Angela Merkel

Former PM reflects on crisis leadership and democratic challenges post-Metapolitefsi

"I tried to provide solutions in the way I could," said Panagiotis Pikrammenos, reflecting on his time as caretaker prime minister during the Greek debt crisis.

Pikrammenos made the comment during a conversation with Tom Ellis, editor in chief at Kathimerini English Edition, at the "50 Years of the Metapolitefsi" conference in Athens on Thursday.

Wolfgang Schaeuble, German elder statesman and finance minister during euro debt crisis, dies at 81

Wolfgang Schaeuble, who helped negotiate German reunification in 1990 and as finance minister was a central figure in the austerity-heavy effort to drag Europe out of its debt crisis more than two decades later, has died. He was 81.

Schaeuble died at home on Tuesday evening, his family told German news agency dpa on Wednesday.

Out of touch

SYRIZA's choices of candidates for the local elections in October show that the party is out of touch with society. It is also heading fast toward a phase of introversion and contraction, leaving a vacuum in the opposition.

Germany’s Health Minister: The COVID-19 Pandemic in our country is Over

The COVID-19 pandemic is over in Germany, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said, as quoted by Politico.

Lauterbach, who is an epidemiologist, said at a news conference that he made that estimate based on looking at virus variants, vaccination rates and hospital cases.

"We successfully overcame the pandemic in Germany," added the Social Democrat.

The metamorphosis of Greek-German relations

Public opinion plays a role in democracies. The extent to which polls influence the political decision-making process is a matter of dispute among experts. This applies to domestic politics, and also to foreign policy making. A majority of Greeks have a negative opinion of Germany. This is confirmed by several recent polls.

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