Nikos Xydakis

Opposition parties reacted with alarm on Tuesday to comments by SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Nikos Xydakis that MPs should hold a debate about Greece's membership of the euro.

Speaking on Skai TV in the morning, Xydakis argued that "there should be no taboos when we are talking about people's fate."

Opposition parties on Tuesday slammed the SYRIZA-Independent Greeks coalition government after a leftist lawmaker said a discussion on a Greek exit from the euro should not be considered "taboo."

Speaking on Skai TV earlier in the day, SYRIZA MP Nikos Xydakis said that Parliament should be open to a discussion on Greece's prospects outside the eurozone.

Alternate Foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis is promoting the speedier issue of visas by Greek consular services in the 10 most important markets for Greek tourism where such paperwork is required.

This follows the improvement in the time taken for visas to be issued this year in Russia, with the use of biometric data.

Nikos Xydakis, junior foreign minister for European affairs, has indicated that most of the refugees on Greece's Aegean islands will be transferred to the mainland.

"We will start the transfer of a large number of refugees to ease the pressure on the islands," Xydakis told Die Welt in an interview published Wednesday.

Greece has temporarily suspended the return of migrants to Turkey under the EU-Turkey agreement due to a surge in the number of asylum applications.

Most of the 6750 migrants on the Greek islands are applying for asylum and there is shortage of qualified officials such as translators to process the applications.

“There was convergence in practical issues and this is positive. We did not reach an agreement because Turkey’s proposals were extremely radical for the majority of the EU member states,” Alternate Foreign Minister responsible for European Affairs Nikos Xydakis stated to Athina 9.84 FM on Tuesday.

Alternate Foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis told Greece’s radio station, Praktorio 104.9, that Greece and Germany should partner together to confront the problems caused by the refugee crisis. “Germany has saved and received people regardless of what some extreme circles inside the country say and Germany is Greece’s ally and partner, they have a relation,” said Xydakis.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will participate in the conference “Supporting Syria and the Region” that will take place on February 4, in London.

The Greek government decided to ask the help of the Hellenic Armed Forces in order to complete in 15 days all the actions required so as to comply with its commitments on the refugee issue following the 3-month deadline EU has given to Greece.

Free from the constraints of public office, former speaker of the Greek Parliament Zoe Konstantopoulou went out on a limb and enjoyed the spirit of the holiday season with a night out on the town. Saturday, December 19, she was carried away with the music of singers Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Nikos Portokaloglou.