Alexis Tsipras’ harsh criticism of Kyriakos Mitsotakis took two approaches on Friday, criticising the Greek PM’s handling of issues in Greece and management in the EU.
“He’s careless in Greece in the face of the pandemic, careless in Europe in the face of Turkey and the defence of our national interests,” he said of the prime minister.
The president of SYRIZA stressed that Mitsotakis “appeared today as if he had came out of another Summit”, while Erdogan spoke of sensible EU countries that prevented sanctions.
EUROKINISSI / SYRIZA PRESS OFFICE
The leader of the official opposition commented that the problem is “not only that today the country has suffered one of the most important diplomatic defeats of the last decades, but that the prime minister of the country does not seem to understand where he is and where he is”.
The opposition leader also claimed that Mitsotakis is leading citizens to a development model that bankrupted the country years ago. Tsipras said the “only hope” is a change of the development model.
“Fair development with a strong and efficient welfare state and the new NSS, with investment in labor, new technologies and innovation,” Tspiras said.
Turkey on Friday called on the European Union to act as an ‘honest mediator’ in its dispute with EU members Greece and Cyprus over the exploration of gas reserves in the Mediterranean, after European leaders approved expanding sanctions against Ankara.
The leaders said early Friday that Turkey — which is a candidate to join although its membership talks are blocked — has “engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU.” This was despite the fact that they had offered trade and other incentives to Turkey to halt its activities during their last summit in October, they said.
The leaders tasked EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell with drawing up a report on the state of EU-Turkey political, economic and trade relations and to suggest how to proceed, including on widening sanctions. Borrrell was asked to submit the report to the leaders by the time they hold a summit in March.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry slammed the EU decision, saying Ankara rejects the 27-member group’s “biased and unlawful attitude.”
European Council President Charles Michel, center, arrives for a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys, Pool)
A ministry statement said the decision to expand sanctions against Turkey was approved out of solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. The two countries’ alleged misuse of the solidarity and veto rights had thrust EU-Turkey ties into a “vicious circle,” it said.
“The situation is harming the joint interests of Turkey and the EU as well as our region’s peace, security and stability,” the ministry said. “The EU should take up the role of an honest mediator, it must act in a principled, strategic and sensible manner.”
Tensions between NATO allies Turkey and Greece escalated over the summer with a military build-up after Turkey sent its seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis, escorted by navy frigates, into disputed waters. The move prompted Greece to also send its warships, and both countries conducted military exercises to assert their claims.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. December 10, 2020. (Mustafa Murat Kaynak – Anadolu Agency)
Late last month, Oruc Reis returned to port, as it had done before October’s EU meeting. However, another research ship, the Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa, remains off Cyprus’ southwestern coast.
Turkey says it is standing up for its energy rights, as well as those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots, while Athens and Nicosia call Turkey’s actions an illegal incursion into areas where they have exclusive offshore exploitation rights.
The 27 EU countries are split over how best to handle Turkey. France and Cyprus have pushed for tougher measures like economic sanctions, but other countries are concerned about further undermining the country’s already ravaged economy and destabilizing the region.
Dr Fiona Martin MP, Federal Member for Reid, is encouraging families who are planning their summer holiday trips to keep the importance of child pedestrian road safety in mind.
Dr Martin is an Ambassador of the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that works to educate and protect child pedestrians.
“The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation plays an important role in child pedestrian road safety initiatives by educating and advocating to keep our most vulnerable pedestrians safe,” Dr Martin said.
“As COVID-19 restricts holiday travel to local destinations, regional areas will see a spike in visitors during the upcoming summer holidays, which means it’s more important than ever to have a chat with children about road safety.”
The Foundation’s ‘It’s Holiday Time: Slow Down, Kids Around’ signage campaign launches every December across 65 councils in four states. The campaign was established in an effort to protect very vulnerable child pedestrians during the holiday period.
Current data from the Australian Institute of Health and welfare indicates that the most common cause of death of children aged 1-14 years is road trauma.
