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Alexis Tsipras slates Greek government after visit to Evosmos

The Greek Herald
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Alexis Tsipras slates Greek government after visit to Evosmos

“I hear the government talking about 24 billion euros. Where are they all?” main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras asked on Thursday, following his meetings with shop keepers in Evosmos, Thessaloniki.

The shopkeepers described the great difficulties they face on a daily basis since they reopened their shops after the lockdown to avoid spreading Covid-19.

Alexis Tsipras (left) and Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right) have different opinions on how Greece’s economy should be handled.

Tsipras said the market needed to be supported with working capital and liquidity and said that SYRIZA will press the government to deliver, after shopkeepers complained that they did not have access to loans or faced steep interest rates for any loans received.

Read More: “We all share the same goal”, President Sakellaropoulou insists in Tsipras meeting

The main opposition leader walked about the Evosmos high street and spoke with several business owners, as well as with young people in the area. There was also a brief meeting with the mayor of Kordelio in Evosmos, Kleanthis Mandalianos.

Market restart to bring “recession and unemployment”

Last month, the SYRIZA leader criticised the Greek government’s economic plan to deal with the aftermath of the coronavirus restrictions, saying it will bring recession and unemployment.

The plan involves spending $19.2 billion to help laid-off workers and businesses required to shut during the lockdown.

Read More: Tsipras slams Greek government’s handling of market restart

However, speaking at a SYRIZA party meeting, Tsipras said the economic initiative was “an opportunity to promote a tough anti-popular agenda for the benefit of a small business elite.”

“The coming recession will be the result of Mitsotakis’ inertia, timidity and inability to anticipate the real needs of the economy,” Tsipras said.

“It may even lead to snap national elections which would serve as a chance to elect a progressive government.”

Sourced: ANA-MPA/The Greek Herald

Evros border sees double influx of migrants in last 24 hours

The Greek Herald
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Evros border sees double influx of migrants in last 24 hours

Arrivals of irregular migrants via Greece’s land border with Turkey doubled on Tuesday, Kathimerini reports, with police intercepting more than 400 people in the border areas of Tychero and Ferres within 24 hours. 

A significantly greater influx than the previous few days, border guards typically stop between 200 and 250 asylum seekers daily.

Read More: Greece boosts forces at Evros as it braces for new migrant crisis

Reports that “a number of migrants moving to the Turkish coast, opposite Mytilene, Kos, Farmakonisi and elsewhere” have caused concern to the Greek Coast Guard, yet officials revealed to the daily that “they have been on alert for the past two days.”

Read More: TGH Exclusive: Evros border guards empowered by support of Greek diaspora

Meanwhile, there are reports that large groups of migrants, numbering between 500 and 1,000, are heading toward Turkey’s Aegean coastline.

However, aircraft monitoring Turkish shores as part of an operation by the European Union’s border agency Frontex have not confirmed these reports.

Historic progression in Greece as patients now require prescription for antibiotics

The Greek Herald
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Historic progression in Greece as patients now require prescription for antibiotics

Greece has joined Australia and a host of European countries by putting in place a law that requires Greeks to have a prescription before purchasing any antibiotics.

The provision, passed by the Ministry of Health passed in February, came into place on Thursday in Greece, with the Panhellenic Medical Association (PIS) describing it as “a win” of the medical world which took about 50 years to implement.

PIS said the law requiring a doctor’s prescription for the sale of drugs has existed since 1973, but it was often ignored.

Minister of Health Vassilis Kikilias. Photo: ANA-MPA

The antibiotic prescriptions are now required by law to be processed electronically, stating the specific disease for which it is necessary to administer the drug as well as the dosage.

In exceptional cases where it is not possible to issue an electronic prescription, the handwritten prescription must contain all the details of the electronic prescription and especially the disease for which the administration of the specific is deemed necessary.

The provision was planned to be introduced in February, according to the Minister of Health Vassilis Kikilias, yet was delayed due the coronavirus pandemic.

According to an OECD report of 2017, Greece was the biggest consumer of antibiotics, with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), also declaring that Greece uses double the amount of antibiotics in relation to the EU average.

George Petrou and his daughter travel around Australia capturing the stories of war veterans

Andriana Simos
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George Petrou and his daughter travel around Australia capturing the stories of war veterans

Cypriot-Australian artist, George Petrou, and his daughter Grace are currently travelling around Australia with his iconic portraits of Australian war veterans.

Their aim is to photograph the relatives of these war veterans and along the way, document the courageous stories of survival for Petrou’s new book ‘The Art of Sacrifice,’ which is due to be released in March 2021.

“I have about 80 military portraits that I’ve done and what I wanted to do was connect people to those portraits. I’ve met alot of relatives, grandsons, granddaughters, uncles and aunties of war veterans through my travels, and my daughter and I decided to photograph these family members and get them to write a small part of the story of the subject I’ve painted,” Petrou tells The Greek Herald exclusively.

