Antonis Samaras

By Eleni Chrepa

Greece's successful return to bond markets is the most recent in a series of "positive messages" for the economy that included the country posting a record year for tourism and forecasting an even stronger 2014, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said.

Conservative New Democracy is to announce its list of candidates for next month's European elections on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who leads conservative ND, is due to present the list to the party's political committee at 2 p.m.

Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos speaking at the presentation of the right wing party's election list.

The race for the May 25 European elections heated up Monday with parties confirming their candidates for the crucial vote and tensions rising as campaigning positions were thrashed out.

Many Greeks voted out of fear in the back-to-back 2012 general elections. They did so to keep the country afloat, in the eurozone and safe from calamity. Now, thanks to their votes and the efforts of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, those fears have abated.

Checks carried out on government telephone lines in the wake of a secretly filmed video showing a top government official having a friendly conversation with the spokesman of the neofascist Golden Dawn party have not substantiated fears of widespread wiretapping, Kathimerini understands.

After a week that saw Athens successfully tap international bond markets for the first time in four years, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras essentially ruled out the need for a third loan program for Greece, insisting that the markets’ positive response to last week bond’s issue is the first step toward the country emerging from its economic crisis.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras (l) welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel (r) for a meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, on Friday.

On her second visit to Athens in less than two years on Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged that the eurozone would discuss Greece’s debt sustainability later this year.

Greece has more opportunities than difficulties said German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her opening remarks at a meeting of Greek start-up companies during a one-day visit to Athens on Friday.

Highlighting sectors such as agriculture, tourism and services, Merkel spoke of the challenge of attracting funding and taking advantage of new technologies.

The conservative-led government has finally announced a new policy that could breathe life into the country’s real economy.

By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras visited on Monday the General State Accounting Office and announced measures to provide some debt relief for thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises that will boost their cash flow.