Greece

Greece’s outspoken defence minister, Panos Kammenos, appeared completely recovered from an egg-hurling incident on the island of Kos last week and even unperturbed from the prospect of snap elections next, as he “escaped” the political crisis in Athens with a brief boating excursion over the weekend.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said on Monday the Army is sending 25 troops and the relevant equipment to help police guard the border with Serbia in view of increased migrant influx into Bulgaria's western neighbour.

The “leftist memorandum” and the explosive migration crisis inundating Greece’s eastern Aegean islands will reportedly claim another two “victims” ahead of the snap election expected next month: Alternate Migration Minister Tasia Christodoulopoulou and her husband, Alternate Shipping Minister Thodoris Dritsas.

SYRIZA members are apparently ‘jumping ship’ left and right, with five top cadres announcing resignations weeks before yet another snap election. Party secretary and prominent member Tasos Koronakis tendered his resignation during the meeting of the party’s political secretariat on Monday.

Panayiotis Lafazanis, leader of the new leftist party ‘Popular Unity’ received the mandate from Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Monday to seek alliances with political groups from the current parliament in an effort to form a government.

Moody’s ratings agency reports that the resignation of Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and the calling of snap elections are positive developments for the country’s 3rd bailout plan.

In yet another interview to media, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis clarifies that he will not back the newly created political group of ‘Popular Unity’ formed by a former comrade of his, Panayiotis Lafazanis.

Major opposition party leader of New Democracy (ND) Evangelos Meimarakis returned the mandate, Monday morning, he received from Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos Friday, after failed attempts (something totally predictable) to form a coalition government from the current political groups in the Greek parliament.

Speaking in an interview to Guardian online, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said “If I’m convicted of high treason, it would be interesting”. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

The workers of ‘Hellas Gold’, the subsidiary of Canadian gold mining company ‘Eldorado’, decided after a long union meeting to take action in protest against the Greek government’s decision to shut down the mining operations at Skouries, Chalkidiki, in northern Greece.