Dimitris Mardas

Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Mardas talked on Monday to Athina 9.84 radio station about government’s plan to turn a Greek island into a “summer Davos”

“We will hand over an area to the UN member states in order to build a lodge for conferences,” he said.

The photo exhibition, titled “Greece through the diplomats’ lens”, is currently featured at the “Melina Mercouri” Athens Cultural Center. Around 70 photos of Greece as seen through the eyes of foreign diplomats in Greece is presented in a display that showcases Greek antiquities, inviting Greek islands surrounded by the blue of the sea and sky.

The Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) is readying its new government following the party’s recent election triumph – for the second time this year after its first election win on January 25.

SYRIZA heavyweight Alekos Flambouraris incited a political tempest following Proto Thema’s investigation into his business ventures.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wants to abolish tax breaks for MPs and reduce wages for ministers and public organization heads. Tsipras underlined the need for the legislation during a meeting with Alternate Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas, Alternate Administrative Reform Minister Christoforos Vernardakis and top government official Spyros Sayias.

Alternate Minister for Revenue Dimitris Mardas expressed his optimism that talks between Greece and the Quartet will have wrapped up until August 20, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with business groups Friday. Mardas added that he was unaware when the capital controls would be lifted, while he added that the negotiations were moving forward at an intensive pace.

The opposition continued to keep up the heat on the government this week, with 20 center-right ND deputies on Wednesday tabling a question in Parliament on whether a current minister owns an … offshore company and if another minister exported significant amounts of money overseas a month before the January election.

Bank sources have stated concern that banks may not be in a position to open on Monday following Alternate Minister Dimitris Mardas announcement that this would be the case on Thursday night.

Louka Katseli, Chair of the Greek Banking Association, told private SKAI TV that if there is no solution to Greece receiving Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) from the European Central Bank, then Greek banks would have a problem by Monday.

The now embattled Tsipras government has decided to declare a bank holiday … all of next week!
Under that decision, the next open day for banks will be Monday, July 6, a day after an unprecedented call for a referendum.