Paschos Mandravelis
Kathimerini English
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The heirs of populist journalism
Every miracle lasts three days – and so does mourning. Then, all hell breaks loose and Greece goes back to doing what it does best, which is shifting responsibilities. It’s the opposition against the government, the government against the opposition, railway network owner OSE against Hellenic Train, the company that operates the trains, and vice-versa, […] → Read More
Saying ‘never again,’ yet again
“Never again” is a bold statement. It transcends governments, opposition parties and the wider political system. “Never again” is the sum of an entire mechanism. → Read More
Rain or shine, there’s a strike
In the popular 1965 Greek political satire “A Matter of Earnestness” (“Iparche kai filotimo”), Andreas Mavrogialouros, an ornamental minister, visits his constituency to inaugurate an obstetrical clinic. → Read More
Dead-end protests
There is just one railway line in Greece, yet there are three companies that are responsible for it: the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), the Railroad Equipment Manufacturing Organization (ERGOSE) and the Railway Regulatory Authority. And that is not to mention the Ministry of Transport. → Read More
Coming up short, again
We wake up once more asking ourselves: “How did this happen?” And again we hear of tragic shortages and oversights. As the head of the union of drivers at Hellenic Train SA, Kostas Genidounias, lamented on Wednesday: “Nothing works; everything is done manually. Even the light signals don’t work. If they did, the drivers would […] → Read More
Incalculable measures
Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras’ reaction to the prime minister’s response to accusations of uncontrolled handouts in Parliament last week was pretty typical of the Greek political system. → Read More
Playing fast and loose with the Constitution
Article 53 of the Greek Constitution clearly states that MPs are elected for a term of four consecutive years, which commences on the day of the general elections. It also dictates that the “President of the Republic shall dissolve the Parliament on the proposal of the Cabinet, which has received a vote of confidence, for the purpose of renewing the popular mandate, in view of dealing with a… → Read More
Parliament and independent authorities
The misunderstanding starts with the elections. All Greeks think they are voting for a prime minister, when in fact they are electing lawmakers, who in turn elect as prime minister – as a rule – the leader of the first party. Hence the protests in 2012, when the “unelected” Lucas Papademos took over as caretaker […] → Read More
‘Are we stayingin Europe?’
What is Europe? “Isn’t it the plains? […] Are not her stars the bright ones?” as Greek poet Ioannis Polemis said in his famous poem about the homeland. → Read More
The hushed conspiracy
One of the myths recently circulating on the internet, a fake story, is that Greece’s deposed monarch, Constantine II, who was buried on Monday at Tatoi, “never opposed democracy.” This is false. → Read More
The Parthenon Marbles and democracy
There is indeed a basis to the opposition’s fear that the government will use a possible return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece in its pre-election campaign to garner votes. → Read More
‘Orthodox’ and ‘heretical’ entrepreneurship
In a commentary published in Kathimerini on January 5, my good colleague Pantelis Boukalas expressed surprised at the term “orthodox entrepreneurship,” which was used by now-resigned New Democracy lawmaker Themis Cheimaras to justify his company’s business dealings with the state (a practice forbidden by the Constitution for active MPs). As we recently learned, between 2019 […] → Read More
Doing battle against the bad guys
“The bad guys are winning,” Tom Burt, Microsoft’s corporate vice president who leads its Customer Security & Trust team, told Kathimerini in a recent interview. → Read More
Selective enforcement of the law?
No one was keeping an eye on late publisher Giorgos Trangas when he was amassing his huge and allegedly ill-gotten fortune. → Read More
Money, money everywhere but not a drop to spare
A year ago, in December 2021, the government had announced plans to impose an administrative fine of 100 euros on everyone over the age of 60 who refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19. → Read More
When the Ark ran aground
We all shudder at the revelations surrounding the charity for disadvantaged children Kivotos tou Kosmou (Ark of the World). Not only for the alleged sexual harassment of children, but also the other allegations that have been coming to light since the case broke. → Read More
Laws and sausages
Posting the new draft bill on wiretapping for public consultation without seeking the input of or at least notifying the Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) was a major misstep. Not only because, according to the 2003 law that founded the authority, “it issues opinions and provides suggestions and recommendations on measures to ensure […] → Read More
Politics and the moral high ground
With a state that manages and distributes more than 50% of the wealth the country produces, it is obvious that sundry hustlers will side with the parties that have a chance to govern so they can make a grab for a piece of the pie. → Read More
The political climate and the law
There is something worse than changing the electoral law within the course of a single government tenure, and that is the excuses used by the ministers of the conservative government to explain the motives behind such an act. → Read More
Chaos and the metro
The former SYRIZA minister and current lawmaker Christoforos Vernardakis said a few days ago that the district of Exarchia “is besieged by repression, the privatization of every free space, airbnb and the abandonment of every public infrastructure. → Read More