All posts tagged: Greek politics

Paris and Athens exchange mutual defense pledges amid geopolitical turmoil – POLITICO

Paris and Athens exchange mutual defense pledges amid geopolitical turmoil – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“France is Greece’s true ally,” Mitsotakis said, adding that “the highlight of the Greece-France agreements is the commitments to mutual assistance.” On top of a broader “enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership,” the two governments signed agreements in areas from education to scientific research to nuclear energy. During the visit, French defense giant MBDA also signed a contract to continue support for the Greek army’s Mica missiles. In parallel, the two leaders insisted on the need to clarify how the EU’s mutual defense clause — Article 42.7 of the Treaty on the EU — would work in practice, while stressing that the clause should not be seen as a replacement for NATO’s Article 5 security guarantee. Earlier on Saturday, at the Piraeus port, Macron and Mitsotakis visited a Greek frigate built by France’s Naval Group with French Defense and Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and the company’s CEO Pierre-Eric Pommelet. Source link

Greece’s deputy agriculture minister resigns over degree fraud  – POLITICO

Greece’s deputy agriculture minister resigns over degree fraud  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Lazaridis holds a diploma from the College of Southeastern Europe, a now-defunct private school whose credentials were not formally recognized as equivalent to a degree. When he left his position to work in the office of the now Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, it was filled instantly by his wife.  In a series of interviews this week, Lazaridis defended himself and said he wouldn’t justify his credentials to opposition parties and that he is not as lazy as “all left-wingers.” On Thursday, though, he offered to return any compensation he received improperly. Lazaridis on Saturday said he was resigning to ensure the government and the agriculture ministry could continue their work “without distraction” and accused opposition parties of “toxic attacks” and “slander.” The main opposition party, PASOK, was quick to criticize Mitsotakis’s administration. The resignation of Lazaridis “underscores just how weak the prime minister is,” PASOK said in a statement. “In the end, he opened the exit door himself, since his admission that he had defrauded the state was not grounds for dismissal in Mitsotakis’s eyes.” Source link