The Greek Letter- ekathimerini - 10 April 2025 - Greece unveils maritime spatial planning ( Deniz Mekansal Planlaması) and more...

 

Greece unveils maritime spatial planning[ΙnTime News] Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The Greek government announced this week that it had concluded its maritime spatial planning (MSP) and released a map illustrating the outermost possible limits of the country’s continental shelf. The MSP incorporates the existing exclusive economic zone (EEZ) delimitation agreements with Italy (1977 and 2020) and Egypt (2020), while showing the outer potential limit of an EEZ with other neighboring countries. Government sources available to Kathimerini stressed that the document itself does not constitute a formal delimitation of an EEZ in the Aegean Sea. However, Greece did declare an EEZ in the western Ionian Sea.   “This is a significant day”, noted Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, characterizing the MSP as a document of vital importance for Greece’s national interests. “On the one hand, it defines the human activities taking place within Greece’s maritime space; on the other, it sets out, clearly and for the first time, the geographical framework within which these activities are exercised,” he said. The MSP has long been a Greek obligation to the European Union, one that had been constantly delayed. The original deadline for its submission was March 31, 2021, with the European Court noting that Greece was liable to be fined for the delays on February 27. However, the timing of the decision to complete the process is also tied to the current situation in Greek-Turkish relations, with the two countries at odds over the Great Sea Interconnector. Turkey, on the same day that Greece published its MSP, released a preliminary map outlining its own claims in the region, rooted in the ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine which does not recognize the maritime rights of islands. Both the Foreign and Defense ministries of Turkey released statements condemning Greece’s MSP, calling it a unilateral act that will adversely affect bilateral relations. This reaction was anticipated in Athens, which continues to stress that the document does not affect the progress of talks between the two countries. Spotlight Greek Orthodox faithful celebrated Easter this week, with the cities emptying as hundreds of thousands of Greeks travelled to the countryside or islands to mark the occasion. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his hope for a better future in his Easter message, adding that “our country, like the rest of the world, is facing great challenges. Yet, with a spirit of confidence and unity, we can overcome them together”. Main opposition PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis called on society to see Easter as a starting point for the struggle for a fairer, just, and humane society. “This Easter should be more than formalities and well-wishes. Let it be the start of turning over a new leaf, that is so necessary for Greek society”. SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos’ Easter message focused on the Easter message of hope and renewal, stating that these should be free for all. “A social ‘resurrection’ will not arrive as a miracle. We need to bring it about”, he states.   A fatal collision in northern Greece, when a truck crashed into two cars waiting at a highway toll killing two people and injuring another five, acts as a grim reminder of the dire situation of highway safety in the country. The country records 60 traffic-related deaths per million inhabitants on average per year, compared to a European Union average of 46, and traffic accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for Greeks below the age of 30. Indicatively, just in March of this year, 18 people were killed and 613 were injured. There are several factors that cause this high number of fatalities including aggressive driving at high speeds, the disregard of traffic rules, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

MUST READS Charting the next stepGo to article > The uphill battle of politicsGo to article > The timing of the MSP move and two possible scenariosGo to article >

OPINION Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition Rise from the complacency[InTime News] As Greece celebrates Easter and feelings of love and solidarity should prevail, the reality in the daily lives of the country’s citizens is not that joyful and their outlook for the future not so positive. There is widespread suspicion about the way things function, and a growing disappointment towards institutions; primarily at the political system. Peoples’ discontent is aimed both at the government, which is paying a heavy political price, and at the opposition, which suffers from a lack of vision and has failed to appear as a convincing alternative. It is not only politicians who are being discredited in the consciousness of citizens. It is the institutional framework as a whole. There is a pervasive sense of principles and values being constantly violated by those in positions of power, a gray backdrop that largely explains the rapid increase in the so-called anti-establishment vote, that is being confirmed by all the opinion polls. And if the lack of trust in the politicians is a phenomenon that has been observed for decades, the frustration and disillusionment that increasingly concerns institutions such as the judiciary is most troubling. Greece has always been a country where the rule of law fell short of expectations. Still, there is a feeling that things are deteriorating. The vast majority of citizens express indignation at the inadequacy of the justice system, the main institutional pillar of a well-governed state. This development generates insecurity and can lead to people making frivolous choices. Confusion is a dangerous recipe. Overcoming this dire reality should be the aim of Greece’s healthy forces that do exist in many sectors of society, but are often too passive or unwilling to pick the necessary fights. They have to rise, if not from the dead, certainly from their comfort zones. That holds true for the politicians and members of the judiciary who do believe in the public interest and serve it honourably, as well as for conscious businesspeople, academics and public opinion makers. Complacency is not only wrong. It could lead to unfortunate developments.

CHART OF THE WEEK

As we move close to the start of the high tourist season, thousands of businesses continue to find it hard to attract staff to cover shortages; a situation exacerbated by the decreasing unemployment rate in Greece, currently standing at approximately 8.6%. As the pool of possible candidates continues to get smaller, the difficulties of Greek businesses are set to compound. There are several factors driving this imbalance, with the demographic challenge facing the country being at the very top. Additionally, experts point to the skills mismatch in the Greek labor market, as well as the fact that many young people work abroad. Finally, they also state that several sectors are unattractive due to low wages and difficult conditions. These sectors include hospitality, other tourism businesses, and agriculture.

ESCAPADE Easter in the mystical castle of Monemvasia In the castle town of Monemvasia, with its dramatic medieval backdrop and sea views, Easter is a deeply spiritual and atmospheric experience. Go to article >

ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,642.17 points on Thursday, up 3.76% from last week.”

“The percentage of the population in Greece at risk of poverty rose from 26.1% in 2023 to 26.9% in 2024, largely due to the fact that the inflationary crisis that began in 2021 has eaten into households’ disposable income with food, fuel, and rents, all rising significantly. Material and social deprivation also rose to 14% in 2024 from 13.5% the year before.”

“Tax revenues for the first quarter of the year totalled 16.896 billion euros, 830 million euros more than the target (12.1%). The data, released by the Finance Ministry, could pave the way for additional government spending and tax relief, with a 500 million euro increase to the 2025 Public Investment Program budget having been already announced.”

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

23/04/2025PM ministry visits: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will resume his visits to several ministries following Greek Orthodox Easter, starting with the Civil Protection Ministry. 25/04/2025Youth Violence: The government is set to unveil its new National Strategy to Prevent and Confront Youth Violence and Delinquency.

Editor's PickWe here in Greece felt it and learned it firsthand. The markets are impersonal, ruthless and chaotic, no one can easily control them or convince them of their rightness.Alexis PapachelasRead the article

PODCAST

16/04/2025 • 12:43Greece to repay its first debt-crisis bailout loans 10 years earlyIn an exclusive with Reuters, Greek officials said the country plans to pay off loans granted under the first of three debt-crisis bailouts by 2031, ten years ahead of schedule. This marks yet another milestone in the country’s economic comeback, putting Greece on track to lose the label of the most indebted country in the EU. Yannis Palaiologos, a correspondent-at-large for Kathimerini and the author of “The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules”, a book on the Greek crisis, joins Thanos Davelis as we look into this latest story, and see how it fits into the broader picture of Greece’s economic comeback.

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