House committee

The decision of ruling New Democracy's parliamentary majority not to limit the scope of the House committee tasked with probing former justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos' handling of the alleged bribery scandal involving pharmaceutical giant Novartis and prominent Greek politicians, seems to have been vindicated by the results of the long-drawn-out investigation.

President Donald Trump railed behind closed doors on Dec. 19 about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to delay sending articles of impeachment to the Republican Senate, putting an expected trial in limbo.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump GOP ally, emerged from a White House meeting with the president with a message.

Political tensions intensified on Friday after Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas rejected a complaint by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras over the exemption of leftist MPs Pavlos Polakis and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos from a House committee probing alleged meddling by former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos in the Novartis investigation.

Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas announced on Friday that a House committee probing alleged meddling by former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos in the Novartis investigation will not meet next Tuesday, as it was planned, to allow time for main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras to select the replacements for the two party MPs who were ejected this week.

Political tensions over the Novartis investigation simmered on Wednesday after former premier and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras wrote to Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas to complain about the exemption of leftist MPs Pavlos Polakis and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos from a House committee probing alleged meddling in the investigation.

Greek Parliament is reportedly expected to propose the formation of a House committee to investigate the handling by former Justice Minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos of the alleged bribery scandal involving prominent politicians and the Novartis pharmaceutical company.

Greece will soon send a so-called note verbale to Germany, repeating a long-held demand for war reparations for the crimes committed by Nazi Germany in World War II, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told parliament on Wednesday, during a debate on a relevant report presented by a House committee.

Conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday the occupation loan Greece was forced to pay out to Nazi Germany during World War Two is "legally open and politically feasible," and its repayment should be made a priority.

Greek Parliament will revisit on Wednesday the issue of the country's claim for German war reparations, with party leaders and MPs expected to debate the content of a House committee's report on the subject ahead of a vote to revive the demands.

Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis has played down a planned session of a House committee on Monday expected to discuss planned changes to House regulations that would allow the junior partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) to keep its parliamentary group.