Sarantis Michalopoulos
Former Greek anti-corruption chief: Novartis scandal has harmed EU budget
The scandal involving Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis in Greece has affected the health budgets of other EU countries and the bloc’s finances, Greece’s former anti-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Expert: Cardiovascular health will only be improved with an EU-wide dedicated plan
EU policymakers should develop a more structured approach to improving cardiovascular diseases if the bloc wants to see tangible results in future healthcare, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, interim president of the European Heart Network (EHN) told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU Parliament joins media freedom problematic club
In a surprising move, the European Parliament deleted a post from its website and social media referring to a recent report by Reporters without Borders (RSF) indicating that Greece is the worst EU country regarding media freedom. Contacted by EURACTIV,...
Europe needs screening to kill its number one killer, stakeholders say
The pandemic should be seen as a wake-up call for EU policymakers to take a more focused approach toward cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Europe’s number one killer, as patients have already paid a heavy price due to COVID-19, stakeholders have warned.
Polls point to comfortable Macron victory if leftists vote
All latest opinion polls and the results from the first round of the French Presidential elections point to a victory for Emmanuel Macron provided that a large proportion of leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s voters back the French president over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
Greece increases minimum wage amid soaring prices
Greece’s conservative New Democracy government has decided to increase the minimum wage to €713 before taxes from €663. However, opposition and labour unions said it was “peanuts” unable to cover rising prices.
EU socialist leaders call on Greek progressives to join forces
Greece's former prime minister and main opposition leftist leader Alexis Tsipras vowed a “strong progressive” comeback at his Syriza party conference on Thursday (14 April), a call that was backed by leading socialist politicians across Europe.
Greece under EU pressure to transpose Whistleblower Directive
Amid the prosecution of two journalists over Novartis scandal, the European Commission has again urged the Greek government to integrate into national law a directive on the protection of persons who report breaches of corruption, EURACTIV has learned.
Ukraine war revives EastMed gas pipe talks but EU insists on feasibility
Europe’s new push for diversification from Russia’s energy has revived talks about a pipeline bringing natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Greece and the rest of south-east Europe. However, the European Commission still insists on the EastMed pipeline’s commercial viability before giving its final blessing.
Media freedom report shakes Greece’s conservative government
While the report raises the alarm over a “systemic press freedom crisis”, the government replies that people are still free to opt what media to follow.
Poland: Living with Russia’s threat at the border
As war rages in Ukraine and thousands of refugees flee across the border, Poland, one of the EU and NATO's easternmost members, has stepped up to help its neighbours in a massive show of solidarity.
‘Trains of hope’ from Ukraine
EURACTIV reports on the ground about the refugee crisis at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Przemyśl has seen hundreds of refugees cross over since the war began here. For many of them, the train they take from Kyiv or Lviv is a...
Greece fumes at Russia after ten Greeks die from ‘Orthodox’ bombs in Ukraine
Tensions between Athens and Moscow flared up after ten Greek expatriates were killed during a bombing by Russian forces in Sartana, a village in the Donetsk oblast in eastern Ukraine.
Expelled Greek MEP asks EPP not to take position in his row with Athens
Giorgos Kyrtsos, a centre-right EU lawmaker who was recently expelled from the ruling New Democracy party, has sent a letter to EPP group leader Manfred Weber asking him to stay neutral in his row with the government in Athens.
Ruling New Democracy expels MEP critical of media freedom in Greece
Greece's ruling centre-right New Democracy party (European People’s Party) has expelled EU lawmaker Giorgios Kyrtsos from its ranks because of his criticism against the government over media freedom and the handling of the pandemic.
Reshaping cities to speed up post-COVID normality
An increasing number of EU countries have started lifting COVID-related restrictions in a first sign of returning to normality. However, there are doubts as to how ready societies are for a full return to "old normal", after two years of varying and often frustrating public measures.
Commission aims to decarbonise transport by equally taxing fossil and crop-based biofuels
Decarbonising Europe’s transport has always been a tough equation for EU policymakers. However, the puzzle is expected to become even more complex as the European Commission is considering taxing at the same rate fossil fuels and crop-based biofuels, EURACTIV has learnt.
A technocrat government scenario causes turmoil in Greece
Greece's political elites were in turmoil on Thursday after EURACTIV Greece reported that some circles in the European Commission are hoping for a technocrat government in the country, unleashing a political tsunami at a time when discussions of a possible snap election are heating up.
Conservative MEP: Greece is heading toward ‘Orbanisation’
As declining press freedom in Greece is already under EU scrutiny, and the government is heading toward “Orbanisation”, Giorgos Kyrtsos, an EU lawmaker from the ruling New Democracy party (EPP), said.
European NATO source: De-escalation with Russia is possible ‘tomorrow’
The Americans “really want” an immediate de-escalation with Russia, but dialogue is not possible with thousands of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, a senior NATO source representing an EU member state in Brussels told EURACTIV.
Greek PM avoids apology for government’s snowstorm fiasco
After days of absence from the public, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised on Wednesday (26 January) for the mismanagement of a snowstorm that paralysed the country this week and left citizens trapped in cars for more than twenty hours.
The Brief – An inevitable betrayal
Following the 2008 economic crisis, the EU socialists almost collapsed in successive elections across the bloc. Back then, they put the blame on the “grand coalition” they had formed with the centre-right.
Greece fumes as Washington loses interest in EastMed gas pipeline
The United States is no longer supporting the construction of EastMed gas pipeline project as Washington’s interest is now switching to renewable energy sources, according to a State Department statement. According to Greek media, the move profits Turkey.