Cypriot-Australian artist, George Petrou, is well known for his portraits of Australian war veterans.

“Overall, we’re going to photograph about 50 people, with 50 different backgrounds, in one week. It’s a time-consuming project but worth it in the end. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Time-consuming is one way to put it. Petrou says he and his daughter don’t only plan to travel within his hometown of Melbourne, but they are also travelling all the way down to Sydney.

“Our very first stop is Corryong, then we’re going to Aubury to photograph the son of Victoria Cross recipient, Albert Borella, from WWI. His son is still alive, so we will photograph his family – there’s about five of them,” Petrou says.

“From there we are going to Canberra where we are taking about five shots at the War Memorial. Followed by Nowra, the Sydney ANZAC Memorial and then back Melbourne. When the borders reopen we will head to Brisbane and Adelaide as well.”

It’s clear that Petrou will not let anything get in the way of his dream to share the extensive history of Australia’s war veterans.

“I’m very passionate about discovering all these stories and my new book is the perfect opportunity for me to reconnect with people I’ve met on my travels. I’m excited to showcase my findings to the world soon.”

More information on George Petrou’s new book ‘The Art of Sacrifice’ will be released soon.

Nick Dimos’ fight to get life-changing treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

Andriana Simos
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Nick Dimos’ fight to get life-changing treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

Melbourne father of three, Nick Dimos, was recently diagnosed with life-changing Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is an auto immune disease which means Nick’s immune system doesn’t just defend him from infections, it also attacks healthy cells. MS damages the protective coating on nerves in your brain and spine, causing lesions. Nick has more than 50. These distort messages from the brain to the rest of the body, sometimes leading to severe disability. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure.

“I just remember three neurologists sat my brother and my wife down and I just knew there was something wrong. They just sort of told us that ‘you’ve got MS.’ And it’s just alarm bells in the head going off and you’re just thinking to yourself, ‘there’s no cure for this and you’re just going to be left in a wheelchair’,” Nick told SBS Dateline in a special report.

“I remember screaming so loud outside the front of Box Hill hospital,” his wife Nektaria added.

Nick Dimos, from Oakleigh, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Source: Facebook.

Since then, Nick’s been plagued by fatigue, migraines, blurred vision, pain and numbness in his legs. And dread about what still lies in store.

But the pair never gave up. After doing some research, they came across stem cell transplants known as HSCT, which halt the progression of MS in about 80 to 90 percent of cases like Nick’s.

These transplants have been very successful in clinical trials, especially for young patients with relapsing-remitting MS. But the treatment isn’t widely available anywhere in the world and as a result, Nick plans to fly to Moscow to receive the treatment. He says that although his current neurologist supports his plans to seek treatment abroad, most are dismissive.

“So I spoke to many, I guess, of my previous MS neurologists about HSCT. They were all against it. Some of the feedback I was getting was ‘no it’s not proven,’ ‘it’s still being tested,’ ‘don’t do it, it’s going to kill you’,” Nick said.

Sadly, since then, COVID-19 broke out around the world and Nick’s plan to go to Moscow for treatment has been put on hold. This is something which has rightly angered Nick as he questions why he even has to travel outside of Australia to receive the transplant in the first place.

In Australia, clinical trials for stem cell transplants only accept people who failed to respond to multiple drug treatments. Nick has already tried and failed MS drug, Aubagio, but he’s still been told he doesn’t qualify for the clinical trial because he hasn’t tried and failed at least one other drug.

“I jumped onto an MS drug called Aubagio. I was taking Aubagio tablets every single day for up to 12 months. But they obviously didn’t work for me. The lesions continued,” Nick told the media program.

“But we were still told I didn’t qualify for the clinical trial here in Australia, which just leave us dumbfounded. Why on earth am I meant to be trying MS drugs? You want me to progress in a form of disability before you give me an opportunity to actually get my life back. It makes no sense whatsoever.

“I guess we’re just frustrated. Frustrated that they’ve been doing a trial in Australia since 2012 and they don’t allow MS patients to jump onto this and reap the benefits of it and force us to go abroad for treatment.”

Nick says Australia needs to give people with MS a “real option to actually get their lives back” but until then, he’s still determined to travel to Moscow once travel restrictions ease.

“There is no cure as yet and I wish one day there will be for MS patients. But right now, the best course of treatment is HSCT so Australia really needs to pull their finger out and give that option to Aussies. Don’t force us abroad.”

Greek community rejoices as Darwin Greek festival to go ahead in 2020

Andriana Simos
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Greek community rejoices as Darwin Greek festival to go ahead in 2020

While the passing of the Queen’s Birthday weekend meant there wouldn’t be a Darwin GleNTi festival this year, the Greek Community will still have a chance to showcase their culture in the Top End in 2020.

