Politics

It should classify as one of the teething problems of democracy. However, it remains a stark reality that blatantly contradicts the principles of the rule of law: Judicial rulings, issued by the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, often go unimplemented due to political expediency or to serve vested interests. 

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.

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.

Interior Minister Niki Kerameos and Deputy Minister Theodoris Livanios gave further details at a press conference on Thursday on the introduction of postal voting to the European elections.

The minister clarified that the postal voting bill does not currently concern the general elections, but only European elections and referenda.

Mytilineos chairman and managing director Evangelos Mytilineos expressed his optimism regarding Greece's course in the coming years, speaking at a conference organized by think tank Kyklos Ideon on Tuesday: "We have a unique political opportunity, for as long as I can remember.

The polls for the local and regional elections will be held at a politically "neutral" time, in that the country won't be facing a major situation where a lot is at stake.

As such, it is an opportunity for voters to focus on the essentials when it comes to making their pick of candidates. 

Greece's conservative New Democracy party held a commanding lead in Sunday's parliamentary election, an exit poll showed, with former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis set to clinch a second term in office.

The first exit poll by Kapa Research after Sunday's general elections, shows that Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his party have likely secured a safe outright majority to form a single-party government.

Greeks went to the polls on Sunday for the second time in little over a month to elect a new parliament, with voters expected to give former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservatives a second term in office.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a stable government for the next four years from the polling station in Kifissia, where he voted.

"Citizens and democracy are the focus today, it is a day of joy and responsibility. We are voting for the second time in just a few weeks so the country can have a stable and efficient government with a four-year horizon," he said.