The Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Greece: all hands on deck by Antonis D. Papagiannidis In Greece too, an all-hands-on-deck situation results from the preparations for the vaccination effort against the Covid-19 pandemic to succeed. All of the National Health System assets have been already mobilized; the private sector is asked to join in, with pharmacies [...]
by Symela Touchtidou Transport consumes one third of all final energy in the EU. The bulk of this energy comes from oil. This means that transport is responsible for a large share of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and a major contributor to climate change. While most other economic sectors, such as power production and [...]
Of old dogs and much-needed new tricks by Antonis D. Papagiannidis It is said – righty enough – that you don’t teach old dogs new tricks. But in the current turn of things the adoption of “new tricks”, of new ways to face threats and their dire consequences is imperative. First, a confession: in a country [...]
Of sanctions and talks by Antonis D. Papagiannidis Less than a week after Turkey completed its months-long seismic searches for hydrocarbons over large swathes of the Eastern Mediterranean in areas Greece (and Cyprus) consider belonging to their respective continental shelves (and EEZs) and withdrew seismic vessel Oruc Reis, but also less than a week before [...]
Of rivers and streams, of the ESM and the HFSF by Antonis D. Papagiannidis At the confluence of rivers, or of streams, or even of rivers and streams, one finds turbulence. Such turbulence may look picturesque from some distance; it may bring just trouble or give birth to new set-ups. So it goes with the [...]
Dancing with recession and reboot of the economy by Antonis D. Papagiannidis Up to the last day before the 2021 Budget was tabled at the Greek Parliament – it is expected to be discussed starting December 11, voted upon December 15 – the officialdom and the political leadership of the Ministry of Finance were grappling [...]
The era of gunships is back - “Europe” opts for suave diplomacy by Antonis D. Papagiannidis Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenia-controlled enclave within Azerbaijan and the theatre of armed conflict for the last weeks before a truce of sorts has been imposed at Russian instigation, is hundreds of miles away from the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. [...]
Greek public opinion and the US election: other peoples’ troubles or hopes by Antonis D. Papagiannidis Joe Biden is President-elect, Donald Trump sulks away. Still, the last week – day by day – worked as a test case of how far the politics of far-away nations, little understood in their technicalities, can capture the imagination [...]
Earthquake diplomacy revisited - really? by Antonis D. Papagiannidis A 6.7 (or was 7) Richter scale magnitude earthquake has stricken the southern Aegean region, causing extensive damage at the Greek island of Samos – but with little loss of life; far more lethal was the shock at Izmir and Kusadasi ancient Ephesos) over at the [...]
The Russian Connection by Antonis D. Papagiannidis Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov comes visiting Athens, in a move expected to thaw relations between Greece and Russia. Such relations have been quite chilly – or at least placed at the back burner – ever since, in July 2018 then-Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias sent packing Russian [...]
