paros The Roussos family has long been busy in the kitchen on one of Greece’s most tourist-heavy islands, serving up unpretentious, satisfying and delicious food that even Monica Bellucci adored. Go to article >

ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,425.19 points, up 0.42% from last week.”

“The Council of State, the country’s supreme administrative court, rejected the extension of the statute of limitations in tax probes on a technicality. Despite the tax authorities asking for the statute to be extended to 10 years, from five now, the court decided their proposals did not comply with the terms and conditions provided for in the legislation.”

“Greek agricultural production has been decreasing by 0.3% over the last three decades according to research organization Dianeosis. Even as exports have risen, productivity remains low as it is constrained by structural issues. In 2023, total agricultural production declined by 3% to 12.9 billion euros.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

24/09/2024Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting: The Greek prime minister and the Turkish president will meet in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. 24/09/2024PASOK debate: The six candidates in center-left PASOK’s leadership election have agreed to a televised debate. 25/09/2024Patriarch in Thessaloniki: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will travel to Thessaloniki to participate in the centenary celebrations of the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral. 26/09/2024Mitsotakis at the UN: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to address the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Editor's PickBenefits and patchwork interventions maintain the clientelist structure of the state, while reforms to make public health and education truly free require a long-term plan.Aggeliki SpanouRead the article

PODCAST

18/09/2024 • 10:28Greece targets short term rentals in AthensIliana Magra, a journalist with Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the Greek government’s latest decision to target short term rentals in Athens in an effort to tackle the ongoing housing crisis, and provide a look into how Greeks living in downtown Athens are reacting to this news.

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