Democracy

The state's control over higher education is one of the most enduring fixations since the restoration of democracy.

The taboo has long been broken for the majority of Greek society. Attempts are now being made by the state to break the binding regime through legislation. The importance of the reform is historical.

Just a few years after emerging from the financial crisis, Greece looks like an islet of calm in a turbulent Europe where even the countries of Scandinavia are experiencing serious challenges to social democracy and the rule of law. It is not just the performance of its economy or the praise from authoritative international lips contributing to this image.

Member of parliament and former minister of New Democracy, Theodoros Rousopoulos stands on the brink of assuming the presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, having gathered 73% in Thursday's vote among European People's Party members from the Council's 46 member countries. 

The debate on the postal vote for Greeks living abroad was an undertaking that embarrassed the political system, which, in the previous parliamentary period, could not agree on the obvious solution.

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with them, it is important that the people who have been responsible for the country's fate should speak publicly about what was and what is. For years now, mature Western democracies have had a special place reserved for politicians who have served as prime minister or in some other high-ranking position.

In a demonstration of solidarity and support, Bulgaria is set to contribute €60,000 (117,350 BGN) to Ukraine through the OECD Program. The bill for the ratification of the agreement is scheduled for a vote on Friday, emphasizing Bulgaria's commitment to aiding Ukraine's recovery and economic development.

Democracy is under threat across the world. Fewer people today live in democracies than did two decades ago. Opposition to democracy, and to capitalism, has grown as populists launch "culture wars" - cruelly exploiting migrants and minorities - and appeal to the socially and economically excluded. This is a cocktail variously stirred by Trump, Brexit, Modi, Le Pen, Orban and Meloni.

Half of the world's countries are suffering democratic decline, ranging from flawed elections to curtailed rights including freedoms of expression and assembly, an intergovernmental watchdog group said on Thursday.

In an op-ed article published on June 11, prior to this year's second election in Greece, I argued that despite my reservations about New Democracy's performance in its first term, I would vote for them because I wanted to safeguard the governability of Greece.

A video of the Attica regional governor, Giorgos Patoulis, dancing at an event a day after the death of two firefighting pilots in Evia and while dozens of wildfires were in progress, has gone viral on social media.