The President of the Greek Orthodox Community of North Australia, Nicholas Poniris, tells The Greek Herald that a cut-down version of the festival will take place on July 25 and it will be a great opportunity for Territorians to enjoy life again.

“It’s not the Darwin GleNTi but it will still be a full-day event showcasing the best of Greek heritage and culture. We will have a lot of local entertainment, food stalls and a dance group,” Mr Poniris says.

“I’ve been excited about this since COVID-19 broke out and we had to cancel the GleNTi for this year. We knew a smaller Greek festival was our contigency plan and I’m looking forward to creating an event that will bring joy to the people of the Northern Territory.”

The Darwin GleNTi was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. Source: Georgia Politis Photography.

Mr Poniris adds that while it is exciting, there is still a alot of work to do to ensure the event goes ahead on time.

“Today is the first of many meetings we’ll have in the next seven days because we only have a short window,” he says.

“We have to take into consideration things like social distancing and hygiene. So there’s still a lot left to do but it will be fantastic in the end.”

The Darwin GleNTi usually draws 40,000 visitors to indulge in mountains of souvlaki, octopus and yiros. Even though it was cancelled this year, it is the longest running cultural festival in the Northern Territory. 

READ MORE: The Darwin GleNTi’s 32 year history has been showcased in a stunning video timelapse.

On This Day: Greece in the finals of Euro 1980

Andriana Simos
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On This Day: Greece in the finals of Euro 1980

Greek football came out of obscurity in the 1970s and was heard internationally with the success of Panathinaikos and AEK in the European Cups. But on June 11, 1980, it was time for the national team of Greece to make its mark globally.

With this in mind, the national team and its coach Alketas Panagoulias, entered the qualifying round of the 1980 European Nations Cup, as the European Championship was then called. The group they were competing in consisted of opponents from the Soviet Union, Hungary and Finland. At first, the Greek national team suffered huge losses to Finland (3-0), followed by the Soviet Union (2-0).

But eventually, when Panagoulias’ team played Finland again a month later, they defeated the “mighty Finns” with a score of 8-1. This was followed by another victory over Hungary with 4-1.

The Greek national team played against West Germany in the Euro final 1980.

The word “qualification” returned to the lips of football fans and the Greek national team went on to compete in the final round of the European Nations Cup, which took place from June 11 to June 22, 1980, in Italy. Greece was included in Group A, with rivals West Germany, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. The other group consisted of Italy, Belgium, England and Spain.

The national team played its first game on June 11, 1980, against the Netherlands. It was a very close game with Thomas Mavros, Georgios Kostikos and Vasilis Konstantinou playing well on the day. However, ultimately, the Greek national team lost 1-0 on a penalty in the 64th minute.

In its second match against Czechoslovakia on June 14, the team also lost 3-1. The third and final game in the tournament against Greater West Germany was thus, purely procedural for the team. They drew 0-0. Eventually, West Germany won the trophy for Group A, defeating Belgium 2-1 in the final on June 22. 

The Greek national team returned to Athens with its head held high, having made its presence felt at the event. Interestingly, Greece would not appear at a Euro final tournament again until they won the competition in 2004.       

Greek navy monitors Turkish ship suspected of carrying weapons to Libya

Andriana Simos
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Greek navy monitors Turkish ship suspected of carrying weapons to Libya

A frigate from the Greek Navy which is taking part in the EU naval mission off the coast of Africa is currently shadowing a Turkish vessel suspected of carrying weapons to Libya, violating the UN-imposed arms embargo to the civil war-torn country.

According to Greek defense sources, the HS Spetsai, which is participating in “Operation Irini” together with other European Union vessels, sent out a signal to the Turkish vessel, which is accompanied by two Turkish frigates.

The vessel did not respond and a Greek Navy helicopter flew over to ask permission to inspect the cargo. The request was denied by the Turkish frigates with a message that said: “the Turkish ship is under the protection of the Turkish democracy.”

The Italian Commander of “Operation Irini” will now decide on the next steps, but the Greek frigate has been instructed to closely monitor the Turkish vessel.

Since officially joining the war in January, Turkey has deployed its own military forces, allegedly along with Syrian militias, to Libya. Despite the strict arms embargo imposed on Libya by the United Nations, Ankara has also supplied drones and air defense to the UN-recognised GNA.

Its military involvement has been strongly condemned by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France.

Greece to reclaim ancient horse from US after court ruling

The Greek Herald
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Greece to reclaim ancient horse from US after court ruling

The Greek Culture Ministry said Wednesday it would seek the repatriation from New York of a 2,700-year-old bronze horse statuette which it says was illegally exported from Greece, after a US court rejected an auction house’s bid to proceed with the sale of the artifact.

