The Greek Current

This weekend Kathimerini reported that a US proposal is on the table that could see a resolution to the Russian S-400 missile issue that has been a thorn in the side of US-Turkey relations over the last years. This could potentially result in the lifting of CAATSA sanctions and a path for Turkey to rejoin the F35 program. Lena Argiri, the Washington, DC correspondent for ERT - the Greek Public Bro...

Turkey’s recent role in mediating talks between Somalia and Ethiopia has put the spotlight on how Turkey’s influence in Africa has boomed over the past two decades. As the Financial Times reported in a recent in-depth piece, Turkey’s rapidly growing influence has been particularly prominent in the Sahel region, especially over the past few years. Turkey’s focus on Africa comes as a number of so-ca...

Mario Draghi recently released a report on Europe’s competitiveness that has sparked debate across the continent. The report, which shows Europe lagging behind the US and China in a number of areas, has many asking if the continent’s leaders will heed his call to action. Jacob Kirkegaard, a nonresident senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics and senior fellow at Brueg...

Earlier this month Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced a series of measures designed to alleviate Greece’s housing crisis. It came as no surprise that Airbnb and short term rentals were also targeted - especially in downtown Athens - as Greece announced it will ban new short-term rentals in the center for at least a year. Iliana Magra, a journalist with Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to look at...

Earlier this month a Turkish-flagged vessel suspected of carrying weapons to Libya blocked the EU’s naval mission Irini from inspecting its cargo. This isn’t the first time this has happened. The timing of this shipment, however, which comes amid an escalating row over the leadership of the country’s Central Bank, is fueling speculation of renewed conflict in Libya. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chi...

Over the summer we’ve read about issues of water scarcity on Greece’s islands, many of them struggling to find ways to meet demand during the summer - especially as tourists swarm to the islands. New warnings, however, indicate that Greece’s countryside and the city of Athens could face their own water crisis. Experts have warned that if droughts persist, Athens would run out of water in another f...

Earlier this year Europeans seemed to wrap up years of negotiations to pass a new migration pact. Now, Germany has decided to impose temporary controls on its land borders in an immigration crackdown. This is leading to a string of reactions across Europe, with frontline states like Greece increasingly concerned about the possibility of a “domino effect” that would see other member states take sim...

All eyes have been on Thessaloniki these days as the Thessaloniki International Fair is putting a spotlight on Greece’s second city. Beyond the droves of politicians, diplomats and business leaders visiting the city, this was an opportunity to shine a light on the crucial role that Thessaloniki can play in an evolving region. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to look...

Turkey recently took delivery of its first German-built T-214 submarine with air-independent propulsion system, a submarine that falls in the same category as the Greek Papanikolis. The news sparked discussions in Athens about whether Greece is falling behind its neighbor and nominal ally at sea. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this de...

This weekend Prime Minister Mitsotakis delivered his keynote address at the Thessaloniki International Fair. While he made it clear he was not showing up with a bag of gifts, he did announce a number of programs with a 2027 horizon, and put the issue of tackling issues related to over-tourism on the table as well. At the same time in Athens, SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis lost a no-confidence m...

Are Turkish-Egyptian relations entering a “new phase”? This week Egypt’s President al-Sisi traveled to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Erdogan, a visit that came after over a decade of tensions between the two countries that spanned from Libya to the Eastern Mediterranean and saw Erdogan describe his Egyptian counterpart as a “tyrant”. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Mid...

A series of attacks in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have left a Greek flagged ship, the Sounion, stranded, threatening to spill its 1 million barrels of oil into the sea. Greece has taken the lead in coordinating efforts to evacuate and tow the Sounion, but the threat of environmental disaster remains large. Bradley Bowman, the Senior Director of the Center on Military and Politica...

Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Biden in the presidential race, the question for many - especially in Greece and Cyprus - is what to expect from a Harris presidency on foreign policy, and who would have the ear of a potential President Harris. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Vice Presid...

Today, September 3rd, marks 50 years since Andreas Papandreou founded PASOK, a political party that came to play a key role in Greece from the restoration of democracy to the financial crisis. Harris Mylonas, an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University and the executive producer of the award winning documentary Searching for Andreas: Politi...

While summer may be winding down, water scarcity, overcrowded streets and rising housing costs are infuriating locals across southern European countries - especially those that rely on tourism. Greece is no exception, and we are seeing reactions to overtourism not only on Greece’s top island destinations, but also in cities like Athens. Professor Dimitris Vayanos joins Thanos Davelis to look into...

Is there an effort afoot to revive the F-35 deal with Turkey? The issue popped up in a report in the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, and has raised questions about whether this is being seriously considered - despite the issue of the Russian S-400s remaining unresolved -  or if it is wishful thinking on the part of Ankara. Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum and a...

A recent poll is turning heads in Greece as it shows not only what appears to be a total collapse of the main opposition SYRIZA, which fell into single digit numbers, but also a noticeable decline in support for the ruling New Democracy party. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the key takeaways from this poll as we look at what message it s...

Cyprus has emerged as a key player - particularly on the humanitarian front - as the ongoing war in Gaza and the broader crisis in the Middle East unfolds. While it has received international praise for its crucial role in providing aid to Gaza, tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border saw Cyprus face threats from Hezbollah. Professor James Ker-Lindsay, who has worked extensively on the EU, the Bal...

Turkey is putting up roadblocks within NATO that are raising questions about whether the alliance’s largest air exercise, which Greece is preparing to host for the first time, will move forward smoothly. The heart of the issue is the Athens flight information region (FIR), whose jurisdiction Turkey does not fully recognize. This is consistent with Turkey’s broader efforts to turn the Aegean into a...

Making housing more affordable is going to be one of the central themes of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ keynote speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair in early September. Property prices, both to buy and rent, have come to dominate the public debate over the past couple of years, as Airbnb, the Golden Visa scheme, and other factors continue to impact the market, leaving many Greeks u...

This year marked 75 years since the creation of NATO, and the latest summit in Washington, DC sent a clear message that NATO is back, returning to its Cold War roots deterring the Russians and adding new members. At the same time, however, there are increasing concerns in Europe about America’s long-term commitment to their security. This has revived the notion of building up Europe’s defense capa...

Last week Greece - and the region of Attica where Athens is located - suffered another major wildfire that threatened the suburbs of Athens and burned an area almost twice the size of Manhattan. This wildfire came a year after Greece experienced Europe’s largest ever wildfire on record, which burned over half of the Dadia National Park. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis as we return from a bri...

In a recent interview with Politico, President Christodoulides said “We cannot afford to wait for a new effort, a new initiative,” when talking about the Cyprus issue. At the same time, on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Turkish President Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar doubled down on their hardline position in favor of a two state solution. Menelaos Menelaou, the...

A few weeks ago it looked like former President Donald Trump was in the driver’s seat of the presidential election. In the last 10 days, however, President Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris essentially locked up the nomination. William Antholis, the director and CEO of the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how thi...

Over the past month we’ve seen reports that after more than a decade of trying to overthrow the Assad regime in Syria, Turkey’s President Erdogan is now open to resetting relations with President Bashar al-Assad. Henri Barkey, the Cohen Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University and Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davel...