Dimitris Avramopoulos

The Greek Justice system has removed the “masks” from protected witnesses “Maximos Sarafis” and “Aikaterini Kelesi,” almost six years after the Novartis case emerged under the SYRIZA-ANEL government as one of Greece’s largest scandals, which has since proven to be a major political fabrication.

Almost five years have passed since a ruling by the Council of State, Greece's top administrative court, cleared municipal plans to demolish an illegal extension of a cafe-restaurant near Kolonaki Square in central Athens. However, the decision has yet to be implemented by the authorities.

Foreign Minister Vassilis Kaskarelis has personally congratulated Tayyip Erdogan on his reinauguration as Turkish president, on the sidelines of a dinner for the representatives of foreign governments who attended the swearing-in ceremony in Ankara, the Foreign Ministry has said.

Kaskarelis was representing the caretaker Greek government at the ceremony.

There is "no need" for the European Commission to take any "further measures" in connection with Dimitris Avramopoulos' role as an honorary board member at Fight Impunity, an NGO at the center of the unfolding "Qatargate" scandal, the Commission's general secretary has confirmed in a letter.

Greece is at a crossroads with Turkey where Athens must "answer a simple question: Dialogue or conflict?" "The answer is obvious," former European commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos tells Kathimerini - who is clearly in favor of dialogue.

Former conservative minister and European commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday testified before an Athens prosecutor as part of an investigation into the judicial handling of the Novartis bribery probe.

The European Commission will cease monitoring of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, but formally the decision will have to be consulted with the Council and the European Parliament. However, Bulgaria will still have to fulfill its commitments. The new commission will continue to monitor, but in another form, and it will apply to all members of the Union.

A top European Union official called Thursday for heightened efforts to stop migrants traveling from Turkey to Greece as a renewed spike in people making it to Greece by boat has overflowed refugee reception centers.

Former PASOK minister Evangelos Venizelos on Wednesday slammed the Novartis bribery case brought against 10 high-ranking politicians under the previous administration as a "violation of the institutions."

Former premier Antonis Samaras is to testify before a Supreme Court prosecutor on Tuesday in an ongoing probe into the handling of bribery claims against high-ranking politicians.