Michelle McLaughlin, CEO of the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation hopes that the campaign will raise critical awareness of the importance of road safety for children in unfamiliar environments.
“Since we lost our four-year-old son Tom in 2014, another 391 children have lost their lives to road trauma,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“So, my simple message is to always talk to your children about road safety and be even more vigilant when you are on holiday because they are more excited than normal and always remember to continue to hold their hands around roadways until they are 10,” she added.
The campaign targets all road users including; child pedestrians, accompanying adult pedestrian carers and drivers to make them aware of the increased risk of road trauma while on holiday.
The campaign is endorsed and supported by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, Little Blue Dinosaur Ambassador, and Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher MP and Fiona Martin, Federal Member for Reid.
I have often heard overseas Greeks refer to our children here are too simple compared to children in Greece.
As I said last week, they forget that our children do not have the opportunities for all the incidental learning before they start school, as children growing up in Greece have. Nor do they get 6 hours of Greek a week as people of my generation attending Greek school in the 60’s and 70’s got.
With two hours a week at Greek school, or one hour in a private lesson, we cannot expect fluency. Even adults leaning Greek need 500 hours of study before they can grasp the meaning of many children’s videos and songs.
How we expect our Australian-born children, some from mixed marriages, to achieve this in a few lessons does not make sense?
Maybe then we should look at mindful teaching rather than just teaching a program that sometimes fails many of our students. Our students are not all the same.
There are mixed abilities and those with differing knowledge in every class situation. We also have an influx of new native speakers who are new arrivals to Australia, in the last few years, due to the Greek crisis. A good teacher needs to be prepared for all the levels in their classroom. This is a lot of work for the teacher, work that is often underpaid and unrecognised.
Our teachers of community languages are lucky to have the opportunity in Sydney to attend classes in teaching methodology provided by the Community Languages faculty of the University of Sydney, who offer a Certificate and Advanced Diploma in Community Language Teaching and a pathway for teachers to do a Master’s Degree in their community language.
If you or someone you know is interested in this course for 2021 check it out here.
Next week what makes sense to a non-native speaker!
Vaughn Arambatzis is being praised by the local St George and Sutherland Shire community for his strong initiative to take local action, raising funds for the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.
Originally published by The Leader, Vaughn, a year 6 student, took part in a ‘Give Back’ project run by his school, St Patrick’s College, Strathfield.
Vaughn had adopted a dog from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home at Carlton two years before, which sadly had to be handed back after it kept escaping from their yard. As the family are keen recyclers, he decided to collect cans and bottles to recycle through the NSW government’s Return and Earn scheme.
Taking advice from his mother, Mrs Arambatzis, Vaughn reached out to the community for support. They enlisted a friend with a ute, Peter Panopoulos from Advanced Building and Maintenance, to drive them to the Return and Earn facility at Rockdale.
Helping hand: State MP for Oatley Mark Coure paid a visit to Vaughn and presented him with a cheque. Picture: Facebook/Mark Coure MP
“We would wait until we had a ute-load then we would drive them there. It would usually take about an hour each time to put them through the machine,” Mrs Arambatzis said.
Vaughn also gained the attention of State MP for Oatley Mark Coure, who gave a cash donation and promoted his efforts on his social media accounts.
In total, Vaughn raised a total of $300 from the donated containers and $200 in cash donations.
“It really went gangbusters,” Mrs Arambatzis said.
“He ended up collecting just over 3000 cans and bottles.”
“It was really lovely and made Vaughn feel very special,” she added.
Disney have graced the entertainment world with the announcement of up 50 new movies and TV specials to be showcased in theatres and on their streaming platform, Disney+.
Among the announcements were some big-budget and highly anticipated films, including a live-action adaption of ‘The Little Mermaid’, a reboot of the popular comedy ‘Cheaper By The Dozen’, and a live-action adaption of ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’.
