The Greek Current

Last week on Thursday the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Israel met in Athens, a meeting that put their trilateral relationship back in the spotlight. This meeting also came as the region deals with important questions that range from the future of a post-Assad Syria to Washington’s commitment to European security. Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior fellow at Israel's National Institute of Security Studies, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the trilateral partnership between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel in a shifting geopolitical environment.

You can read the articles we discuss on ou...

Late last week Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced his broadest cabinet reshuffle yet in the wake of national protests over the handling of the Tempe train crash two years ago. As Mitsotakis looks to rebuild trust with voters, his cabinet is also becoming younger. The Prime Minister promoted several ministers in their 40s, emphasizing the need for younger leaders who can energize governance while delivering policy results. Niko Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at Greece’s new cabinet, breaking down the message it sends to Greek voters.

You can read th...

The past few months have rocked the Transatlantic relationship, as European leaders try to come to terms with a growing rift between Europe and the US that ranges from Ukraine to questions about America’s overall commitment to European defense and security. As the gap between Europe and America widens, this is also raising key questions in Greece, a key US ally and member of the EU. Ian Lesser, the vice president and Brussels chief of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what’s at stake for Europe, and look at how...

A deal signed earlier this week by Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the commander in chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Kobane, is viewed by many as a turning point for Syria’s Kurds. It also comes amid escalating violence across Syria which has cast serious doubts over al-Sharaa’s ability to earn the trust of his people and govern. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis to explore whether this deal is really a game changer for Syria and Sy...

Almost two years into his second term, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is now set to reboot his government, with announcements of a cabinet reshuffle expected later this week or early next week. The move comes after a string of national protests over the Tempe rail crash, and amid an uncertain geopolitical environment that is raising a number of questions across Europe. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of the economic and political analysis site Macropolis, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the challenges and opportunities for Prime Minister Mitsotakis as he looks to shake up his team.

...

For many, the economic crisis that gripped Greece in the previous decade is over. However, its legacy is still there, and it goes well beyond the country’s economy. One such legacy is Greece’s birthrate, which was already declining, but the crisis accelerated its fall. As Greece faces a declining population, it also needs to ensure economic growth, and the question many are asking, including our guest today, is whether Greece can thrive with a shrinking population. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis as we look into Greece’s demographic challenge, one that Prime Minister Mitsotakis has called “existential”. 

John P...

Late last week a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a piece of legislation that would redesignate Turkey as a Near Eastern country at the State Department, rather than a European country. The legislation followed a hearing in the House on Turkey, where serious concerns about Turkey’s role as a US and NATO ally were expressed. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why this legislation on Turkey matters, especially given Ankara’s record that shows it is increasingly at odds with Western security interests.

You can read t...

Turkey’s Erdogan has once again played up his country’s importance on the world stage - especially when it comes to defense issues - telling Europeans that their security is “unthinkable without Turkey.” These comments come despite Ankara’s well documented and aggressive moves in the region, from the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean to the Caucasus. Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss what Europe and countries in the region like Greece can do to address the challenge Turkey pos...

Despite the Trump administration’s 90-day freeze on foreign aid, the State Department announced it was unfreezing $95 million in military assistance to Lebanon. The move is seen as a vote of confidence from the US in the new political order emerging in Lebanon, and in its efforts to continue to degrade Hezbollah. Steven Howard, the Director of Policy and Outreach at the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), and Sean Mathews, a journalist for the Middle East Eye covering the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans, join Thanos Davelis to break down why these funds matter for Lebanon, wh...

Last week, a fake news report claiming the US was going to ditch Alexandroupoli put the northern Greek port city in the spotlight. This report even reached the Oval Office, where President Trump quickly shut down the story. In the wake of the story, Kathimerini recently took a deep dive into the numbers, looking at how Alexandroupoli has become an essential hub for both commercial and military operations. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to explore the important role Alexandroupoli is playing in the region.

You can read the articles we discuss on...