Author: Evangelia Mundili

After the 2024 shock and the French elites are breaking into shell shock over the European Parliament outcome Europa’s slide to the right continues. The Christian Democrats remain firmly in power although the future of Van der Leyen and ilk is uncertain. The election had a few surprises, mainly the center left Renew Europe and the Non-attached Members (NI) and Others group. The pose with 12.50% an outlier. The ultra-right groups grouped at the Identity and Democracy Group (ID) although a minor group in the European Parliament, locally surprised many. In France, the ID block has the majority seats (30).…

A prosecutor in Greece on Friday brought charges against two suspects for killing members of the Greek mafia; among a total of seven suspects involved, one is already in detention in Montenegro. A Greek prosecutor on Friday brought criminal charges against two suspects for nine felonies and seven misdemeanors, for executing contracts to kill Greek mafia members. Seven people are allegedly involved in the case; one of whom has been detained in Montenegro. Greek police on Thursday said they had identified a total of seven suspects for the murders of Yiannis Skaftouros in 2022 and Vassilis Roubetis in 2023 – both leading…

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested €15 million in a five-year senior unsecured bond issued by IDEAL Holdings in Greece worth a total of €100 million. IDEAL Holdings SA is a Greek investment company specialising in middle-market buyouts and growth-capital investments, and is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. The company’s portfolio currently spans three sectors: department stores (including the flagship Attica Department Stores), information technology (IT; including cybersecurity and trust services) and manufacturing. The proceeds of the bond will be directed towards refinancing a loan raised to fund the acquisition of the department store business, repaying existing bank debt…

The Turkish military participated in a joint NATO military exercise held from Nov. 6 to 17 in Hungary, the Defense Ministry said Friday. “Held with the participation of NATO forces, Adaptive Hussars-2023, in which Türkiye, Italy, Croatia and the US participated, ends today,” the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on X. “Within the scope of the exercise, the Turkish Armed Forces also participate in the water passage phases in Tiszaroff and the airborne phases in Nyiregyhaza,” it wrote. Adaptive Hussars-2023 represents the largest Hungarian military exercise in the last 30 years, aiming to enhance Hungary’s defense capabilities and test the…

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler expressed his satisfaction with Greek-Turkish contacts, while at the same time insisting that Ankara will “protect its rights and interests” within the context of the “Blue Homeland” doctrine which envisages Turkish influence over large swaths of the Eastern Mediterranean. In his speech to the Turkish parliament’s committee on the Defense Ministry’s 2024 budget, Guler said, “We believe that we are going through a historic period of developing relations between us and Greece and that a solution-oriented approach and a sincere and constructive relationship will benefit both countries.” “We continue our efforts to maintain this positive…

The European Commission has approved a €193m scheme to support an offshore wind project in Lithuania to foster the country’s transition towards net zero. The project, to be supported under the scheme, will be selected through a competitive bidding process for a specified area in the Baltic Sea with a capacity of 700MW. Under this measure, the aid will take the form of a variable premium under a two-way contracts for difference (CfD) for a duration of 15 years, which will be calculated by comparing a reference price, determined in the tender offer of the beneficiary, as well as by…

On September 1, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin that the staffing of the Russian embassy in Copenhagen should be reduced to a level corresponding to the staffing of the Danish embassy in Moscow. In particular, this decision provides for limiting the size of the Russian embassy to 5 diplomats and 20 administrative and technical staff. “Throughout an extended period, Denmark and Russia have conducted negotiations regarding the issuance of visa to Danish staff of the Danish Embassy in Moscow in order to maintain well-functioning embassies in Denmark and Russia. These negotiations have failed to…

The overall occupancy rate is currently 122.8% and stands at 146.3% in remand prisons. France’s chronic prison overcrowding is likely to get even worse as the country has broken a new all-time record for the number of inmates in their prisons: with 74,513 people currently behind bars. Since the end of 2022, there has been one record after another broken, almost month after month, with the latest figures marking the sixth time the European country exceeded its previous high number. According to official figures published on Monday, there were 74,513 inmates in prisons, 2,446 more compared to last year. There…

The Corinth Canal in Greece will be available for navigation until September 30, 2023, as announced by the Corinth Canal Company. As noted in the announcement, from October 1 the ongoing restoration work on the Canal will enter the final stages and it is estimated that in February 2024, the Canal will return to normal 24-hour operation. In addition, from June 1 onwards, the new electronic services of the Canal will be available on the company’s official website, where the calculation of tolls and paying with credit or debit card through the secure Pay By Link system, will be possible. The Corinth Canal has…

Many Greek islands derive their names from mythical heroes, ancient gods and kings, or from geological features. The Greek territory is composed of 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea, a truly unique phenomenon of the European continent. Every Greek island is different, each with its own qualities, making them unique in the world. Santorini (Thira): The name comes from the ancient Spartan Thiran who first colonized the island. It was used by passing crusaders, who stopped for refueling near the Church of St. Irene, which already existed on the island. Corfu (Kerkyra or Korkyra) is related to two powerful…