Greece willing to participate in UN-backed mission in Hormuz  [InTime News] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis participated in the European Council summit in Brussels this week, with Greece set to assume the presidency of the Council in July 2027. Following the summit, the prime minister stated that Greece would be willing to participate in a UN-backed mission to safeguard freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the most important goal would be to return to the status quo ante bellum, when transiting the critical waterway was free and there were no discussions of tolls. Mitsotakis also said that Greece has brought the issue to the United Nations Security Council and has demonstrated its support for the principles of freedom of navigation through its participation in Operation Aspides, the mission to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea. He emphasized that freedom of navigation is a critical priority for Greek foreign policy. The prime minister also addressed the tumultuous debate over the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Union budget, noting that for Greece preservation of cohesion and agricultural funding is a non-negotiable priority. At the same time, Mitsotakis expressed his satisfaction with the increase in community funding to tackle the issues of migration and climate change. To this end, the prime minister also hailed the overhaul of the Union’s migration policy by the European Parliament, which includes policies aimed at ramping up deportations and allowing member states to set up detention centers abroad. However, it is worth noting that the new rules are not without their critics, who state that the Union is too heavily focused on deterrence and deportation instead of tackling the root causes of migration. Finally, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis stated that advancing the bids of Western Balkan countries for European Union accession would be a priority of the Greek presidency in 2027. The minister said Greece would work to secure tangible progress on enlargement after talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic. Spotlight - Alexandros Giotopoulos, the convicted leader of the 17N (November 17) group, was led back to prison following a ruling of the Supreme Court. Giotopoulos, who had been released from jail in late May after 24 years, was serving 17 life sentences plus an additional 25 years for his role in the series of assassinations committed by the group over a 27-year-period. The Supreme Court released its 26-page ruling, noting that it was the new Criminal Code that applied in this case, not an older law that allowed for those serving multiple life sentences to be released after a minimum of 19 years. According to the new Code, prisoners serving multiple life sentences must complete 25 years before becoming eligible for conditional release. The decision of the Supreme Court came after weeks of intense public scrutiny of the release, with the case remaining politically and legally sensitive. In fact, it remains so beyond the borders of just Greece. Responding to a statement by the United States Department of State, which urged the “the Greek Government to do all it can to return Giotopoulos to prison”, the Greek Association of Judges and Prosecutors responded by noting that “it is one of those rare times when a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of another state attempts to intervene openly in our country’s justice system”.
- Ruling New Democracy is formulating its approach to appeal to its more conservative voters, especially ahead of the rumoured launch of a new party by former ND prime minister Antonis Samaras. This includes a doubling down by the government vis-à-vis its stance in Greece’s bilateral relations with Turkey, but also over domestic issues. A notable example is the party’s approach to this year’s Athens Pride. In previous years, ND had a stand during Pride, while this year there were no representatives from the ruling party during proceedings. It seems likely that ND will look to squeeze the political space to its right, hoping to dissuade Samaras from moving forward with a new party as he would face an uphill battle to cross the 3% threshold required to enter the next parliament. At the same time, main opposition party PASOK continues to be locked in internecine strife. Mayor of Athens Harris Doukas was once again at the centre of the latest turbulence, accusing the party’s head of political planning Anna Diamantopoulou of not representing PASOK’s electoral base. Party leader Nikos Androulakis has attempted to snuff the conflict before it spreads, but there is a reported widespread irritation within the party’s hierarchy that the barbs between Doukas and Diamantopoulou were traded in public just months before the next elections.
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OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
The debate over free transit [InTime News]Faced with the persistent problem of traffic jams, which is getting worst as more private cars enter the congested streets of Greece’s major cities every year, there is a debate about how to increase the use of public transportation as one of the ways to deal with the issue. Over the last few weeks the debate took a deeply political turn as the two main forces of the Center Left, former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ new party, Greek Leftist Alliance, and the present main opposition, PASOK, offered similar proposals for free public transportation; the former covering everyone except foreign tourists, the latter putting an emphasis on the youth. Although fare-free travel sounds as a radical approach, and would obviously help many low income riders, transportation experts insist that ticket prices are not the main problem. Most complaints by people who use the metro and buses center around the infrequent service, overcrowding, unreliable schedules and aging vehicles. Obviously, people’s natural choice would be to pay nothing instead of something. But objective observers of the country’s public transportation system agree that in Greece ticket prices for the metro and buses are reasonable; maybe that is the reason they only cover about one-third of the system’s operating costs. If the goal is to offer social support to ameliorate the situation and improve the daily lives of people who cannot make ends meet, state subsidies should target specific groups that need assistance the most, rather than all riders. That has a social logic to it. In addition, if such assistance is confined and targeted, the loss of revenue would be limited. At the end of the day, as technical analyses by transportation specialists show, free travel is unlikely to reduce car use or congestion. Instead, what could make a real difference would be a dramatic improvement of the quality of public services. That is where both the government and the opposition should focus. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  After three years of limited rainfall, this year saw wetter conditions across the Aegean. However, whereas in the past this would have been enough to help bolster water reserves of the Greek islands, the relief due to this increased rainfall will likely only be temporary. There remain several deeper challenges including increased water demand due to high levels of tourism and the resulting strain on aging infrastructure. This has led several local authorities to increasingly rely on desalination, despite the disadvantages that this may entail. So far, according to the experts, declarations of emergency due to water scarcity have been limited this year and are largely precautionary. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | Lipsi: The Dodecanese island with 23 untouched beaches The small island of Lipsi is earning international recognition not only for its unspoiled coastline, but also for its pioneering approach to sustainability and water management. Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Euronext Athens (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,475.98 points, up 2.24% from last week.” | | | “The Greek tourism sector has displayed resilience during the first quarter of the year despite the geopolitical turmoil and cost-of-living crisis, according to the latest data released by the Bank of Greece. Indicatively, tourism receipts for Q1 stood at 2.8 billion euros, up 37% from last year.” | | | “The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family has announced a new multi-year housing policy plan, bringing together existing and planned policies with a total budget of 6.5 billion euros. It includes measures for the activation of vacant properties, the bolstering of residential construction, and others for a total of 14 new measures in addition to 36 existing initiatives.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 23/06/2026Nostos Run: Traffic regulations will be in place in central Athens due to the SNF Nostos Run.
- 24/06/2026Strikes: Several unions across different sectors have announced 24-hour strikes on Wednesday, including construction workers and those employed by the tourism and hospitality industry.
- 25/06/2026Panhellenic results: The results of the Panhellenic Exams, the nationwide exams for entrance into Greece’s state universities, will be announced.
- 25/06/2026Acropolis Rally: The Acropolis Rally, part of the World Rally Championship, will take place over three days.
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Editor's Pick There is no dysfunction greater than corruption on an extensive scale. It is incompatible with democracy, in theory.Tassoula KaraiskakiRead the article |
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