This week EU ambassadors agreed on a €150 billion defense lending scheme, Security Action For Europe, or SAFE. EU officials are calling this "an important step toward a stronger Europe." In a move that has raised eyebrows in Athens and Nicosia, the agreement allows for limited participation by third

Since before President Trump’s return to office, the focus in the US has been on China. As the Trump administration turns up the pressure on Beijing, this is also putting the spotlight on vital infrastructure - from the Panama canal to China’s Belt and Road initiative. This has the potential to impa

The conflict between Pakistan and India has put Turkey’s arms industry in the spotlight, exposing the limits of its much lauded drones and raising questions about whether Turkey’s arms industry is a loser in this latest round of conflict. Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle

A recent map published by the EU’s Copernicus program is sounding the alarm ahead of wildfire season showing drought conditions and risk assessments across Europe. This is particularly alarming for southern European countries like Greece, which has seen devastating wildfires in recent years. Nikos E

A decision earlier this year by authorities in the occupied northern part of Cyprus to allow headscarves in schools has led to mass protests against what many see as President Erdogan’s increasing authoritarianism and a creeping Islamification from Ankara. The protests also touch on broader issues,

Albania’s long-time Prime Minister Edi Rama secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in Sunday's election, winning a comfortable majority. This win came on the back of a wave of pro-EU sentiment among voters, as Rama made securing EU membership for Albania a key part of his campaign. Rama wa

In a move that took many by surprise, President Trump announced this week that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria. The decision represents a sea change for Syrians, as UN figures estimate that nine out of ten Syrians live in poverty. This move was also something countries l

On Monday the Kurdistan Workers’ party, or the PKK, made a historic announcement that it would disband, ending its four-decade-long armed campaign against the Turkish state. The move comes amid a new push to end this conflict, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives and spilled over into Syria and

Since President Trump stepped back into office, and amid escalating competition with China, it looks like one project we’ve been hearing more and more about is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor - or IMEC. This is reflected in comments from President Trump, in diplomatic moves we’re seei

From a recent decision in a German court that could pave the way for migrants to be deported back to Greece to a labor shortage ahead of the critical tourism season, migration issues look to be back on the table. This is also the case at the European level, where the EU has gotten tougher on deporta

Friedrich Merz officially became Chancellor of Germany this week, but only after two rounds of voting in the Bundestag - a first for a new chancellor in postwar German history. His initial failure to clinch the position raises concerns about his leadership, and has Europeans asking whether Germany u

Since the pandemic we’ve seen the Greek government step in to tackle low wages, raising the minimum wage from €650 in 2019 to the latest announcement in early April bringing the gross wage up to €880. These steps come amid both a cost of living crisis and a labor shortage ahead of the summer in the

On Tuesday President Trump said that the US would stop attacking the Houthis in Yemen because the group had "capitulated", adding that the Houthis had pledged to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. This move comes after pressure from both regional players like Saudi Arabia - which President Trump i

President Trump said that he had a "very good and productive" call with Turkish President Erdogan, adding that Erdogan had invited him to Turkey and that he would also be coming to Washington. The call comes in the wake of a new crackdown on dissent in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul mayor E

While visiting the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus this weekend, Turkish President Erdogan said that his country’s presence on the island will continue for centuries, adding that “whoever doesn’t know this must learn it.” Erdogan’s speech drew a swift response from Greece, and comes as the

A Congressional hearing organized by Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission this week titled “Human Rights in Azerbaijan since the COP 29 UN Climate Change Conference” put the spotlight on Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh - or Artsakh - and issues such as securing the release of Armenia

In January of 1996 Greece and Turkey came close to conflict when the Imia crisis erupted. The US played a critical role in preventing a military escalation through Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, and the US ambassadors in Athens and Ankara. Thomas Niles, the US ambassador in Athens a

The struggle of many Greeks who were sent abroad as children for adoption in the aftermath of the Greek Civil War and the decades that followed is finally coming to an end as the Greek government is now paving the way for them to regain their Greek citizenship. Professor Gonda van Steen, the Koraes

One of the legacies Pope Francis leaves behind is his commitment to climate action and the environment, a legacy Catholic activists around the world are maintaining. What many people do not realize is that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, often called the green Patriarch, played a key role in bring

Since SYRIZA’s collapse in the 2023 national elections, the focus has been on who can lead the opposition. PASOK is the official opposition in parliament, but now another party is stepping into second place in the polls - the anti-establishment left wing Course of Freedom led by Zoe Konstantopoulou.

In a surprise move after the Easter break, Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced 1 billion euros in benefits. This followed the release of data showing Greece had secured a budget surplus of 1.3 percent. The announcement is also putting a spotlight on Greece’s politics, with many asking if Mitsotakis

Germany’s parliament blocked the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey earlier this month. This decision follows the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and comes amid reports that Turkey is pressing the US to lift CAATSA sanctions and sell it F-35s. Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fell

Earlier this month we saw Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - Central Asian countries that are also members of the Organization of Turkic States - pledge their support for Cyprus’ sovereignty. The move followed a meeting with top EU officials in Samarkand, and saw Turkish media describe it as

As Greece prepares for another hectic tourism season, it’s not just the popular island destinations that are bracing for the arrival of travelers from around the world. Over the past years, however, we’ve seen almost every region of Greece turn to tourism, a shift experts highlight is unique across