SYRIZA government

Three lawmakers of the main opposition filed a criminal complaint on Thursday against a former executive of troubled Greek jewellery maker Folli Follie concerning a series of leaked company emails which insinuate political interference to protect the company from regulatory oversight.

A report by an auditing firm forwarded to the Athens prosecutor's office handling the investigation into the scandal involving the Folli Follie jewelry company has implicated two ministers of the former SYRIZA government, which are mentioned by name, as well as the prime minister's office.

The leader of the leftist MeRA25 party, Yanis Varoufakis, submitted a proposal to Parliament on Tuesday for the establishment of an inquiry committee to investigate the causes of Greece's financial meltdown and bankruptcy in 2010 and its subsequent international bailouts.

Lawmaker and SYRIZA Central Committee member Euclid Tsakalotos insists that that no matter how much Finance Minister Christos Staikouras "tortures" the data, Greece remains at the bottom of the pile in Europe regarding expenditure to tackle Covid-19. 

A judicial probe against a former SYRIZA government minister resumes Friday with the deposition of Evangelos Venizelos, deputy prime minister and foreign minister in the conservative-socialist coalition government of 2013-15.

Greece is set to implement the country's largest ever reforestation program over a 10-year period, according to Environment Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, who on Monday presented the new National Reforestation Plan to the Council of Ministers. 

The Education Ministry is bringing back the custom of giving students a grade for conduct that will go on their final-year transcripts and graduation certificates.

Finance minister Christos Staikouras welcomed the results of the historic Eurogroup pandemic rescue package which he depicted as a satisfactory but hardly optimal compromise.

Staikouras said that Greece's three main demands were met.

The first is direct liquidity for businesses which will not be laid out through banks.

Former health minister Andreas Xanthos was known for his moderation and spirit of cooperation during the four years that he served in the SYRIZA government, and these traits are apparent in his stance in the opposition today.

Greece's public healthcare system has so far responded well to the challenge of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. The only exception, albeit an important one, seems to be the testing, which has been neither as widespread nor as quick as conditions require.