Campaigning for Euro elections and Turkey talks dominate agenda ahead of Easter break

Political leaders continue touring the country ahead of the upcoming European elections on June 9, despite an expected slowdown this week due to the Easter holidays.

Two opinion polls released over the weekend suggest that the ruling New Democracy party is on track to achieve the 33% support target set by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Greece-Turkey

Preparations are underway for Mitsotakis’ visit to Ankara on May 13 to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan held an extensive preparatory meeting in London on Saturday.

A new figure is expected to join the bilateral talks from the side of Ankara. Turkey’s deputy foreign minister, Ambassador Burak Akcapar, who previously oversaw key aspects of Greek-Turkish relations, has been appointed as Turkey’s representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva. His replacement has not yet been announced.

Athens is closely monitoring the evolving phase of the US-Turkey relationship following the cancellation of Erdogan’s visit to Washington and any potential implications it might have on relations between Athens and Ankara. Strained bilateral relations between Erdogan and Washington could potentially pose challenges for Athens, particularly due to Washington’s inability to communicate directly with Ankara in the event of a crisis between the two Aegean neighbors.

Cabinet meeting

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Mitsotakis, is scheduled for Monday morning. Among other topics, discussions will revolve around a bill regarding the incentive and bonus system for civil servants, the National Strategy for People with Disabilities, the development program for public investments, and the new procedure of the State Council.

Postal voting

Expatriates wishing to participate in the European elections on June 9 still have a few hours to register, as the deadline for postal voting expires on Monday at 11.59 a.m. Athens time. Official figures released on Saturday indicate that approximately 157,000 Greek citizens have registered so far, with around 116,000 residing in Greece and 41,100 living in 115 other countries.

May 1

Greece’s employee unions, representing both public and private sectors, have called for strikes on Wednesday to commemorate May Day. Public transport and maritime routes will not be operational on the day, with ferries and ships remaining docked at ports. The strike will affect all categories of ships in the country.

A rally will be held in the center of Athens, with the unions calling for a gathering at 11 a.m. at Klafthmonos Square.

Easter

Greek Orthodox faithful will celebrate the religious holiday of Easter on Sunday. 

Shops are currently operating with extended opening hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Holy Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Good Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Holy Saturday. All shops and stores will remain closed on Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and Tuesday due to the transfer of Labor Day from May 1 to May 7.