Concern in Athens over Iran strikes [AP] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. The deteriorating situation in the Middle East, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and the latter’s retaliatory strikes at US assets and allies across the region, has caused significant concern in Athens. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Governmental Council, Greece’s highest-level body on issues of foreign affairs and security, with the safety of Greek citizens in the struck areas being a top priority. To this end, the country activated its Crisis Management Unit to assist in providing consular assistance to citizens in need. “Since this morning, we have been in constant contact and coordination with allies and partners in order to develop a common line. Our priority and main concern is the protection of Greek citizens in these areas”, underlined Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis following the meeting, adding that “if required, the Greek State, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already has a plan ready for any evacuation”. This was followed by an emergency meeting at the Defense Ministry on Sunday, with minister Nikos Dendias assessing the developments in the region with the country’s military leadership. At the United Nations, Greece, currently serving as one of the non-permanent member of the Security Council, called for de-escalation, stating that “the danger of a wider regional conflict, with potentially serious consequences for international peace and security, is real”. Even before the strikes, the Foreign Ministry had advised against all travel to Iran, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. Similarly, following the attack on Iran, Greece’s largest airline, Aegean, has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Erbil. The minister also noted that the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy is also in constant communication with Greek-owned merchant marine vessels sailing in and near the Persian Gulf. It is worth noting that Gerapetritis had just returned from Washington DC, where he had met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday for a 50-minute discussion at the White House. The visit of the foreign minister, the second in twelve months, underscored the importance of the strategic Greece-US partnership according to sources available to Kathimerini. The two also finalized the preparatory procedures to hold the 6th round of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue in Athens later this year. On the same day, the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, that had been docked at the Naval Support Activity base at Souda Bay on the island of Crete, departed for operations in the Eastern Mediterranean. The base has since been placed on high alert, and access to all non-authorized personnel has been suspended. Spotlight - Massive demonstrations were held across Greece to mark the anniversary of the 2023 deadly train collision at Tempe, the country’s deadliest rail disaster. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets outside the Hellenic Parliament, with flowers being laid at the make-shift memorial outside the building where the names of the 57 victims have been spray painted on the ground. “We seek one thing: Justice”, said the head of the association of the relatives of the victims. The Tempe collision continues to be a political minefield for the government, with the opposition parties and many demonstrators accusing ruling New Democracy of attempting to cover-up the incident. It wasn’t an accident, it was murder,” indicatively read one banner in Athens. Following the conclusion of a judicial investigation this year, dozens of individuals will stand trial on March 23 on wide-ranging charges, from traffic disruption leading to deaths to negligent manslaughter and causing bodily harm.
- This week also saw the next chapter in one of the controversies that continue to be a thorn in the side of the government, namely the wiretapping scandal in which the Predator surveillance software was used to monitor the communications of politicians, including leader of main opposition party PASOK Nikos Androulakis, journalists, business leaders and senior military officers. Tal Dilian, Felix Bitzios, Yiannis Lavranos and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, all linked to sanctioned spyware maker Intellexa, were found guilty of a series of misdemeanours including interference with a personal data filing system, violation of the privacy of telephone and oral communications, and unlawful access to an information or data system. The court imposed a combined sentence of 126 years and eight months, with each of the convicted having to serve 8 years. Androulakis, in the aftermath of the verdict, stated that the ruling was “major defeat of the state within a state”.
