The Greek law enforcement community will be out in force ahead of Angela Merkel's visit to Athens on Friday. All entrances to downtown Athens will be blocked from 11.30 am until 21.30 pm and public assembly and demonstrations are prohibited.

The government's cohesion was again put to the test, this time over a technicality that might have barred Yannis Boutaris from running for Thessaloniki mayor.

Alexis Tsipras said that "there is no Baltakos Gate, there is a Samaras Gate," alluding to the scandal involving a publicised discussion between Baltakos and Kasidiaris.