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The Ides of September

[InTime News]

Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor

Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Main opposition SYRIZA continues to unravel as the party’s factions prepare for the first round of the upcoming leadership elections on November 24.

An acrimonious week has followed the vote of no-confidence in, now ousted, leader Stefanos Kasselakis. This was evident during a meeting of the party’s Political Secretariat, which met to confirm the removal of Kasselakis as leader, when his supporters gathered outside SYRIZA’s headquarters to harangue his opponents.

Kasselakis himself condemned any aggressive actions, stating that “in the face of this derailment, calm, patience and restraint are our strength. Turn your anger into creativity. I’m here”.

The statement came days after intense speculation on the political future of Kasselakis. There were wide-ranging rumours, from the creation of a new political party to Kasselakis fully abandoning politics. However, Kasselakis and his supporters have made it clear that they plan to run in the leadership contest and have even challenged the legal and procedural framework of the vote of no-confidence.

Kasselakis’ replacement as acting party leader, Nikos Pappas, is considered by many to be one of the most important catalysts in further developments. The controversial former minister, formerly a close associate of Alexis Tsipras, was instrumental in last year’s leadership contest that elected Kasselakis. Since then, Pappas had helped prop up the new leader on several occasions, even becoming the head of the party’s parliamentary group. However, things between the two men have soured.

Pappas, representing SYRIZA at the Thessaloniki International Fair, made it clear that he has no ambitions to lead the party. Instead, he emphasized that SYRIZA remains a party that is capable of contending in a national election. “SYRIZA is a party that seeks to be a government, that seeks to build the alliances that will form the competitive nucleus against New Democracy”, he said.

Nominations for the party’s leadership will begin to trickle in over the coming weeks, with several names being suggested regularly. They include the former president of the party’s parliamentary group Sokratis Famellos, the perceived leader of the internal opposition Olga Gerovasili, and MEP Nikos Farantouris. So far, firebrand MP Pavlos Polakis is the most prominent candidate that has unequivocally stated his intent to stand for party leader.

Spotlight

The ongoing rapprochement between Turkey and Egypt may soon have an impact on Greece’s bilateral relations with both countries. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s statement last week that the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean must resolve their differences has led to several commentaries by Turkish analysts. Some suggest that this inclusion of Greece in any future regional framework will create a discordance with Turkey’s current policy, particularly vis-à-vis its claimed maritime delimitation with the Tripoli government in Libya. At the same time, Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” is officially being taught in schools, even if the coursebook does not include an explicit visual representation setting out all of its claims. It is worth noting here that on Friday, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias visited the island of Kastellorizo, a focal point in the maritime delimitation dispute between the two countries, and stressed its “enormous geopolitical importance” and its crucial role in mapping Greece’s Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf.

Even as the deadly Tempe railway disaster still looms heavy, it is still clear that the maintenance of Greece’s transport infrastructure is woefully underprioritized. Just this week, there were two incidents on the country’s railway network. The most concerning one was the near collision of two commuter trains in Athens which were both directed on a single track. At the same time, the final section of the Kifissos overpass, a total distance of approximately 1.5 kilometers, has not had any maintenance work carried out over the last 20 years. The overpass, costed at 80 million euros, was constructed in 2004 and sees heavy traffic daily. The bridge should be inspected approximately every 15 months, particularly as its metal components are in near proximity to the river flowing underneath the overpass.

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OPINION

Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition

Migration and the specter of 2015

[Shutterstock]

Faced with the specter of reliving a situation reminiscent of 2015 – obviously not the same, but with some similar characteristics – when tens of thousands of immigrants and refugees were “stuck” in Greece’s border with North Macedonia, Athens is in search of a strategy – and allies to push it through – to respond to Berlin’s recent decision to tighten controls on its western land borders.

Germany’s policy brings into question the essence of the Schengen acquis.

For its part, Greece is a vocal supporter of the Migration Pact and the need for all EU states to share the burden and not only, or mainly, the frontline ones.

In this context, it looks to fellow European Union members which find themselves in an almost identical situation – having EU external borders, mainly Italy, but also countries like Spain, Portugal and Poland – to form a unified front in order to pressure Germany to avoid the slippery slope of implementing national policies that weaken the principles that form the core of the EU; cohesion and solidarity.

The electoral collapse of Germany’s Socialists, in Thuringia and Saxony, and the anxiety over a potentially similar result next Sunday in Brandenburg, is clearly behind the decision of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to tighten land border controls.

Greece cannot be once again unfairly treated in bearing most of the huge social and financial cost of dealing with immigration and refugee flows as it did almost a decade ago.

The disturbing images from the summer of 2015 are a painful reminder of what to avoid.

Europe – and the Commission has a critical role to play here – should not allow itself to slowly move to a dangerous new reality where each member will in essence be more and more left on its own.

Steering clear of this development will be the focus of Greece’s strategy in the weeks and months to come. It is not only dictated by its own interests; it’s the right thing to do and the right policy to follow.

CHART OF THE WEEK

The OECD recently released its annual “Education at a Glance” report that illustrates that while Greece enjoys one of the lowest ratios of students to teachers in the OECD, the average salaries are also among the lowest. This has allowed the Education Ministry to push for the idea of merging classrooms, something that teachers are loath to accept. They often reply that merely dividing the number of students by teachers does not reflect the geographical peculiarities of the country, with many islands and remote settlements being served by schools with very few pupils. At the same time, average salaries for teachers in Italy and Spain are more than double the average in Greece. It is worth noting that OECD countries spend approximately 10% of their public spending, with Greece only spending 6.1% in 2020.

ESCAPADE

Peloponnese unveiled: Three idyllic weekend getaways

Only a few hours’ drive from Athens, the most diverse region of Greece offers countless opportunities for seaside getaways.

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ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,419.24 points on Friday, down 1.66% from last week.”

“Credit rating agency Moody’s upgraded Greece’s outlook to “Positive” from “Stable” but still did not grant the country investment grade, standing at its current credit rating of Ba1.”

“Ministers have been revealing the details of measures announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Thessaloniki last week. They include Greece’s minimum wage rising to 830 euros on April 1, and a three-year tax break to incentivize homeowners to convert short-term rental properties to long-term leases.”

“The rate of inflation in Greece rose to 3% in August from 2.7% the month before according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The rise is primarily attributed to soaring energy prices and specific foodstuff (olive oil prices went up by 49.1%). Overall, food prices grew by 2.8%, clothing by 6.2%, and housing by 5.5%.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

17/09/2024Knossos: A UNESCO delegation is expected to visit the archaeological site of Knossos on Crete. The visit marks the first steps towards the recognition of the Minoan palace as a World Heritage Site.
18/09/2024Iraklio port: The handover of Iraklio port to the Grimaldi group, which acquired a 67% stake in the port for 80 million euros, will take place in an official ceremony attended by several dignitaries including Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.
19/09/2024Greece-Cyprus Interconnector: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet in Athens to discuss the project.
19/09/2024Greek sport: The Hellenic Olympic Committee is hosting an event celebrating the performance of Greek athletes this summer, and in particular the Olympic and Paralympic teams, at the Panathenaic Stadium.