Political philosophy

China's exports fell in May for the first time since February, data showed yesterday, breaking a two-month growth streak as a post-Covid rebound faded and adding to speculation that officials will unveil fresh stimulus measures.

Rising global inflation, the threat of recession elsewhere and geopolitical tensions with the United States have weakened demand for Chinese products.

Alamy Photo

Senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats held "candid and productive" talks in Beijing and agreed to keep open lines of communication to avoid tensions from spiraling into conflict, officials said Tuesday.

Robert Keohane was one of the first to challenge the theory of "hegemonic stability," where power is no longer the monopoly of a hegemonic country, but is diffused through the interdependence of states. The professor emeritus at Princeton University talks to Kathimerini and explains how the war in Ukraine has undermined the power of international institutions.

"The Kremlin's disinformation and interference in the internal affairs of Eastern European countries is a huge problem for all of Europe. Attempts at destabilization are made by activating local politicians and strengthening autocracy at the expense of democracy. All this is done with a single goal - to make Ukraine's victory more difficult and Europe to weaken".

In other news, the European Parliament threatens to take away Hungary's EU presidency next year; Poland moves to set up controversial commission to investigate Russia lobbying; and Czech TV finally to get more money.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insisted Tuesday that Greece will be able to regain investment grade with a strong New Democracy government and that his "his victory over populism in Greece" serves as a lesson "for other liberal democracies."

"If you deliver real change for people, people will reward you," he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Unemployment remains high, but DYPA employment counselors are finding it very difficult to meet the demands of businesses or staff training programs.

"It is again confirmed that we do not know ourselves and that we take our fantasies for real," a Turkish friend wrote to me on Monday. It is difficult to feel just how much many Turks hoped that, at last, they would see an end to the slide towards greater autocracy and towards greater distance from the European Union. 

Three people died of a heart attack at separate polling stations during the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14.

In the Black Sea province of Rize, 64-year-old Şeref Kurt was on duty at one of the polling stations set up at a school where he also voted.

He suddenly collapsed at the polling booth around 9 a.m.

President Tayyip Erdogan's opponents say they will repair the damage done to human rights during his rule, promising a new era for democracy and freedoms if he loses power in an election on Sunday.