Author: Marios Chondrotzis

A Pole, a German, a Frenchmen, and a Swiss meet in a bar, or was it a Swiss, a French, a German, and a Slovak, I forgot. However, what otherwise sounded like the beginning of a quirky joke was in fact an informal luncheon by some of the brightest analysts of the European Union in early December last year. Nationalities aside, the topic of the lunch was, of course, the Ukraine. The basic question was simple, Are We at War? Will Russia win? What’s the consequence for Europe if Russia wins? What is the European Union willingness to defend the…

Time to Make Hard Choices If devastation is the goal, Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip has been a resounding success. More than two months after Hamas killed over 1,100 people on October 7, Israeli air and ground operations have killed some 20,000 Palestinians, many of them children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. Much of Gaza lies in ruins, with the United Nations estimating that almost 20 percent of the territory’s prewar structures have been destroyed. More than half of Gazans are experiencing severe hunger, unemployment has risen to 85 percent, and disease is spreading. But the statements…

After initial vows of unwavering support, a growing number of European countries have started voicing concerns over Israel’s actions in Gaza In Europe, political divisions over the continent’s support for Israel are widening, particularly due to the mounting death toll of Israeli attacks that have now killed more than 14,500 Palestinians, including over 10,000 women and children. Initially, Europe was united in condemning Hamas for its Oct. 7 attacks, expressing unconditional and strong support for Israel, while many European leaders even raced to Israel for a show of solidarity. In a move that later drew much flak, European Commission President…

In August, wildfires in Evros killed a group of people, including children, passing along a well-trodden migration route. Locals and politicians made the victims scapegoats for the disaster. Dr Pavlos Pavlidis leans back in his chair, puffing on a cigarette in his office at the morgue of Alexandroupolis University hospital. Pavlidis has witnessed many horrors in the two decades he has been the coroner in Evros, a region in north-east Greece located on a well-trodden migration trail. But even for him, it has been difficult to look at the scorched remains of the people caught in the wildfires this summer. On his…

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (“Euronet”), a leader in the provision of payment services on a global scale, announces the launch of a new ATM Network in selected locations in Greece, which allows cardholders of all banks and financial institutions to carry out cash withdrawals without ATM fees. The creation of the new ATM Network is part of the company’s wider initiative to offer immediate access to cash to all our fellow citizens, both in urban centres and in the periphery, as banks are reducing their physical presence in both branches and ATMs in the territory. Euronet’s new ATM Network is easily…

Jet2 said profits were still on the up overall, as the average price of one of its holiday packages rose 11% to £855 in the six months to the end of September. Travel company Jet2 took a financial hit this summer due to traffic chaos caused by wildfires and flooding on Greek islands, in an illustration of the potential risk climate change poses to businesses. However, the business still saw a major jump in profit overall, which it attributed in part to the higher amount it could make per customer. It was a combination of disruption to the National Air…

Kenyan President William Ruto’s nominees for diplomatic postings say they will prioritise more export of Kenyan agricultural products into the European markets and also strive to bridge the gap of trade imbalance that have existed between Kenya and Europe. Europe has traditionally been a key market for Kenyan produce such as cut flowers, coffee and tea. But the diplomatic nominees vetted by parliament since last week are promising to tackle something that is also a political hot potato for leaders in Europe: much of the agricultural production in the European Union, for instance, is heavily subsidised, effectively rendering exporters from…

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Beijing, where Xi stressed the importance of further opening up and cooperation with the Greek side in advancing the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership. Win-win cooperation and exchanges between civilizations are the two bridges for China-Greece relationship, Xi noted, while also voicing hope for deep cooperation in areas including transportation, shipping, energy, communications, green and digital economy, among others. Xi said China encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Greece, welcomes Greek enterprises to participate in cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, and welcomes…

Visuals that the media reports from Palestinian enclave are terrible and inhumane, says health minister Greece is working with the UN and some countries to send aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, the country’s health minister announced Thursday. Michalis Chrysochoidis said during a speech in parliament that there should be both humanitarian corridors and humanitarian pauses in the war in support of Gaza’s civilians, according to the state-run AMNA news agency. The visuals that the media reports from Gaza are terrible and inhumane, he said, adding the conflict, which has so far led to the deaths of thousands of people,…

People in several European countries took to the streets Saturday to show solidarity with Palestine amid a worsening situation in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds gathered in Stockholm to protest Israel’s attacks on the seaside enclave. “Free Palestine”, “Free Jerusalem” and “Freedom for Gaza” were shouted and Palestinian flags were carried by Swedes, Palestinians, Arabs and people from different nationalities and all age groups. Banners included messages to stop the bombardment of Gaza and attacks on civilians. In Dublin, thousands marched in support of Palestine, chanting: “Palestine will be free” and “Occupation no more.” They also carried Palestinian flags and banners…