New Democracy

Panayiotis and Dionysis Psomiadis, brothers who served respectively as prefect and deputy prefect of Thessaloniki, were granted conditional release on Monday and ordered to pay 20,000 euros each in bail after pleading not guilty to corruption charges.

By Dimitra Manifava

The government has decided to extend the pilot scheme concerning year-round Sunday opening for retail stores to 10 areas around the country, prompting the resignation of the head of the National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE), Vassilis Korkidis, from the commerce department of the larger of the two coalition parties, New Democracy on Monday.

A total of 174 retirees currently receive monthly state pensions in excess of 4,000 euros, Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis (photo) said on Wednesday in response to a question submitted in Parliament by New Democracy MP Kyriakos Virvidakis.

An attack against University of Macedonia professor Nikos Marantzidis in a Thessaloniki café late on Tuesday was carried out in the presence of Michalis Peglis, an advisor to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

The coalition may issue civil mobilization orders if unions carry through with their threat to go on strike from midnight on Wednesday in protest at the government’s plans to sell off part of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) to private investors.

The coalition’s leadership was on Wednesday seeking to head off a series of potential mini-rebellions by government lawmakers over troika-mandated reforms after five conservative MPs threatened to vote against an amendment revoking cuts to the income of judges unless similar reductions in the incomes of other civil servants are also reversed.

Laid off cleaning staff from the Finance Ministry staged a protest Thursday outside the headquarters of Greek coalition leaders New Democracy on Syngrou Avenue in Athens.

Protesters, who had tied nooses around their necks in a symbolic gesture, shouted slogans against their dismissal and briefly blocked the entrance to the offices of the conservative party.

One police officer was suspended on Friday for punching a sacked Finance Ministry cleaner on the head and another was being investigated for wearing non-issue toughened gloves normally worn by motorcycle riders.

Former MP and journalist Aris Stathakis has died at the age of 71. Stathakis worked at a number of media but is best known for his work in the world of motor sports.

He was editor of 4-Trohoi (4-Wheels), Greece’s prime car magazine, between 1970 and 1974, and presented a car show on ANT1 TV during the 1990s. He also provided commentary on Formula 1 races.

Adonis Georgiadis will be New Democracy's new parliamentary spokesman, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said after a meeting between the two men in Athens Thursday.

“He is one of the party's worthiest, most skilled and most combative members,” Samaras said of the former health minister praising his willingness to push with necessary reforms.