The Greek Current

At the beginning of the year there was optimism in Europe that, despite a long to-do list, the Trump shock might lead to a “European moment”. Today, sluggish economic growth and political uncertainty seem to have stalled this momentum, with many wondering where Europe’s sense of urgency is. Simon Nixon, an independent journalist and the publisher of the Wealth of Nations newsletter, joins Thanos D...

Over the past days we’ve seen tensions rise in the Aegean, with the planned deployment of Turkey’s research vessel Piri Reis - which remains docked - raising eyebrows in Athens ahead of an expected meeting between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to take a c...

The world’s attention will be on New York later this month, as world leaders prepare for the UN General Assembly. The Cyprus problem - one of the longest standing issues before the UN - will also be on the agenda, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres scheduled to meet with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. In a slightly different approach to the issue, M...

Israel’s recent airstrike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar seems to send a clear message that it is willing to go anywhere to eliminate Hamas. This has cast a cloud of growing concern in Turkey that it could be a target, especially considering President Erdogan’s open embrace of Hamas and his escalating rhetoric against Israel. Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at th...

Earlier this month, as the new school-year kicked off around the world, Greece announced it was closing more than 750 schools as a sharp decline in births over the years has left them without enough students. The story has made the rounds on social media, even getting picked up and shared by figures like Elon Musk. Eleni Varvitstioti, the Financial Times correspondent for Greece and Cyprus and aut...

This week a swarm of Russian heavy drones flew into Poland, a NATO member, and several of them were intercepted and shot down. The incident has raised a number of questions, as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “a large-scale provocation”. Thomas Graham, a Russia expert and a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at what this incident m...

US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum - and chair of the influential White House National Energy Dominance Council - will be the first cabinet-level official to travel to Greece this presidential term, highlighting Greece’s role as a key US partner on energy. At the same time, it looks like new developments on Capitol Hill could soon pave the way for US ambassador–nominee to Greece Kimberly Gui...

The latest chapter in a nearly year-long crackdown on the main opposition is unfolding in Turkey, where it seems Turkish President Erdogan is using the courts to effectively neuter the opposition. As Erdogan moves Turkey closer to a Russia-style autocracy, what does this mean for the opposition and ultimately for the West? Thanos Davelis breaks these questions down today with Wolfango Piccoli, the...

This weekend in Thessaloniki Prime Minister Mitsotakis laid out his vision for the coming year, announcing 1.6 billion euros in tax cuts - a package he called the boldest tax reform enforced in Greece in more than 50 years - and various measures to tackle the cost of living challenge facing many Greeks and the demographic crisis. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis as we break down these announc...

In July Turkey hosted the 17th International Defense Industry Fair, and over 100 countries sent representatives to see what’s behind all the hype around Ankara’s defense industry. Despite the attention it’s gotten over the last years, a lot of Ankara’s new military technology remains in development and untested, posing the question: Can Turkey deliver on its defense ambitions? Ryan Gingeras, a pro...

With the US focused on Ukraine, the Middle East, and President Trump’s trade deals, it seems the Western Balkans are flying under the radar in Washington. In fact, there are growing concerns in the region about a quiet US withdrawal and what this could mean as countries like Russia, China and Turkey vie for influence. Professor James Ker-Lindsay, who has worked extensively on the EU, the Balkans a...

The Economist just ran a story about the Shanghai Co-operation Organization summit that took place, calling it Xi Jinping’s anti-American party. This party also included world leaders like Turkish President Erdogan. Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on Turkish politics, joins Thanos Davelis as we look into Erdogan’s cozying up to C...

This weekend Prime Minister Mitsotakis is heading to Thessaloniki, where he’s going to deliver a sort of state of the union address, outlining his agenda and key priorities for the year ahead. Today Thanos Davelis brings on Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder of Macropolis.gr, as we break down what issues are top of the list, and what moves Mitsotakis is planning for the year ahead.  You can read the...

Constantine Cavafy, the Greek poet whose work not only charted a new path for Greek poetry, but also inspired countless readers around the world - including figures like David Hockney, Leonard Cohen, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis - is back in the spotlight thanks to the publication of his first biography in roughly 50 years. Professors Gregory Jusdanis and Peter Jeffreys, the authors of the book, joi...

Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, is joined by Michael Rubin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to break down reports that Israel is closing in on a security deal with Syria as a U.S. envoy meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to analyze what this means for the region, from Turkey to broader U.S. strategy in the Middle East. You can read the article we discuss on our...

HALC Executive Director and host Endy D. Zemenides is joined by Mariam Wahba, Research Analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to analyze the Egyptian government's efforts to control St. Catherine's monastery, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. You can read the articles we discuss in the podcast here: Egypt’s War Against the World’s Oldest Christian Monast...

HALC Executive Director and host Endy D. Zemenides is joined by Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations at FDD Action, to analyze the State Department's response to a Congressional letter calling on holding Turkey accountable and the F-35 program.  You can read the articles we discuss in the podcast here: State Department: The US position regarding Turkey’s acquisition of F-35s remains u...

HALC Executive Director and host Endy D. Zemenides is joined by Patrick Theros, former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and former Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, to analyze the freezing of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem's bank accounts.  You can read the articles we discuss in the podcast here: Jerusalem freezes Greek Orthodox Patriarcha...

HALC Executive Director and host Endy D. Zemenides is joined by Ilan Berman , Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, Board Member at Radio Free Europe, and author of Implosion: The End of Russia and What It Means for America to analyze the aftermath and impact of President Trump's meeting with with President Zelensky and European Leaders. You can read the articles we discuss...

Host Endy D. Zemenides, HALC Executive Director, welcomes Matthew Boyle, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief for Breitbart News, for a deep dive into the implications of President Trump’s recent meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the latest developments in the war in Ukraine, and what all of this means for international relations.

Greece - and much of southern Europe - has faced a series of wildfires over the past weeks, prompting evacuations and even resulting in deaths. As Greece grapples with another summer of wildfires, questions abound over how to combat this phenomenon and build resilience, and the role of the media, the government, and civil society. Niko Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thano...

Earlier this week we took a look at the stakes ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska. Today, Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the president of the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute who has advised the White House, the State and Treasury Departments, and the Council of Economic Advisers on Russian economic sanctions and business retreats, joins Thanos Daveli...

Is Israel risking overplaying its hand in Gaza and the Middle East, and, as European countries like France and Britain move to recognize Palestine, what are the broader ramifications for the region? Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis as we look to answer these questions, and more. You can rea...

Are Armenia and Azerbaijan on a path to peace, or is the latest deal signed at the White House a rushed agreement that lets Baku off the hook for its aggression - from the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh to its unlawful detention of Armenian POWs? Thanos Davelis digs into this question with Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, as we look at wha...

All eyes will be on Alaska this Friday as President Trump meets with President Putin to discuss Ukraine, a high stakes summit with risks for Europe, Ukraine, and President Trump. Will Ukraine’s fear of a deal struck between Trump and Putin - and excluding Kyiv - be realized? What about the political risks for President Trump both at home and with US allies? David Sanger, the White House and Nation...