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OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
Greece in France’s nuclear shield [Reuters]The inclusion of Greece in the new nuclear defense posture that French President Emmanuel Macron will announce on Monday will further enhance our security. Macron will designate Greece among eight European nations placed under his country’s “nuclear umbrella” in a strategic move that is part of Europe’s effort to become more self-reliant, and less dependent on Washington. The French plan, that will be implemented through bilateral agreements which will be negotiated in the upcoming months and will be customised to serve the specific needs of each participant, will be unveiled at Brittany’s Ile Longue, the base of France’s four nuclear ballistic missile submarines. To a large extent the result of America’s unpredictability, France’s initiative has the tacit approval of the UK, Europe’s only other nuclear power, as well as the continent’s major economic power, Germany. Although all three major European powers have repeatedly expressed their support for preserving the decades old close cooperation with the US, they feel compelled to act to boost their security. While the other seven countries included in the defense shield are in central and northern Europe and see Russia as the potential aggressor, Greece, the only southern European country, feels threatened by Turkey, a NATO ally. For its part, France does not view Greece’s inclusion in its nuclear umbrella as antagonistic to Turkey, but rather as another step in the process of deepening what is already a very close bilateral strategic alliance. It is in this context that an existing mutual defense cooperation agreement between France and Greece will be renewed in April when Macron is expected to visit Athens, and one should expect more joint exercises and possibly the setup of joint headquarters. The development gives a significant boost to the security of Greece, at a time when Athens has already greatly strengthened its defenses – it obviously has no expansionist intentions – through the purchase of highly sophisticated weapons from France as well as the US which remains its strategic partner. The traditional, multifaceted alliance between Athens and Paris, which has a strong sentimental dimension, has passed the test of time and continues with cross party support from Greece’s political elite, as well as broad approval by the country’s wider public. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  The cost of modernizing Greece’s aging housing stock is expected to exceed dozens of billions of euros, with more than three million homes in need of work. Almost half the country’s residences have been constructed prior to 1980, with just 2.6% of homes having been built following 2010 as the financial crisis severely impacted investment. This means that approximately 60% of homes are in need of modernizing their energy efficiency, as many are bereft of basic infrastructure including proper insulation. Several government programmes to tackle the issue have so far failed to achieve any measurable success, with less than 20% of landlords stating that they have used these initiatives. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | Veganism in Greece: What’s it really like during ‘nistia’? As Lent approaches, we explore Greece’s surprisingly rich plant-based cuisine – and what it’s really like going animal-product free for 40 days. Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,277.60 points on Friday, up 0.17% for the week. However, the benchmark saw an overall loss of 1.61% in February.” | | | “Consumption inequality in Greece persists, with the country currently being ranked 5th in the European Union in terms of inequality. Specifically, the richest 10% of the country spends five times more than the poorest 50%. In fact, just 2 million Greeks account for 44% of the total consumption of goods and services in the country.” | | | “Business bankruptcies increased by 83.2% in 2025 according to the latest data released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, with a total of 557 companies across all sectors being shuttered last year compared to 304 in 2024. However, new business registrations were also up by 5.8% in 2025, for a total of 140,229 new enterprises.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 03/03/2026Vertical Corridor: A meeting of European Union energy regulators and transmission operators will likely focus on the implementation routes of the Vertical Corridor.
- 04/03/2026Golden Dawn: The Athens Court of Appeals will rule on the case of the neo-Nazi outlawed political party Golden Dawn, found guilty of constituting a criminal organization. Party members were also condemned for the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
- 04/03/2026Strike: The Greek Civil Servants Trade Union, the largest union representing public sector workers, has announced a strike on Wednesday morning (until 11 am) to allow its members to gather at the Athens Court of Appeals ahead of the Golden Dawn verdict.
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Editor's Pick Broader geopolitical turbulence, the war in Ukraine, and the search for secure new routes for goods from emerging markets such as India, Malaysia, and Vietnam make it increasingly imperative to reduce global maritime dependence on the BosporusStavros TzimasRead the article |
 | 27/02/2026 • 1:08:09How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is changing Europe, reshaping the energy map, and affecting the Orthodox worldThis week marked 4 years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the start of a war that served as a wakeup call for Europe and the West. Since then, we’ve seen Europe take drastic steps to cut its ties to Russian gas, redrawing the region’s energy map. Greece has played, and continues to play, a key role in this story. At the same time, questions remain about European security, the continued Russian threat, and whether the Trump administration can deliver a negotiated peace. Finally, the war in Ukraine also brought the world’s attention to a murkier side of the Kremlin’s playbook, and that’s the weaponization of the Orthodox Church and its campaign to undermine the Ecumenical Patriarchate. |
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