Movement for Change

The clash between the management of telecommunications giant OTE and its employees has reached boiling point: After the company decided not to refill eight security positions following dismissals, the workers' union called a strike for all working days from December 21 to January 12.

Greek MPs approved in principle on Wednesday night a Justice Ministry bill revising the penal code with stricter penalties for migrant trafficking, rape and child abuse.

The legislation was backed by ruling New Democracy, Movement for Change (KINAL) and far-right Greek Solution, while main opposition SYRIZA, the Communist Party and MeRA25 voted it down.

A parliamentary committee probing possible political interference in the Novartis investigation started examining a key witness on Tuesday after two SYRIZA MPs who have been barred from the committee, and disrupted it last week, stayed away. 

Greece's top corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki ordered the Athens prosecutors offie to bring bribery charges against Movement for Change (KINAL) lawmaker Andreas Loverdos, as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged graft scandal involving Swiss drugmaker Novartis.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos vowed on Friday to resolve the waste management problems plaguing the country's Peloponnese region by the end of 2021, taking a swipe at the previous government for failing to effectively deal with the issue.

Greek MPs have approved a government bill aimed at easing pressure on the Aegean islands by speeding up asylum procedures and returns of migrants not meriting international protection to Turkey.
The bill was backed by MPs from New Democracy and the center-left Movement for Change alliance. SYRIZA, the Greek Communist Party (KKE), Greek Solution and Mera25 voted against.

Europe and Greece need to "take back" the keys from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that allow him to threaten to "open the gates" to millions of refugees and migrants trying to reach European countries, the head of Greece's center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) party said on Saturday.

Following a session of its political secretariat Friday, the main leftist opposition SYRIZA party shifted position on New Democracy's initiative to grant full voting rights to diaspora Greeks, indicating that it could compromise on the basis of proposals made by the Communist Party (KKE) and the MeRA25 party of former leftist finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.

The government believes it will secure the backing of 200 MPs for its initiative to grant full voting rights to diaspora Greeks, sources indicated after the first session on Wednesday of a cross-party committee discussing the proposal.

Consensus, finally. And more importantly, it has emerged on a sensitive issue in a country that has for decades taken pride (and understandably so) in its large diaspora community.