Giorgos Stathakis

fter founding the Alexis Tsipras Institute for Peace & Sustainable Development, the leader of SYRIZA is set to inaugurate a personal foundation named the Centre for European Progress

Former SYRIZA minister Giorgos Stathakis has signaled his departure from the main opposition party, leveling accusations against the new party leader Stefanos Kasselakis and his close circle of advisors for their "anti-leftist hysteria."

A key witness in the inquiry regarding an alleged bribery scandal involving Novartis yesterday claimed to have met with top officials of leftist SYRIZA before the party came to power in 2015 during his second deposition before the parliamentary committee probing possible political interference in the investigation.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (c back), US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (r back), French Ambassador Christophe Chantepy (l back), Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management President Yannis Bassias (l front), Hellenic Petroleum General Manager George Alexopoulos (2nd l front), Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis (3rd l front), Total Group's Vice President for the Caspian & Southern Europe B

The government came under intense fire on Thursday over what opposition New Democracy described as old-school practices of mass hirings to the civil service and transfers of public sector staff to Parliament.

The final two of four concessions for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Ionian Sea are set to be signed on Tuesday by Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis, the head of Hellenic Hydrocarbon Research Management, Ioannis Basias, and the contractors. 

Environment and Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis sought to dispel fears over possible setbacks in the investment plan of Chinese giant Cosco in Piraeus on Wednesday, after Greece's top advisory body on the protection of antiquities voted to declare part of the area in question to be of archaeological interest.

The government insists on proceeding with the power interconnection of Crete and Attica without European Commission co-funding. This is made clear in a letter from Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis to Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, dated January 30.

The European Commission has sent Athens an ultimatum regarding the planned power interconnection between Greece's mainland electricity grid and the island of Crete and its funding by the Projects of Common Interest framework.

The European Commission expects to see a political solution to the issue of the power interconnection of Crete with Attica next week.