Giorgos Amyras

The illumination of the castle town of Monemvasia, southern Greece has divided locals, with some saying the project will highlight the landscape and monuments, while others insist it will alter the area's character and increase its touristification.

Greece is to establish the first National Coordinated Network of Observing and Managing Stranded Wildlife, the Environment Ministry stated on Monday, following an agreement with environmental and scientific organizations.

The Gorge of Neda, which separates the prefectures of Ilia and Messinia, in the southwestern Peloponnese, will be declared a protected landscape and natural formation, the Environment Ministry announced on Wednesday.

Deputy Environment Minister Giorgos Amyras has instructed relevant local authorities to adopt urgent protection measures to tackle spring poaching against the turtle dove in the Ionian Islands.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a meeting on Wednesday on the close cooperation required between the ministries of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Environment and Energy and National Defence with respect to actions for the restoration of fire-stricken areas - especially flood protection - and the timely preparation of the 2022 firefighting period.

Greek centrist party To Potami was set to restore its parliamentary group status on Tuesday after two new MPs were sworn in to replace lawmakers who left the party over disagreements regarding the Prespes agreement.
The party had been reduced to three lawmakers after a series of departures in the run-up to the approval of the name deal in Parliament earlier this year.

Independent MP Giorgos Amyras is giving up his parliamentary seat ahead of European Parliament elections where he is expected to run as an MEP candidate for conservative New Democracy opposition, reports said Wednesday.

On a post on Facebook on Monday, Potami MP Grigoris Psarianos described himself as an independent MP, signalling his departure from the centrist party which is now left with three MPs.

In a sharply-worded statement, centrist Potami hit out at MP Giorgos Amyras who announced his departure from the party earlier on Monday.

By leaving the party shortly before the launch of debate on the Prespes name deal, Amyras has "chosen to join the rightwing pantheon as the MP who destroyed Potami's parliamentary group," Potami said in a statement.

Centrist Potami MP Giorgos Amyras resigned on Monday to become an independent, citing differences with the party's leadership on the Macedonia name issue and stripping the party of its status as a parliamentary group. 

Amyras's departure reduced the party's representation in Parliament to four -- below the minimum of five required for an elected party to be represented in Parliament.