Honorary Greek citizen Tom Hanks will star in a live-action retelling of the iconic Disney tale, Pinocchio. It is unknown yet what role he will take on, yet the star is rumoured to lend his voice to Jiminy Cricket or feature as Pinocchio’s carver, Geppetto.
One of Disney’s all-time classics is coming to #DisneyPlus with the new live-action retelling of Pinocchio, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis. ✨ pic.twitter.com/44bHbFRhMe
Disney kept the cast for many of the newly announced films under wraps, yet the entertainment company announced the addition of John Stamos to the Disney crew, taking part in a new film Big Shot. The film is a celebration of “girl power”, set in the world of high school basketball. The Greek-American actor will be joined by Yvette Nicole Brown and Jessalyn Gilsig.
Keeping to the theme of basketball, Disney provided confirmation of a new film which will be inspired by the incredible real-life story of Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Chris Paul and Keanan Lowe. It is unknown yet who will be casted as Giannis for his story-retelling.
With many feature films and TV shows yet to announce their casting lineups, we’re sure to see plenty more incredible Greek talents being featured in the upcoming Disney projects.
Greek students have shined in Blakehurst High School’s annual Presentation Day assembly, with students receiving awards for their excellence in study during the year.
Achieving exceptional results across the State in Languages, in particular Modern Greek, two special awards were presented to students: The Pan-Arcadian Excellence in Modern Greek, and the Toula Loizos Memorial Award.
“These awards provide an opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of our students studying Modern Greek,” Roula Evangelinos, School of Languages Co-ordinator at Blakehurst Languages High School.
“The annual award winners embody the values and passion of our much loved colleague Mrs Toula Loizos. She was instrumental in establishing the long-standing relationship with the Pan-Arcadian Association,” she said.
“This year we had the pleasure of having the new president of the Pan-Arcadian Association Mr Phillip Koinis who generously donated funds for the continuous study of the Modern Greek language.
“In addition, we had the pleasure of having Mrs Loizos’ son, Mr Yianni Loizos representing his mother.
“Due to COVID regulations both men were unable to present the awards in person, however they sent a congratulatory message to our recipients,” she said.
All year 12 graduate students will receive their HSC results on 18 December.
Just two weeks before Christmas, Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister, the Secretary General Of Public Diplomacy & Hellenes Abroad and the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, have sent messages of solidarity to the diaspora highlighting the important role of Hellenes abroad to the sustenance of the language and culture.
Read the full messages below:
Kostas Vlasis Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece
“2020 is coming to an end and it is definitely a year that will be engraved in the memory of Greeks everywhere, but also of all Mankind, as it was marked by the coronavirus pandemic, which caused huge losses at all levels. We have been tested and we continue to be tested, but the arrival of vaccines gives us hope for a return to normalcy, for a safer and more secure tomorrow.
“During this ordeal, the Greeks of the Diaspora, all of you who honour Hellenism in distant lands, have always been on our minds and that is why we have taken important initiatives in order to maintain and strengthen the ties between us. The difficult situation proved in practice that when we are united, we are capable of great achievements, but at the same time it was the springboard to make progress in areas that will strengthen in practice the relationship of Ecumenical Hellenism with Greece.
“On the occasion of the holidays of Christmas and New Year, I wholeheartedly wish from the bottom of my heart to Greeks everywhere that 2021 will be a year full of health, prosperity and hope for our Homeland and for each of you personally“
Ioannis Chrysoulakis General secretary Of Public Diplomacy & Hellenes Abroad
In an exclusive message to The Greek Herald, Mr Chrysoulakis thanks Australia’s Greek Community for their patience and solidarity:
“This year has been a period of hardship for everyone. We have seen the pandemic limit us, keep us away from relatives and friends, shrink our professional activity and take away the lives of our fellow human beings.
“On the other hand, 2020 was a year of responsibility for the protection of our personal health and the health of our loved ones, a year of solidarity with all those affected by the pandemic, but also a year of hope and optimism for the tireless efforts of scientists, including many our compatriots, in dealing successfully and definitively with this invisible enemy.
