ANDREW TZEMBELICOS

A cautionary tale on mortgages from Canada

In the years ahead, Greece should take great care regarding its enthusiasm for North American-style mortgages as a vehicle for encouraging homeownership.

Connecting with the Greek digital diaspora

There has been much talk, in this space and elsewhere, about the importance of courting digital nomads. Today, Greece is in heavy competition with many of its southern neighbors to attract those with the means and capacity to live and work from anywhere.

06.10.2021 / 14:53

We’re in this new ‘normal’ together

As governments and citizens alike grapple with the aftermath of the wildfires in the greater Athens area and across Greece, there are some simple fixes landowners might make to help mitigate potential property damage from future wildfires.

23.04.2019 / 18:02

Building a better bus system

About eight months ago, I wrote here about how well the Athens metro system generally functioned but that investment in the city’s bus system couldn’t come soon enough. Specifically, new buses are needed as the current fleet seems to date largely back to the early years of the new millennium – when the city hosted the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

22.08.2018 / 19:02

Investing in transit helps make good cities great

Having become much better acquainted with Athens since 2012, one thing I’ve come to appreciate most is its transit system – particularly its metro. Clean (almost gleaming in some stations) and generally efficient, with generous hours and clear verbal and written announcements in Greek and English, it gets me where I need to go with relative ease.

31.07.2018 / 16:26

Being better prepared for disasters

In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that decimated communities in eastern Attica, there will be much to be learned in the days, weeks and months ahead. Questions will be asked.

18.07.2018 / 21:16

Paying its NATO dues

In the aftermath of discussions around which countries are and are not paying their dues to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or which have failed to pay their fair share, one thing is clear: Greece is among the biggest spenders (as a proportion of GDP), second only to the United States.

02.07.2018 / 21:30

Recognizing the people of Greece

In the last decade, the people of Greece have been subjected to harsh austerity, pension cuts and more. At times they have also been the target of cruel and often unfair criticism from others who have naively chosen to refer to them as “lazy Greeks.”