Thanos

A few days ago, on October 12th, Athens celebrated 80 years since the liberation of the city from a brutal Nazi German occupation that left its mark not just on Athens, but on all of Greece.

Theodoros Tsakiris, a Professor of Geopolitics and Energy Policy at the University of Nicosia, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the important REPowerEU workshop on energy that took place this week in Athens, and explore the various projects that have put Greece at the heart of a new energy map that's transforming the region. 

Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis to break down his latest analysis in The Greek Letter, highlighting how tensions in Greece's neighborhood and uncertainty around the world mean diplomacy has to go hand in hand with a strong defense policy, highlighting the decision for a Greek "Iron Dome."

Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to look into the developing story around a reported proposal that could potentially see the US gain control of Turkey's S-400s in return for F-35s, and make the case that Ankara should prove it is ready to embrace NATO before Washington begins to open the door to any arms deals like the F-35s. 

Aggelos Tramountanis, a researcher specializing on migration at Greece's National Center for Social Research, joins Thanos Davelis for a deeper dive into the issue of migration in Greece, which is back in the spotlight as the country - and Europe - look to deal with declining demographics, a labor shortage, and more. 

Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini's diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what message the meeting between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdogan at the UN sends about Greek-Turkish relations, and to look at what else to expect from the UNGA.

While world leaders gather in New York, we're going to turn our attention to Athens and the historic Panathenaic Stadium, where over 40,000 fans gathered for a basketball tournament this weekend. Kathimerini described this as a night that raised the bar for Greek basketball around the world.

Lena Argiri, the Washington, DC correspondent for ERT - the Greek Public Broadcasting Company - and Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to look into her latest scoop from Washington, DC on a US proposal that could see a resolution to the Russian S-400 missile issue with Turkey and possibly open the door for Ankara to rejoin the F-35 program. 

Ulf Laessing, the head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how Turkey's influence in Africa has boomed over the past two decades, particularly in the Sahel. Turkey's focus on Africa comes as a number of so-called "middle powers" are also vying to gain a larger foothold on the continent.

Mario Draghi recently released a report on Europe's competitiveness that has sparked debate across the continent. The report, which shows Europe lagging behind the US and China in a number of areas, has many asking if the continent's leaders will heed his call to action.