mitsotakis

The two leaders presented the agreements as a substantial step toward the much touted EU defence autonomy and ended a joint press conference at Elysee Palace with beaming smiles and raised clasped hands, signalling the importance of the deals for both sides.

“I have no desire to engage in an arms race with Turkey. This is not my intention. There are, however, crucial issues regarding the modernisation of the armed forces, following the decade-long [economic] crisis, which I have the responsibility to handle and hand over to my successor,' the PM said.

The PM reiterated his core belief in the need for tertiary education to be linked to the labour market, so that graduates may more easily find employment and in order to boost the competitiveness of the economy.

Elpidophoros issued a lengthy statement in which he said he stands by the Greek Cypriot people and their just cause and that just as the Cypriots after the 1974 invasion and occupation became refugees in their own land, he and his family too were uprooted from their home in Istanbul.

The government, is obliged to disburse the “social dividend” that it has promised, and proceed with implementing the reforms on the basis of which it was elected. It must manage the problems that exist in the daily lives of citizens, as must anyone who rules.

'The best thing we can do is to combine wearing masks and frequent testing in order to ensure that schools will open with the greatest possible degree of safety, but they must be augmented by a rise in the rate of vaccination.,' the PM said.

Draghi and Mitsotakis confirmed the exceptionally good relations between the two countries and the prospect of deepening cooperation on both the bilateral and regional levels, with an emphasis on economic ties.

The idea of approaching Stylianides was the prime minister’s, as he found in him a man who is suitable for pursuing his objectives and has the necessary technocratic experience. The two kept in touch even after Stylianides left the Commission in 2019.

Certainly, there is a possibility that those who expect early elections will be proven wrong, especially if the opinion of well-informed sources that Mitsotakis’ projection of a 5.9 percent growth rate is conservative.

As the government plans its policies to achieve a broader appeal among youth, the entire political system should work together on a path toward reconnecting them with politics and ensuring their participation in the democratic process.

Resorting to snap elections is a tactic with which we are well acquainted, as it was utilised by almost all prime ministers since 1974 in order for the outgoing government to control the timing and hence the narrative of the elections.

Mitsotakis said there is no possibility of reaching any consensus with main opposition SYRIZA, for which he blamed main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, and that he seeks consensus only with the Greek people.

Mitsotakis’ expected announcement will come just two days after US President Joe Biden announced compulsory vaccination of all federal workers and federal contractors, as well as of workers at companies with 100 or more employees.

The vaccine is safe and effective. Already 130,000 children between the ages 12-17 have already been vaccinated with the consent of their parents,” the PM said in a tweet.

Now, the government is declaring that it is leaving behind the reshuffle fiasco and will focus primarily on the economy, an area in which it believes that it has an advantage and can perform beyond all expectation.

“History never pities those who do not recognise that in life there are values that are more important than fleeting offices,” SYRIZA sources said, wishing Apostalakis “good luck”, with more than a touch of irony.

It is hardly the first time for a Greek government to appoint as minister a cadre of the main opposition. Such moves are designed to signal a broadening of the ruling party’s ideological and electoral base.

Chrisohoidis, until now Citizen’s Protection Minister, will be replaced by Takis Theodorikakos. A seasoned pollster, former interior minister Theodorikakos had been credited in part for PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ rise to power.

The question now is to what extent the government can be reborn and renew itself so as to transcend the crisis of confidence caused by the catastrophic fires and the insecurity they stirred in the public.

In a thinly veiled comparison with SYRIZA’s handling of the 2018 Mati wildfire in which 102 people died, the PM said that the government’s handling of the month’s wild saved lives.

A major operation at Evros is in full swing and that includes the building of a 38-kilometre-long wall with a height of between three and five metres

“Athens’ argument is that cooperation with Ankara is necessary because the two countries and the broader region may suffer serious repercussions from a huge refugee flow from Afghanistan and so they are confronted with the same problem,” Greek government sources say.

Mitsotakis has upgraded minister Akis Skertsos to the post of Statewide Minister, co-equal to the current State Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis.

On orders of the Fire Department, the area of Thrakomakedones is being evacuated according to Aharnes Mayor Spiros Vrettos, who issued a plea for more aerial forces to contain the fire.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who understood that the only way to change the country and to begin transcending its dysfunctions is to have constant movement at all levels – economic, educational, social and national.