By Kostas A. Lavdas Greeks know a thing or two about politics. But the reasons why they do – the conditions that help nurture a political culture prone to intense politicization – are diverse and, at least some of them, divergent. In fact, as I have suggested elsewhere, political development in modern Greece can be […]

By Maria Kalogeroudi I just read a post by Angelos Barbalios. This guy is what we need in today’s politics: enthusiastic and young. I like how his article is straight to the point, yet any college student who is psyched about politics could generate such a blog entry. Still a very interesting blog to follow […]

This weekly feature offers a glimpse of what is happening in and around Thessaloniki. Compiled by Laura Strieth. Thu 16th to Sun 19th May- 10th Thessaloniki Book Fair- The institution of the Thessaloniki Book Fair has established a dynamic presence the last 10 years and signals its new era by creating strong collaborations and international […]

By Ian Kehoe               Looking through some of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers recently I found myself shocked and equally intrigued by the vilification of Greece, this corrupt little country that had brought down Europe and irritated those poor suffering markets so much… so much so that I was half expecting a headline saying ‘Greece causes man to […]

The remains of one of the earliest inhabitants of the city of Thessaloniki, those of a young woman, roughly twenty-five years of age, adorned with a gold crown, have been uncovered and published in a tomb dating from the third century BC, during excavations coinciding with digging for the Thessaloniki Metro, near the Stathmos Dimocratias. […]

Recently I read that a group of Greek anti-austerity campaigners want to bring the government on trial for ‘crimes against humanity’ at the International Criminal Court. Understandably, there is considerable anti-government sentiment at the moment. However I’d like to offer another perspective on what is going on, one that might not be popular. The problem […]

From today’s NPR. “Three years of spiraling economic crisis in Greece have devastated every sector of the economy. The Greek media are among the hardest hit. Many newspapers and TV outlets have closed or are on the verge, and some 4,000 journalists have lost their jobs. Many people believe the country’s news media have failed […]

What: Debate on US Democratic primaries, premiere of get-out-the-vote campaigns, selection of the best «Vote here» signs, mock exit poll, masterclass in social media, and more When: Monday, May 23, 7-9 pm Where: La Place mignonne, Ethnikis Aminis 4 click here for the map     Who: Alec Mally (former US Consul General of Thessaloniki, Democrats Abroad Greece) […]

On Dec 19 the Anatolia Christmas charity drive will take place. Volunteers will be collecting food with a long shelf life (packaging must be intact) and personal hygiene products and household detergents (used and half full items can be donated). There will be collection points throughout campus, look out for the collection bins with signs […]

Clive Crook has this to say about the proposed legislation to tax depositors in Cyprus, an idea he labels as “stupid.” “You want bank bondholders to be concerned about the safety of their investment, so that they exert some discipline over the banks, and you want small depositors to rest easy about the safety of […]

By Diego Salas The center of Thessaloniki, by Aristotle square, is normally tagged as a zone for tourists to avoid during times of protests. I had no idea what Greek protests would look like and I didn’t think realistically that they could be as dangerous as the ones in my country (Venezuela), so I went […]

By Elizabeth B. Seliotes Bolling [Editor’s note: Politis welcomes Alaska-born Hellene Elizabeth B. Seliotes Bolling, who will contribute notes on the experience of a diaspora Greek during the crisis.] Being an American of Greek blood who grew up in Alaska but is living in Greece, I experience treatment from the older Greek generation that sometimes […]

By David Wisner I’ve been thinking a lot about the American Declaration of Independence. Let me explain by way of an anecdote. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s long-time business associate, is blind in one eye, owing to complications in a cataract operation. As Alice Schroeder tells the story, Munger never blamed the doctor, instead accepting responsibility […]

“There are two Rules of Holes in politics. The first rule is well known: ‘When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.’ The second rule is less well known: ‘When you stop digging, you are still in a hole.’” — Roger Simon  

    The Michael and Kitty Dukakis Center for Public and Humanitarian Service     Cordially invites you to attend The first Dukakis Lecture of the Spring 2013 Semester Featuring Hon Spyros Kouvelis Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs “Development perspectives, reform, and outward opening of Greek entrepreneurship” Monday, February 18 5-6:30 PM ACT New […]

What say we reverse roles. A regular reader of Politis sent this arresting image our way this morning, with the following caption by Banksy. “The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages.” […]

GoodNews is a collection of good news related to or coming from Greece, to “whoever contributes to Greece and its citizens, whatever makes life in their country unique and drives it forward.” Their goal is to launch a “revolution of goodness.” The page exists in Greek and in English. The site has lots of categories, […]

By Fotinie Efstratiadou A law pertaining to uninsured vehicles has recently been passed in the Greek Parliament and will enter into force on April 15, 2013.  The law concerns owners of vehicles that will be found to be uninsured through database cross examinations conducted by the National Information Systems of the Greek Ministry of Economy, […]

Is your vehicle currently insured? A penalty of 250 euros will apply for any uninsured vehicle the next few days, as soon as the cross check will be made by the Greek Ministry of Finance, since yesterday, was published the relevant law. If your vehicle is not then insured within two months, further penalties will […]

By David Wisner I often tell my politics students that people have a natural predisposition to act and think politically. What we do with this is the great challenge of contemporary citizenship and civic education. Two recent articles in the mainstream media challenge our thinking about different dimensions of homo politicus. Some people seem to […]