“I would like to warmly congratulate the readers of “The Greek Herald”, and on this occasion all the members of the Greek community in Australia, for the patience, endurance, understanding and the sense of social responsibility and solidarity they showed.
“I am deeply convinced that Greeks everywhere will continue the new year united to face the negative consequences of the pandemic through collective action and social solidarity. I wish “the Light of Knowledge” that will rise in a few days, to illuminate the lives of all of us“.
George Papakostas Ambassador of Greece to Australia
“In view of the Christmas and New Year holidays, I have the great pleasure to address to all of you, the Greeks abroad of Australia, my warmest wishes. I would like to express my deepest appreciation and admiration for the progress you have made in all areas in your new homeland, while maintaining your national identity and your love for Greece.
“At the same time, you are a valuable bridge between Australia and Greece, contributing decisively to the strengthening and further promotion of bilateral ties at all levels.
Created with GIMP
In the shadow of the pandemic that creates new problems worldwide, as well as the ongoing challenges against our national rights, the need to maintain ties between Greece and the Greek expatriates in Australia is urgent. The mobilization of all the forces of Hellenism and the national solidarity are necessary to move forward in the new era that is emerging before us.
“In order to succeed in this environment, we Greeks, must rely on our history, traditions, our Christian faith and the preservation of our language.With the certainty that your efforts will continue for the promotion of Greece and the transmission of our traditional virtues to the new generations. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, with health, prosperity and family happiness“.
Limnos police have allegedly fined a 56-year-old man 300 euros for not wearing any exercise gear when going on a daily venture out of his house.
The man was wearing a mask and was walking home with a coffee-to-go and a bread loaf in his hands. Prior to him leaving his home, he sent an SMS to 13033 with option <6> for “exercise.”
The 56-year-old man was stopped by officers who determined that the man had “cheated” the lockdown exit options, saying he should have sent <2> for “supermarket supplies.”
They fined him with 300 euros under the pretext of unnecessary movement.
Police fined the man 300 euros under the pretext of unnecessary movement.
Speaking to local media, his son said his father takes a walk every morning and that the bread was given to him by his mother to bring it home.
“Police told my father that if he is out for ‘physical exercise’ <6> he should also wear sports gear and sneakers,” the son wrote in his denouncement.
“The goal of the restrictive measures is to wear masks, to keep our distance and to avoid unnecessary movements. So if it is to punish someone you do it in order to set an example so that he won’t do it again.”
But “why punish an old man, upset him, create a financial problem for him, because 300 euros is almost half a month’s salary, while he was wearing his mask and had sent a message?”
European Union leaders have sealed an agreement on a massive long-term budget and coronavirus recovery package, EU Council President Charles Michel said Thursday, after they overcame objections from Hungary and Poland.
“Now we can start with the implementation and build back our economies. Our landmark recovery package will drive forward our green and digital transitions,” Michel said in a tweet during an EU summit in Brussels.
The 1.82 trillion-euro ($2.21 trillion) long-term budget and recovery package is considered vital for many European countries whose economies have been devastated by the virus. Poland and Hungary had agreed to the deal in July but later vetoed it over a new mechanism that would allow Brussels to cut off EU funds to countries that violate Europe’s democratic standards.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned that it’s a case of us now, you tomorrow.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (Yves Herman, Pool via AP)
“We have to avoid any arbitrary and politically motivated decisions,” he said. “Today, we fear that we might be attacked in [an] unjustified way, but of course in the future [it can be] any country.”
Ahead of the two-day summit, EU diplomats and officials said the solution would take the form of a declaration clarifying that the rule of law mechanism would not be used against any country without a ruling from the EU’s top court, the European Court of Justice, first. That process could take a year.
“A compromise is currently being found. I hope it can be finalized in the coming hours,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday.
If the leaders fail to adopt the budget for 2021-2027 before the end of the year, the bloc will have to function on limited resources, with a maximum of one-twelfth of the budget for the previous financial year to be spent each month.
