917 Posts in Greece

A 40-year-old Egyptian crew member was rescued on Sunday while the body of another Egyptian member of the crew was recovered by a commercial vessel that was assisting in the search. The Comoros-flagged Raptor was transporting salt from Alexandria, Egypt, to Istanbul and issued a distress signal before the vessel sank. It had a crew of 14, including 8 Egyptians, 4 Indians and 2 Syrians, the coast guard said. The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 a.m. Sunday, sent a distress signal at 8:20 a.m. and shortly after disappeared about 4 1/2 nautical miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Lesbos, authorities said. Frontex, which patrols the Lesbos area monitoring for illegal migration, sent a surveillance aircraft and a patrol boat to join the Greek coast guard search.  

Greece has repeatedly asked the British Museum to permanently return the 2,500-year-old sculptures that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. "I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis said in a statement. "Greece's positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart. Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments," he said. The Greek government has been in discussions with British Museum chair George Osborne on a possible loan deal for the sculptures, which have been a source of dispute between the two countries for centuries. Mitsotakis complained in an interview with the BBC on Sunday that talks over a possible return of the sculptures to Athens were not advancing quickly enough. He said that the continued presence of the sculptures in the British Museum was like cutting the "Mona Lisa in half" and it was not a question of ownership but "reunification". A British government official, who asked not to be named, said the row over the marbles meant it was not suitable for the meeting to go ahead. Earlier, a spokesperson for Sunak said there were no plans to return the sculptures. Asked about Mitsotakis' statement, Sunak's office said Britain's relationship with Greece was "hugely important" and the two countries needed to work together on global challenges like tackling illegal migration. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak's office said. The British government has always ruled out giving up ownership of the marbles, which include about half of the 160-metre (525-ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon, and says they were legally acquired. A law prevents the British museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan. A meeting between Mitsotakis and British opposition leader Keir Starmer went ahead on Monday as planned. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

The Raptor, registered in the Comoros, was on its way to Istanbul from Alexandria, Egypt, carrying 6,000 tons of salt, the coast guard said. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said. The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 a.m. Sunday, sent a distress signal and shortly after disappeared about 4 1/2 nautical miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Lesbos, authorities said. One Egyptian was rescued, a coast guard spokeswoman told The Associated Press. She said that eight merchant ships, two helicopters and one Greek navy frigate were searching for survivors. Three coast guard vessels had difficulty reaching the area because of rough seas, she added. The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing and she wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. Northwesterly winds in excess of 80 kph (50 mph) per hour are blowing in the area, the national weather service said.

Hours will be  from 11:00 am to 20:00, announced the Athens trade association SELPE on Wednesday.

Acclaimed writers, performers and poets, including Hannah Silva and Ariel Yelen, will present their work during this 2-day exploration and celebration of syn/biosis, understood as the opposite of dystopia and disconnection. To view the full program, visit the Facebook page “A Glimpse Of / new narratives for the now.”  

The conference will be held at the Megaron Karatza in central Athens (82 Aiolou) from 5 to 8.15 p.m. local time and those unable to attend will be able to view the event online. The conference will also provide the president of Komvos, Professor Angelos Chaniotis, an opportunity to present the network, its goals, and its achievements.  Speakers include the rector of Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Christina Koulouri, the director of programs and institutional fundraising at ActionAid Hellas, Makis Drakopoulos, professor of macroeconomics and finance at Goethe University Frankfurt Michael Haliassos, managing director and head of strategy and consulting at Accenture Greece Fotis Panagiotopoulos, and Kathimerini Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas. The conference will be divided into three main panels, with the first focusing on science and Greece’s global network of leading academics and professionals. The second panel will focus on ways to empower Greek households to take sound economic decisions, while the third will focus on the past and future of the framework of the health and biotech sectors in Greece.   Additionally, there will also be a presentation on the future initiatives of the organization in relation to the Greek shipping industry.  The aim of Komvos is to create ad hoc networks of global Hellenism and to foster their collaboration with national, European and regional networks with the goal of promoting the international standing and influence of Hellenism. The group was founded by 108 Greek scientists, academics, businessmen, bankers and executives from around the globe with the goal of submitting innovative proposals on specific projects in critical sectors for the country, including shipping, culture, education, health, the environment and others. To sign up for the event, click here.

