The Greek Current

Greece is ramping up its firefighting efforts, with authorities betting on a host of preventive measures - from the deployment of firefighting aircraft to increased staffing in specialized forest firefighting units - as temperatures touched 30 degrees Celsius in late March and wildfires already broke out weeks earlier than expected. On top of multi-agency exercises and drills, Greece is also fast-tracking a 2.1 billion euro program to upgrade its fleet of firefighting aircraft and create an AI-driven sensor network to detect smoke in the early stages of a fire. Derek Gatopoulos, a correspondent for the Associated Press who has been covering news in Greece for more than 25 years, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the steps Greece is taking to prepare ahead of this summer’s wildfire season.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:As fire season fast approaches, Greece’s planners look for an edge in response timeGreek authorities overhaul wildfire response plans ahead of summer fire seasonEleven far-right MPs charged with electoral fraudGreece and India to sign defense cooperation agreement

With the EU elections on the horizon, one party in Greece, Greek Solution, is seeing a notable surge in support. The rise of this far right nationalist party also mirrors broader trends in the far right across Europe, and many are beginning to ask whether this resurgent far-right is here to stay. Dr. Georgios Samaras, an assistant professor of public policy at King’s College London, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the rise of Greek Solution and its leader Kostas Velopoulos, breaking down what this could mean for Greek politics ahead of European elections in June.Read Dr. Georgios Samaras’ latest piece in Kathimerini: The Greek far-right – a rising threat in the EU election stormYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:NATO to plan long-term Ukraine aid, mulls 100-billion euro fundNATO ministers’ doubts, fears and eye-rolls over €100B Ukraine planTurkey’s election authority reinstates pro-Kurdish mayoral election winner

Greece has just opened a new vacation visa terminal for Turkish visitors this week as part of a diplomatic effort to ease long-standing tensions between the two countries. The move follows the signing of a series of agreements between Greece and Turkey during President Erdogan’s meeting with Prime Minister Mitsotakis in Athens in December, most notably the Athens Declaration. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this latest initiative, and explore where it fits into ongoing efforts to maintain calm in the Aegean.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greek islands launch special visa program for Turkish visitors in diplomatic effort to calm regionMaintaining calm relations in the ‘frozen’ Greek-Turkish disputeCyprus to Gaza corridor will continue to operate, Cyprus president saysBlack Hawk helicopter purchase gets green light

Less than a year after securing another term, Turkish President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party suffered its worst defeat in its 22-year history in Sunday’s municipal elections. All eyes were on Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamoglu easily won reelection and is increasingly cementing his place as Erdogan’s political challenger. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, including Turkey, joins Thanos Davelis to break down Sunday’s results, what this defeat means for Erdogan, and look at whether the opposition’s resurgence can now reshape Turkey’s national politics. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffers an electoral disasterTurkish local elections: Opposition stuns Erdogan with historic victoryDefense Min unveils ‘Agenda 2030’ for armed forces restructuringMitsotakis launches campaign for Euro elections stressing security, stabilityPM notes high stakes of Euro elections

On Friday US and Turkish officials confirmed that Turkey’s President Erdogan will visit the White House on May 9th, a move that has been described as an apparent quid pro quo for Ankara’s decision to finally green-light Sweden’s NATO membership. Alan Makovsky, veteran Turkey analyst and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, joins Thanos Davelis to examine how Erdogan finally snagged an invite to the White House, and look into what message this move sends about the Biden administration’s approach to Turkey in the wake of the Sweden NATO saga.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Erdogan snags White House invite in diplomatic win, Turkish press reportsBiden to host Turkey's Erdogan at White House on May 9Greece to raise monthly minimum wage by 6.4% to 830 eurosEU plans to fast-track some financial aid to Egypt

Can a small antique table give us insight into the history of an entire city and its broader connections to the region? A recent quest for such an antique sent Sean Mathews, a journalist based in Greece and covering the broader Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, on a trip to Thessaloniki that quickly revealed just how multi-layered and cosmopolitan the city’s past is, with rich connections to the Eastern Mediterranean. Sean Mathews and George Manginis, the academic director at the Benaki Museum, join Thanos Davelis to break down this rich history and look at how current efforts to shine a light on Thessaloniki’s past cosmopolitanism are increasingly important today in a changing region. Read Sean Mathews’ latest article here: Ghosts of Thessaloniki: How a quest for a table revealed much about a city's multilayered pastYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greek government survives no-confidence vote over deadly Tempi train trashNo confidence motion fails, 141-159Tempe rail tragedy looms large over Euro pollsSecond aid ship heading to Gaza from CyprusEuropean Parliament President to visit Cyprus for humanitarian aid talks

A few weeks ago Greece passed a law allowing the operation of private, non-profit universities, including allowing foreign private universities to set up branches in the country. The move came despite weeks of demonstrations that included scores of university building occupations by students. Despite this, opinion polls indicate that most Greeks agree with the creation of privately-run universities. David Horner, the President of the American College of Greece, the oldest and largest US accredited college or university in Europe, joins Thanos Davelis to share his perspectives on the impact of this bill and the potential for Greece to serve as a global educational hub.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Private universities bill adoptedGreek lawmakers approve ending state monopoly on university education, despite student protestsErdogan snags White House invite in diplomatic win, Turkish press reportsCyprus aims to complete Vasilikos LNG terminal by year’s end

Earlier this year Kathimerini organized a three-day conference looking back at the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, or the Metapolitefsi. We saw a gathering of some of the most influential people of this period, including former prime ministers, who discussed in depth the numerous crises the country has gone through during the past 50 years and many of its accomplishments. Alexis Papachelas, Kathimerini’s Editor in Chief, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss why this 50th anniversary is important not just for understanding the country’s history, but to learn from its lessons, especially at a time when we see democracy under threat across the world.Read Alexis Papachelas latest on this issue here: Lessons from the MetapolitefsiYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Fifty years after the MetapolitefsiMetapolitefsi divides generationsA conference of reflectionCyprus to get US expertise in countering money launderingPolarization fueled ahead of Euro election

As we celebrate Greek independence day today, March 25th, we’re going to take a deeper look at one of the crucial figures of the Greek Revolution of 1821, Lord Byron. Aside from his status as a world renowned poet at the time, he is also perhaps the most famous philhellene to travel to Greece and ultimately give his life for Greek independence in 1824, 200 years ago. Professor Roderick Beaton, a historian and author of the books Byron’s War: Romantic Rebellion, Greek Revolution, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation, and The Greeks: A Global History, joins Thanos Davelis to explore Lord Byron’s important contributions to the Greek cause and his wider legacy. Read Prof. Roderick Beaton’s book on Lord Byron here: Byron's War: Romantic Rebellion, Greek RevolutionYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Mitsotakis, Trudeau hail Greek-Canadian relations in joint statementMitsotakis, on Canadian TV, touts ‘rather impressive’ economic comebackNorth-South EU divide over defense bond

This past week Washington’s attention has been on Cyprus and the humanitarian corridor from Gaza, from President Biden’s letter thanking President Christodoulides, to the National Security Council’s chief of staff visiting Cyprus. Cyprus is also going to be a central theme for diaspora Greeks as celebrations for Greek independence day kick off on March 25th. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest on these key developments on Cyprus, and provides a look ahead at the upcoming Greek Independence Day celebrations.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:US racing to prepare Gaza jetty by May 1, says US officialBiden on Greek Independence Day: friendship ‘stronger than ever before’Christodoulides eyes EU-Turkey talks for Cyprob benefitEU summit stirs hope for Cyprus President's role in Turkey talksGreek authorities overhaul wildfire response plans ahead of summer fire season