Minister of Defence Nikos Dendias met on Thursday with a delegation of graduate students from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
The idea of issuing eurobonds exclusively for the defense security of the European Union was proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis upon arriving at the European Council in Brussels on Thursday.
The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou was honored with the WPL Trailblazer Award by the President of the Women Political Leaders Network Silvana Koch-Mehrin, at a special evening ceremony at the Acropolis Museum on Wednesday.
The Unseen Museum is the well-known exhibition project of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens that brings to the fore antiquities stored in its vaults away from the visitor’s eyes.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed via teleconference the 3rd Summit for Democracy, held in South Korea. His speech is as follows:
The National Bank of Greece announced that it has successfully completed the placement of a reduced-security bond in the market amounting to 500 million euros with a return of 5.875%. The bond has a duration of 11.25 years with a callable period of 6.25 years.
The crash of the F-16 Block 52 + of the 337 Squadron in the Sporades due to engine "burnout"
Interior Minister Niki Kerameus is visiting the USA and Canada in order to inform the Greeks who live abroad about the possibility of exercising their right to vote in the upcoming European elections, through the postal vote.
The first Romeo MH-60R Seahawk helicopters arrived in Greece. These are the 3 -out of a total of 7- new helicopters that our country will acquire from the USA, which will staff and upgrade the operational readiness of the Navy.
A networking event for organisations and advocates in the field of accessibility was organised at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Athens, with the aim of fostering networks among disability rights advocates and organisations, as well as between the Embassy. It also aimed at fostering dialogue and partnerships between U.S. and local stakeholders in the field of disability rights.
Greek consumers are increasingly turning to Private Label (PL) products as they strive to lower their supermarket bills in the face of persistently high prices, according to an annual phone survey conducted in January 2024 by the Marketing Lab of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), using a random sample of 1880 households. There was also a marked movement in support of products made in Greece, the survey found, with consumers adopting a more mature stance and showing solidarity with domestic industry and employees.
Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), Professor Giorgos Baltas reported that PL products now account for 36% of the household basket, up from 33% in 2023. "This is the highest percentage ever recorded in the 19 years we have been conducting the survey...The private label share of the basket of goods is well above 30% of the codes that go into the consumer basket. In other words, three in 10 products bought are private label," he pointed out.
The survey also showed a steady rise in the share of Greek products in the basket, Baltas reported: "Consumers' preferences for products made in Greece were not affected by the negative climate of this period. This showed that Greek production is not a more expensive purchasing choice and preferences for it are resilient over time."
Up to 81% of those responding to the survey said they prefer Greek products over imported products when these were available. Additionally, 66% believe there is a shift by consumers toward products made in Greece, while 89% said they want packaging to indicate whether a product is made in Greece. Also, 65% believe that Greek products are safer and better quality, 93% believe that by choosing Greek products they support production in the country and 83% believe that choosing Greek products helps reduce unemployment.
Baltas said that the constantly rising pressure on household budgets since 2021 is changing purchasing habits, with the vast majority (90.3%) reporting that they are struggling financially as a result of higher supermarket prices. Consumers are turning to cheaper goods and restricting purchases, while half report that they buy only "absolutely essential" goods and one in 10 say that they cannot afford even the basics.
Asked to identify who was most to blame for excessive price hikes, the majority (68%) picked multinational companies, with big supermarket chains in second place (24.2%). A much smaller percentage blamed domestic manufacturers (6.9%) and very few blamed small shops (0.9%).
The survey also calculated the average amount spent at each supermarket visit, finding that this had risen 14.7% to 70 euros, from 61 euros the previous year. This increase reflects the increased cost of products due to inflation. Similarly, average monthly spending was 370 euros, up from 324 euros in 2023, while 75% of consumers spend up to 450 euros a month. The increase in spending reflects the rise in prices, which has been much higher in the specific sector than the general consumer price index.
Regarding which supermarkets they use, only 58% use one supermarket regularly, while the rest spread their purchases over several supermarkets and 93.2% use up to three different stores. The average number of visits to a supermarket is six a month, unchanged since 2023, with the majority shopping four times a month and 86% shopping up to 8 times a month.
Consumers are making additional efforts to avoid impulse buys, with 89.4% reporting that they have already decided what to purchase before they enter a physical or electronic supermarket, in efforts to more carefully manage their available income in the face of inflation. As regards choice of brands, 50.5% have decided in advance.
The survey also asked those responding to identify which are their key criteria when choosing products. The four top criteria were listed as quality, price, discounts and Greek origin, which have steadily occupied the four top spots in the annual survey. In their choice of supermarket, the survey showed that quality of merchandise, prices, discounts and ease of access were the most important.
Regarding the 'Household Basket' for lower-price goods, consumers appeared divided over its usefulness. The survey showed that 53.5% consider the measure useful and only 52.8% actually shop goods that are in the basket. However, the acceptance of the measure by one in two consumers, according to the survey, shows that its impact is not insignificant and that its implementation interests a large portion of consumers.
"The statements of the Turkish president regarding the illegal invasion of Cyprus in 1974 constitute a blatant distortion of the historical truth and an insult to the memory of the victims," according to Greek diplomatic sources on Tuesday.
The 49 people detained and then arrested during a police raid on the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Sciences were brought to the Thessaloniki Three-Member Misdemeanours Court to be charged on Sunday, after they were taken into custody on Saturday. They are to face immediate trial, as they are considered to be arrested in flagrante delicto.
Under stringent security, they were taken to the Thessaloniki court building and charged with seriously disrupting the smooth operation of a public-law legal entity. Additionally, 48 of the 49 suspects were charged with insubordination because they refused to submit to having their fingerprints taken.
The suspects, 31 men and 18 women between the ages of 19 and 30 years old, will remain in custody on Sunday night and be taken to the court again on Clean Monday, in order to be tried.
During the rain, police confiscated items such as naval flares, wooden poles, gas masks, fire extinguishers, sledgehammers and other evidence. A police investigation is continuing to identify the culprits and bring separate charges for violations of the law on weapons and flares.
Protestors supporting those arrested gathered outside the court building early on Sunday.
The government has "a unique political opportunity to push through all the changes that will raise Greece higher," National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said in an article published by the newspaper "Kathimerini" on Sunday, analysing the government's economic policy and performance.