English edition

'In the last 10 days we have shown that we can defend our national and European sovereignty. Greece and Europe cannot be blackmailed by anyone,' the PM told the German-Hellenic Economic Forum.

Erdogan can do anything in the darkness that surrounds him but that is also his Achilles’ heel – the prospect of being destroyed by his megalomaniacal nature and abuse of the tools he believes he has at his disposal.

One cannot over-emphasise everyone’s individual responsibility as there were acts and events that violated state-issued guidelines, such as a ban on carnivals which was defied by many in Patras,

Erdogan appeared unimpressed by what the EU was offering so far, saying the Union was always offering help but then falling short or not stepping up.

“Why did he (Erdogan) do this to us if he knew Greece won’t let us cross?” she asked, sitting on a rug near a pile of bags full of clothes and diapers for her sons, aged 13 and 7.

Greece is now confronted with a public health crisis. It has become abundantly clear from other recent crises that one cannot manage an emergency without cooperation, maturity, and compliance with the rules and regulations.

The Greek government displayed quick reflexes from the beginning of the crisis when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to open his side of the Greek-Turkish border.

From that perspective, Germany has an historic obligation to lead Europe to abandon the role of passive observer as regards Syria and make it an active player.

Complete implementation of COVIT-19 prevention guidelines set by experts is the only way to protect our own health and that of others – especially those in vulnerable groups.

The first confirmed case from that trip was a 66-year-old man who is currently in an isolated intensive care area in the University Hospital of Rio, 10 kilometres from the port city of Patras.

' Turkey is facing on its territory and the substantial efforts it has made in hosting 3,7 million migrants and refugees, it [THE eUROPEAN cOUNCILstrongly rejects Turkey's use of migratory pressure for political purposes.

One senior EU diplomat said the EU had squandered the time since the 2016 deal, brushing the problem under the carpet by paying for refugees and migrants to be kept in Turkey.

Solidarity with Greece in handling the migration crisis must be continual and uninterrupted and must be offered with a swiftness to which the EU is not accustomed

Officials in Brussels are reportedly enraged with Erdogan’s behaviour as Reuters reports but they realise that they are essentially being held hostage and they are considering offering new funding to Ankara, effectively caving in to his blackmail.

'Despite the continuous assurances of my Turkish counterpart that Turkey is honouring its commitments from the Joint Statement of 2016, Ankara is brazenly violating it not only proclaiming that the borders are open, but also helping thousands of unsuspecting people to reach our land or sea borders,' the Greek foreign minister said.

The defiance of the decision of authorities to ban carnivals was not linked to socio-economic demands or rights. It was a socially thoughtless and irresponsible act which ignored the whole of society.

'We have just been to the border area and have seen how tense and how difficult the situation is. The Greek authorities are facing a very difficult task in containing the situation and I want to thank the Greek border guards, the coast guards, the civilians, the police, the servicemen and servicewomen, and Frontex for their tireless effort, said Ursula von der Leyen.

The telephone contact with the US president came on the eve a highly symbolic visit of top EU officials to the Evros Greek-Turkish border region

' It is part of the Frontex mandate to assist a Member State confronted with an exceptional situation, requesting urgent support with officers and equipment from all EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries,' said Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri.

The parliamentary committee probing possible abuse of power by the ex-alternate justice minister must operate without vindictiveness despite the rage over what was billed as the greatest scandal since the establishment of the Greek state.

In managing the migration and refugee problem everyone has a duty to adopt a similar stance. as there is no room for autonomous actions or personal political strategies.

The Greek government announced emergency measures to counter an “asymmetrical threat” from Turkey which it accused of directing in a coordinated manner the passage of many thousands of migrants to the land and sea borders of Greece.

At the same time state doctors who conducted tests on 383 crew members of a passenger ship anchored off Piraeus, near Athens and 20 tested positive

An estimated 1,000 migrants gathered at the Greek-Turkish border at Evros where the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Konstantinos Floros and Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis went today to coordinate and oversee security measures with stepped up ground patrols and monitoring by helicopters.

State services are mobilising, the country’s infrastructure appears prepared to manage the situation, and competent civil servants are in a state of readiness.

COVID-19 is threatening to derail international economic growth which was already pressurised by trade tensions, geostrategic uncertainty, and Brexit.

'This virus has pandemic potential,' WHO DirectoTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. 'This is not a time for fear. This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now.”

Nineteen lawyers from Mytilini, the capital of Lesvos, have filed a lawsuit against “all bearing criminal responsibility” detailing acts of violence and egregious violation of police regulations during their operations on the island.

In a world in which countries are ever more closely linked and with neighbouring Italy developing into the China of Europe it was simply a matter of time for the coronavirus to reach Greece.

Understanding these facts about the virus is crucial in Greece which is in a process of recovery after a decade-long crisis and fear is an obstacle in the effort to jumpstart the economy.

Who offered these individuals the status of protected witnesses with immunity from prosecution in order to receive so little –mere rumours – and on whose orders?

The coronavirus threat (the first case in Greece was identified today in Thessaloniki) poses a huge challenge to the National Health System and to what is ostensibly the government’s strong suit – the recovery of the Greek economy.

Greece, which has 11 million people but attracts more than 30 million foreign tourists annually, has identified 13 hospitals across the country for treating infected patients.

The government spokesman did not clarify any particular logical link between the threat of the prospective spread of the coronavirus and the thousands of migrants crowded in the Moria camp, and how closed detention centres would limit it.

