Giorgos Kaminis

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.

Athens mayor-elect Haris Doukas and the new city council are to be sworn into office at 11 a.m. on Thursday, in a ceremony at the Kypseli Municipal Market that will not be attended by the convicted far-right councillor Ilias Kasidiaris.

A worker places an ornament on a Christmas tree on the illuminated Syntagma square, during the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Athens, Saturday. [Stelios Misinas/Reuters]

Graffiti protesting the anticipated operation of the capital's first official mosque is seen on the exterior wall of the venue Thursday. Religious Affairs Minister Costas Gavroglou is to visit the facility Friday, along with leaders of the capital's Muslim community, outgoing Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis and mayor-elect Kostas Bakoyannis.

Center-left Movement for Change (KINAL), which is polling in third place ahead of national elections in July, was in a state of upheaval on Sunday after two candidates and a party cadre quit in protest at the withdrawal of socialist heavyweight Evangelos Venizelos. 

Evangelos Venizelos, a former leader of the socialist PASOK party, and foreign minister, has quit the Movement for Change (KINAL), the socialist alliance that got third place in last week's European Parliament election.

The Athens Municipal council on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a recommendation by Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis that the far-right Golden Dawn party not be allowed to use public spaces to hold pre-election rallies.
"We will not give Golden Dawn any of the available public spaces for pre-election promotion because it functions as a criminal organization," he said.

A new electronic system designed to facilitate parking in central Athens and heralded on Tuesday by Mayor Giorgos Kaminis is to start operating in the next few months.
Kaminis described the scheme as a "useful tool which among other things will ease traffic congestion on streets and reduce air pollution."

The City of Athens announced Monday that it has launched a cleanup project to rid building facades in the capital's so-called historic triangle of ugly graffiti, posters and other blemishes. The project is being funded by donations from the private sector.