A ministry statement said the appeals court’s decision was of “enormous legal importance” and would have broad implications for works of cultural heritage from other countries, too.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the outcome was a major victory in the fight against the illegal trade in antiquities, a lucrative but brutal business that strips ancient artifacts of key cultural and historical information that a proper excavation would reveal.

“The ministry will proceed with every legal process to repatriate the statuette, stressing that when stolen and illegally exported monuments are returned … (the country of origin) regains a segment of its history,” Mendoni said.

Sotheby’s auction house in the US attracts large crowds. Source: Instagram.

The ministry said the New York court ruled that in disputes concerning artifacts up for auction in the United States, or sought by US museums, the laws of the works’ country of origin will be applicable.

The ministry said the ruling published Tuesday rejected a bid by Sotheby’s to proceed with the auction of the 14-centimeter tall work from the 8th century BC that was part of a private US collection.

The highly stylised figurine of a horse from the so-called Geometric period of ancient Greek art, a type highly popular with collectors, was listed for auction in New York in May 2018 , with an estimated price of $150,000-$250,000.

Greek officials wrote to the auction house asking for the lot to be withdrawn and repatriated, arguing that it was of Greek origin and had never been declared or granted an export license.

Under Greek law, all antiquities found in the country are state property. The country has a profusion of ancient sites spanning several thousand years of civilisation, but lacks the means to adequately police them all from looters.

The ministry said that while Sotheby’s did withdraw the statuette from auction, the house took legal action against Greece, seeking recognition that Greece had no rights to the work. It said Sotheby’s won a first court case but Greece appealed, resulting in the decision published Tuesday.

In a statement, a Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “While we are disappointed with yesterday’s decision, it does not impact what is at the heart of this matter—there is, and remains, no evidence to support Greece’s claim to ownership of the bronze sculpture. We, together with our client, are reviewing next steps.”

TGH Exclusive: Evros border guards empowered by support of Greek diaspora

The Greek Herald
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TGH Exclusive: Evros border guards empowered by support of Greek diaspora

By Panagiotis Dalatariof

“The love of the Greek diaspora strengthens our resilience at the border”

Panagiotis Harelas has been guarding the Greek border for more than 20 years. Mainly serving in the Immigration Management Service in Central Macedonia, he also serves in Evros, the Aegean and in the wider island country. He is also the President of the Hellenic Federation of Border Police Officers, since 2008.

Speaking to The Greek Herald, Harelas spoke about the current situation at the Evros border in Greece. Standing opposite the Turkish provocation, he thanks the Greeks abroad for their love and support.

How is the situation at the border right now?

“The situation has been manageable lately and after the events in March (latest illegal immigration wave from Turkey), we are also strengthened in numbers. There is flow and mobility on the border but not to the extent that would worry us. At this stage, with the forces we have, we can prevent the existing pressure so no one can  enter the country illegally.

How many border guards are there in Evros?

“Apart from the permanent ones, 400 guards since 2002, we also have monthly police officer deployments from all over the country, who come here to strengthen the border guard. Recently, another 400 were recruited, but have not yet arrived due to COVID-19. We are waiting for them in the coming days to be trained and ready to support us.”

“We are going through one of the most critical periods”

Based on all that you have experienced, is this period the most difficult you are going through?

“Clearly this period is a critical one, as we can see that there are fronts of pressure around the islands as well as in the Evros region . However, the situation is under control by the police. Political will is always needed as well.”

“This is how we prevented the ‘migrant’ invasion”

What was the secret to success in preventing this migrant influx?

“The Joint Border Surveillance Agency was first established in the fall of 2019. This constitutes the first institutional convergence of the police and the army on immigration issues. This means that we had joint army and police patrols.

Arriving at the great crisis of March, the army, police and border guards had to work together to defend the borders and prevent these migratory pressures on both the river and the Kastanies region. However, the communication and coordination we had with our colleagues in previous months was successful. The Army, Police and Fire Brigade in Kastanies, during the immigration pressure of March, worked in an excellent way.

Read More: TGH Exclusive: Evy Poumpouras reveals life-changing experiences as former Secret Service agent in new book

Were the migrants pushed to Greece by Turkey?

“What we saw from the first moments was that there was encouragement from the Turkish side for these immigrants to arrive. They were not Syrian refugees (although a small number of refugees was among them). They were initially told that Greece’s borders were open. So they wanted to send as many people as possible and break our borders, entering Greece and Europe.

It was not easy to prevent these pressures. It was clear to everyone – that this mass migration pressure, was not only intended for Greece but for Europe as well.

The messages of support we received from the Greek diaspora were overwhelming. We all gained more confidence and endurance to guard our country’s borders. We have stayed and we will stay in the front line to prevent any threat.

* Read this article in Greek in The Greek Herald’s Wednesday (10/6) edition

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