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Hellenism celebrates 25th of March [InTime News]
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Greece marked the 205th anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence on the 25th of March. The day began with a 21-gun salute from the battery on Mt. Lycabettus in central Athens, before the Evzone Presidential Guard raised the national flag on the ancient site of the Acropolis. Procedures culminated with a large military parade in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Hellenic Parliament. Detachments from all branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces marched through central Athens, while the Air Force also conducted several flyovers. Greece’s new and innovative weapon systems were also featured in the parade, with Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and several electronic warfare systems featuring prominently in the affairs as the Defense Ministry wants to emphasize that Greece’s defense is entering a new era with its “Agenda 2030”. “In 1821, our forefathers assumed and fulfilled for us the responsibility of our liberty. Today we, both those governing and governed, let us honor them, exercising this freedom united again, with harmony and responsibility,” said President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tassoulas. “The strong wind that blew today in Syntagma was a wind of hope, optimism and confidence”, stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis following the parade, warning that against the backdrop of deteriorating international stability, investment in national defense “is not a luxury but a necessity”. “We have a duty today to preserve the values and principles of those who sacrificed themselves for our country,” added Nikos Androulakis, leader of main opposition party PASOK. Celebrations were not confined to Greece, with the 25th of March being celebrated by the Greek diaspora across the globe. In the United States, President Donald Trump marked the occasion with an event hosted at the White House for members of the Greek-American community. “On this 205th Greek Independence Day, we celebrate that enduring spirit, which first stirred in Athens and inspired our Founding Fathers in Philadelphia, whose genius and devotion to the cause of human freedom will never cease to inspire people on both sides of the Atlantic”, stated a proclamation released by the President to mark the occasion. Spotlight
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 [InTime News]The debate in the Prime Minister’s inner circle about when the next national elections should take place continues unabated. The dilemma, and the pros and cons of each scenario, are well known. Let the present four-year term run its course till the summer of ‘27, or call an early poll in the next six months or so? The one side sees the mounting pressure on the government, from the high cost of living to a number of highly publicized trials, threatening its chances; hence the earlier the better. This approach is also supported by two more considerations: first, the ruling party’s recent rise in opinion polls due to the public’s need for a steady hand in times of crises, and, second, the continuing divisions in the center left opposition where the main “protagonists” are PASOK and the new party to be founded in the next few months by former PM, Alexis Tsipras. The supporters of resorting to early elections this year seem to have a date in mind; a month or so after the Thessaloniki Trade Fair in early September, when the prime minister will outline the following year’s economic policies and will have a chance to capitalize on promises he will make. The other side, which to a certain extent includes the PM himself, favor respecting institutional continuity thus getting as close to the end of the government’s second term in June ‘27 as possible. Also, on July 1st of next year Greece takes over the European Union’s six-month rotating presidency and as the inability, according to all the polls, to form a one party government, will most likely lead to another election a month later, the argument goes, it would be better to avoid internal political instability while trying to lead the EU. In addition, there are numerous major EU-funded projects running and Brussels will be looking for a serious and not politically oriented 2027 budget by October, in order to release a final tranche of about € 4 billion from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. In any case, the PM and his advisors will continue weighing the pros and cons, assessing on the economic side, the impact of the Iran war, and on the political front, the dynamics in the opposition as PASOK has concluded its national Congress, and Alexis Tsipras gets closer to announcing his new party. |
 There was a significant decline in the number of road traffic fatalities in 2025 in Greece, according to the latest preliminary data released by the European Commission. “The important thing is that complacency does not set in”, warned experts however, noting that despite the improvements hundreds of people still die every year. When interpreting the data, some experts point to increased checks enforcing helmet-use by motorcycle riders, increased testing for drivers under the influence of alcohol, and increased policing in regions with high accident rates. They also point to the introduction of new digital law enforcement tools, including smart cameras, and the completion of several infrastructure projects that have improved the overall road quality of the country. |
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| “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,024.37 points on Friday, down 1.96% from last week for a four-month low.” |
| “Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the minimum wage would increase to 920 euros a month, the sixth increase since 2022. The government framed the move as evidence of sustained economic progress and called for internal unity and stability in the face of growing challenges and mounting domestic pressure.” |
| “Prices for approximately 7,500 products have gone up by an average of 10% since the beginning of the year, affecting more than half the items typically found in a large supermarket. The increases were introduced before the imposition of the cap on gross profit margins. Wholesale prices for fresh produce have also increased, with some going up by 62% in a single week.” |
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Editor's Pick One thing that is quite exasperating is the asymmetry between the challenges around us and the capabilities of our politiciansRead the article |
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