More specifically, in 2022, apartment prices increased at an average annual rate of 11.9% (revised data), compared with an average increase of 7.6% in 2021.In the third quarter of 2023, the year-on-year rate of increase in prices was 11.6% for new apartments (up to 5 years old) and 12.2% for old apartments (over 5 years old). According to revised data, in 2022 prices of new apartments increased on average by 12.4%, against an increase of 8.2% in 2021, whereas prices of old apartments increased by 11.5% in 2022, against an increase of 7.2% in 2021. Broken down by region, in the third quarter of 2023 apartment prices increased year-on-year by 12.0% in Athens, 15.4% in Thessaloniki, 12.8% in other cities and 9.5% in other areas of Greece. For 2022 as a whole, prices increased on average by 13.9%, 12.6%, 10.9% and 8.2% respectively in the above-mentioned areas (revised data). Finally, as regards all urban areas of the country, in the third quarter of 2023 apartment prices are estimated to have increased on average by 12.1% year-on-year, while for 2022 they increased at an average annual rate of 12.3% (revised data).

Miami-based businessman Stefanos Kasselakis, 35, stunned party veterans when he won the leadership in late September in a primary-style contest. But he has failed so far to halt the party’s decline in popularity in the wake of a crushing general election defeat in June. Syriza has since dropped to third place behind Socialist opponents in opinion polls, boosting the dominance of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ conservative government. On Thursday, Effie Achtsioglou, a former Syriza labor minister, led the walkout as nine lawmakers declared themselves independent. They joined the former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos and another colleague who quit on Nov. 11 – reducing the number of seats held by Syriza in the election from 47 to 36 in the 300-member parliament. Critics of the new leader have described him as intolerant of dissent and unable to reach a policy consensus in the historically fractured party. Under the charismatic former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, Syriza’s was transformed from a small political organization to a governing party during a major financial crisis in the previous decade that brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy. Tsipras, who led the country between 2015 and 2019, railed against harsh policies imposed by international bailout lenders but fell out of favor with voters as the country climbed out of recession. He resigned following his third successive general election defeat. Voters’ return to mainstream parties following 3 successive international bailouts has been more uneven on the left. The hardline Greek Communist Party has roughly doubled its support over the last four years to reach 10% in recent polls. The resignations in Athens were matched at the European Parliament, where Syriza has lost several lawmakers, including veteran politician Dimitris Papadimoulis, a vice president of the assembly, would quit the party Thursday. In a party statement, Syriza said many of the dissenters has ignored repeated and public invitations made by Kasselakis to join him in reforming the party. Their actions, the statement said, “will be judged by history.”

The 2 concerts on the day will celebrate Disney’s 100-year history of storytelling through its infamous soundtracks in a multimedia experience that will feature legendary film scenes on a giant screen, with the magical musical moments brought to life by renowned West End singers and the Hollywood Sound Orchestra. Get your tickets at Viva’s more.com, starting at 14 Euros.   

The project is the result of a collaboration among SNFCC, the Natural Gas - Hellenic Energy Company and Petros Petropoulos AEBE, official importer of Jaguar, Range Rover, Defender and Discovery. In the first stage of the project, 24 charging points are availble at SNFCC's car park building, including two chargers for people with special needs. The project is expected to be completed in 2024 with 50 charging points in total, all up to 22kW (AC). This new service operates on a 24-hour basis and is provided free of charge to SNFCC visitors for one year. Visitors can also get the chance to spend one weekend per month testing the capabilities of Range Rover's plug-in hybrid vehicles, in a joint effort to raise public awareness of the green transition. At the press briefing, SNFCC General Director Dimitris Protopsaltou noted that "with sustainability and social awareness of green mobility as common ground, this collaboration certifies that the SNFCC is a model of public space and public-private partnership. We are delighted that today we join forces with two valuable partners who respect and actively honor the mission of the SNFCC. "Natural Gas - Hellenic Energy Company General Director Yannis Mitropoulos said that this collaboration "confirms our company's commitment to adopting initiatives in the direction of innovation and sustainability", and that "we are steadily investing on the development of services that contribute to the penetration of electromobility in our country and the improvement of energy efficiency." Finally, Michael H. Economakis, Executive Chairman of Petros Petropoulos AEBE and President of the Hellenic Recycling Recovery Company noted that "Petros Petropoulos AEBE is actively participating in one more outstanding initiative, demonstrating in practice its commitment to achieving a series of goals that contribute to sustainable development. This is evidenced also by other initiatives such as the listing of the Company in the Athens Stock Exchange's Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) Index, and the development of "Ecoshift" Project - supported by the Recovery Fund - which aims to promote solutions for sustainable urban development."