The Greek print and electronic media have focused on the need for the public to remain calm and composed in the not unlikely event that cases arise in the country.

Noting measures that the Greek government has taken the foreign minister referred to the relocation of refugees and migrants from the five Aegean islands were they arrive and are concentrated – Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, and Leros - to the mainland.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told Ta Nea about plans to intensify French investment in Greece in various sectors, from energy to tourism and infrastructure.

G20 finance ministers and central bank governors who met in Riyadh instead of attempting to forge a common effort to manage the coronavirus crisis simply issued platitudinous observations. In the final communiqué of the meeting, which China did not attend, officials merely articulated their commitment to bolster international monitoring of how the epidemic is evolving. Naturally that message did not allay the fears of investors. Yesterday was a “black Monday” for stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic and the Greek bourse collapsed without resistance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed heightened concerns about the sudden rise in incidence and warned about a prospective pandemic. The rapid spread of the coronavirus is undoubtedly linked to the constantly increasing mobility of people and the inter-dependence between countries. The dependencies resulting from globalisation were discussed in Riyadh but of course the participants came up with no answers. In our globalised world major problems require global coordination. The powerful of our planet have a duty to step up their efforts to confront the threat and adopt a unified action plan

The coronavirus death toll climbed to seven in Italy on Monday and several Middle East countries were dealing with their first infections, sending markets into a tailspin over fears of a global pandemic even as China eased curbs with no new cases reported in Beijing and other cities.

Wall Street’s three major averages plunged on Monday as investors ran for safety after a surge in coronavirus cases outside China fanned worries about the global economic impact of a potential pandemic.

Given the challenges with which the EU is confronted one might have expected more generous approaches and dynamic policies in line with the geopolitical and other ambitions of the powers that play a leading role.

On the one hand Parliament must probe to find the truth and on the other it must ensure the legal and constitutional order. The one is a precondition for the other.

Cyprus' energy minister categorically rejected calls by those who want Turkey to be an equal partner despite its lawless actions and to put Cyprus’ hydrocarbons drilling programme on hold pending a solution of the Cyprus problem.

A study conducted by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) concluded that over-taxation broke the back of the middle class, especially in the last years of the crisis.

What is certain is that the country’s political leadership can no longer sweep the migration-refugee problem under the rug or pretend that it will be resolved on its own.

Provocative statements from Ankara certainly stir concerns and Turkey in the 21st century appears to be adopting an ever more aggressive stance toward its neighbours.

European Council President Charles Michel warned last week that European leaders who are today attending an extraordinary summit will not leave Brussels until they have reached agreement on the EU’s 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.

'They must know that we don’t want them here,” New Democracy MP Konstantinos Bogdanos, among the party’s most right-wing members said of economic migrants.

The disappearance of the protected witnesses and the subsequent inability of police to track them down according to critics raised questions about the competence of state organs.

Pressurised by strong social reactions and fearing the political cost successive Greek governments kicked the can down the road and avoided grappling with insurance reform.

Authorities have carried out a sustained crackdown on alleged followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen since the failed bid in July 2016, in which about 250 people were killed.

The government and the main opposition crossed swords over the July, 2018, wildfire which claimed 102 lives in Attica’s seaside resort of Mati.

Experts doubt whether the feasibility study on insurance system reform presents credible projections and guarantees regarding the viability of the system.

Greece is expected to receive substantial funding from the EU's “Just Transition Mechanism”, which was set up to boost EU member states' green transition away from fossil fuels.

Mega annoyed because it was loved not by citizens who wanted to be informed about what was going on in Greece and the world, to hear differing views and formulate an opinion.

The country’s candidacy and accession to the European Economic Community was an inspired and bold move, yet Greece failed to properly incorporate the principles and rules of the environment offered

Over the last five years, the EIB has provided over EUR 4 billion for investment across Greece in cooperation with leading Greek Banks.

The government must understand that visits and proclamations will not suffice and that it must implement the measures it announced post haste.

One cannot easily explain the rising incidence of extreme violence in schools and elsewhere, nor the indifference with which they are often met.

Russia supports Assad and accused Turkey of flouting agreements it made with Moscow, aggravating the situation in Idlib, and failing to neutralise militants there,

Bloomberg notes that the ratings of Greek bonds by the agencies and the possible upgrading of Greek bonds to investment level may be enough to turn around the economy and open the door for participation in the ECB programme.

The investment-friendly posture of the government gave impetus to positive developments on the investment front, but it must still craft policies that will help drive the economy and lead it to even more fertile ground.

The performance of Greek bonds improves the profile and viability of the national debt and at the same time iopens the way for businesses to borrow more cheaply and refinance old loans.

The foreign minister dismissed opposition criticism that the government has not been pro-active enough in dealing with Turkey.

A national consensus means that the government will avoid startling the opposition with its moves and for that reason the opposition will support the government.

The PM and his government aim to internationalise the issue by stressing that it is a European problem but expectations that other EU member-states will cooperate are merely pious wishes.

The main difference is that SYRIZA allowed those in detention centres  to exit and return freely while the ND government will establish closed, fenced-off centres which will require a pass to exit and will close at night.

UNHCR has been appealing to the Greek government to use emergency measures to expedite its plans to transfer a greater number of asylum-seekers to appropriate accommodation on the mainland.  More than 36,000 asylum seekers now in reception centres designed for 5,400 people, according to the UNHCR spokesman.