The flooding in September - Greece's worst on record - devastated the fertile region, swept away agricultural land, roads and railways, and killed 16 people. It was the second major flood in three years to hit Thessaly, part of a pattern of worsening extreme weather in Europe. Kouretas reels off a list of flood protection projects left unfinished by previous governments, including reservoirs to retain water in the mountains, the dredging of riverbeds, and the removal of debris from previous floods. Some have been stalled for as long as two decades, he said. "Can I have a magic wand to solve the problem?" asked the 61-year-old, who is due to take office in January. Kouretas knows that his administration will be judged on its ability to cope with the next flood: "If you don't plan based on climate change adaptation ... then you will be exposed." Advertisement · Scroll to continue Reuters conducted interviews with twelve disaster experts, government officials and environmentalists, and reviewed Greek court documents and EU reports, which showed that Greece's response is failing to keep pace with a rapid increase in extreme weather, held back by factors including bureacracy, inaction and ineffective climate adaptation techniques. Following the previous major storm that flooded Thessaly in 2020, Greece's conservative government promised to prevent a repeat of the disaster. Greece has made significant progress with reducing its greenhouse emissions and boosting renewables for electricity production. But, with its public finances still recovering from a decade-long debt crisis, Greece - like many countries around the world - is struggling to find the multi-billion-dollar funds needed to build resilience against extreme weather events. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) concluded in a report last month that insufficient investment and planning was leaving the world vulnerable as climate-related hazards grew, including in the eastern Mediterranean. Global funding shortfalls for adaptation are of the order of $194-366 billion, it estimated. "The climate crisis is coming faster than predicted," Environment Minister Theodore Skylakakis said, adding the scale of the issue had been underestimated at a European level. "These are pan-European questions... We are the first to experience them. But sooner or later we will all face them." Climate adaptation is a theme of this year's edition of the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP 28) that opens on Nov. 30 in Dubai. SHORTCOMINGS Storm Daniel dumped the equivalent of 18 months of rain on Thessaly between Sept. 4 and 7, briefly transforming its fertile plain - bordered to the north by Mount Olympus, home of Greece's mythological Gods - into a lake. The floods covered more than 1,100 sq km, an area roughly the size of Los Angeles. It marked the end of a heatwave, one of Greece's longest in decades, which had already wreaked havoc with deadly wildfires. Neither floods nor fires are new to Greece but with climate change, they are becoming a frequent disruptor to an economy dependent on tourism and farming. The damage caused by Storm Daniel - estimated at over 2 billion euros according to a report by Dutch post-disaster advisors HVA International - has sparked an investigation into whether authorities did enough to prevent the disaster. A Sept. 13 prosecutor's order, reviewed by Reuters, showed judges in Thessaly are investigating local authorities' actions in 2020-2023 for potential violations, including mismanagement of funds, that could have aggravated the storm's impact. Former Thessaly governor Kostas Agorastos, who suffered a shock defeat in last month's election amid anger over the flooding, said that since 2020 around 70 projects have been undertaken worth 164 million euros, including cleaning up streams and reinforcing embankments. Some of them have not been finished. He did not comment on the investigation. Greece's multiple layers of bureaucracy can delay or derail projects. Just the permissioning for clearing a river can take years, says Giorgos Stasinos, head of the Technical Chamber of Greece, an engineers' association that acts as an advisor to the state on engineering and construction practices. "It could be two years in red tape for a project that takes two or three months to complete," he said, noting that local opposition on environmental grounds can result in lengthy court battles. Lack of government capacity has been another challenge. Greece's national meteorological service (EMY) does not have the equipment to issue real-time flood alerts, Greece's emergency plan issued in October 2022 says. Greece has launched a 2 billion euro programme which includes the purchase of meteorological radars and a so-called 'nowcasting' system that will help forecast floods. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government of lacking the political will to implement national plans for flood risks. "They are all left in a drawer," the head of the leftist Syriza party parliamentary group, Sokratis Famellos, said this month at an environmental conference. The European Commission decided on Nov. 16 to refer Greece to the EU Court of Justice for failing to provide updated flood maps after Athens missed a 2020 deadline. The environment ministry said it aims to deliver them by Nov. 30 and would include data on the worsening extreme weather of recent years, without which the maps risked being misleading. "We have to change our prediction methods," Skylakakis said, acknowledging the rapid pace of climate change. "Instead of focusing on the past, we must look at the future." DUTCH MODEL A building frenzy in Greece that started in the 1950s - amid a post-war economic boom - led to chaotic urban development. It is not uncommon to see buildings on dried-up river beds which turn into torrents in heavy rain. The buildings dotting the banks of Thessaly's Pamisos river, whose riverbed has been narrowed near the town of Mouzaki by as much as 70%, is a case in point. A medical care unit in Mouzaki partially collapsed into the river in 2020; another two-storey building was swept away this year. Thanos Giannakakis, WWF's Nature-Based Solutions Coordinator, said extreme weather made it vital to restore the natural environment around Greece's rivers': "the only way out is to give rivers space, to reconnect them with flood plains". The restoration of riverside forests, natural meanders in waterways and weirs in the mountains would all help diminish flooding, he said. Greece plans to devote 3.2 billion euros of state and EU funds on climate resilience by 2027, Deputy Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis told Reuters. Netherlands, a leading adopter of "nature-based" solutions, spent a roughly equal amount of about $2.8 billion dollars to encompass 30 projects in 2007-2022 for its "Room for the River" programme. It gave four rivers in the Dutch delta space to flood safely. Measures included relocating dykes inland, lowering of floodplains and groynes, creating high-water channels and water storage areas. Following Storm Daniel, Greece sought help from Netherlands-based HVA International, an agricultural firm that offers post-disaster advice. HVA teams found poor dyke maintenance, uncleaned riverbeds and overlapping roles in flood defence management, its CEO Miltiadis Gkouzouris told Reuters. According to HVA's mission report, all flood defense infrastructure has to be rebuilt while protocols for crisis management, clearly stipulating responsibilities and actions to be taken, are needed. "There is a clear momentum and need for fundamental change," said the report, released last week. EUROPE'S HELP NEEDED Greece, the most indebted nation in the euro zone in terms of share of GDP, approved an additional 600 million euros for disaster relief measures this year. The government announced in September a doubling of the annual funds set aside for natural disasters from 2024 to 600 million euros, though officials acknowledge it will not be enough. Mitsotakis has urged the EU to top up its solidarity fund and help countries tackle the impact of climate change. With the government unable to cover all the risks, Mitsotakis said in September it plans eventually to make private flood insurance mandatory and will, in the meantime, offer tax incentives from next year to people who insure their homes. Greece's central bank warned in 2011 the economic cost of climate change will hit 700 billion euros by 2100, equivalent to more than three years of economic output, if the country does not act. Adaptation measures worth 67 billion euros could reduce that loss to 510 billion euros, the country's leading economic think tank IOBE said in a February report. But officials say there is only so much the country can do. "No country in the world is planning for once-in-1,000-year rain water levels because it wouldn't be drowning in rain water, it would be drowning in debt much sooner," said Petros Varelidis, Secretary General for Water Management at the Environment Ministry.

The Alexandrian’s new home houses over 2,000 items, including manuscripts of poems, literary works, articles and notes.  Cavafy (1863-1933) was introduced to the English-speaking world in 1923 by his friend E.M. Forster, the novelist and literary critic, who famously described him as “a Greek gentleman in a straw hat, standing absolutely motionless at a slight angle to the universe.”  Cavafy’s consciously individual style established him as one of the most prominent characters not just in Greek poetry, but also in Western poetry.