Spain’s prime minister has sharply criticized several EU governments over their response to the Ceuta migration crisis, warning that unilateral measures threaten European solidarity and the integrity of the Schengen system. As Brussels calls for a coordinated response, the crisis is exposing deep divisions over the future of EU border policy.
The Greek prime minister was briefed early on Saturday on the major fire fronts in Boeotia, Aigio and Rethymno, as hundreds of firefighters, aircraft, helicopters, military units and local authorities continued an intense overnight battle. A gradual easing of the winds has raised cautious hopes, but the country remains on maximum alert.
The unprecedented migrant surge into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has reignited a fundamental debate over Europe’s migration policy. While Brussels defended its long-term framework for migration management, the crisis exposed significant operational gaps, renewed political divisions among member states, and strengthened arguments in favor of stricter external border protection, a model long advocated by countries such as Greece.
Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris has linked the migration pressure on Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta to Greece’s own frontline experience, arguing that tougher border policies are delivering results while warning that human smuggling networks continue to seek new entry points into Europe.
Alpha Bank CEO Vassilis Psaltis delivered a clear message to investors during the bank’s earnings call: the real investment story lies in stronger-than-expected core profitability, accelerating loan growth, and an increasingly diversified fee-income base. While the CET1 capital ratio remains the market’s main concern, management believes the bank’s organic capital generation will ultimately support both growth and higher shareholder returns.
The government secured parliamentary approval for the Ministry of Environment and Energy's water reform bill with 157 votes in favor and 131 against. While the government argues the legislation modernizes water governance and strengthens resilience against water scarcity, PASOK and opposition parties accuse it of paving the way for the commercialization of water services.
Following talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, newly appointed EU Special Representative Raffaele Fitto confirmed Brussels is seeking a more active role in the UN-led Cyprus peace process, while Nicosia sees EU–Turkey relations as a key source of diplomatic leverage.
Source: POLITICO Europe | The European Commission has launched its most ambitious artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative to date, aiming to establish seven AI Gigafactories across Europe, mobilize €30 billion in investment, and strengthen the bloc's technological sovereignty in the global AI race.
Source: Al-Monitor | Ankara and Baghdad have launched a major expansion of their energy partnership, keeping the strategic Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline operational while pursuing new oil flows, Turkish participation in Kirkuk's energy sector, and a broader corridor extending to Basra amid mounting instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
The government is preparing to adopt a new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism that introduces stricter limits on large-scale developments in saturated destinations, stronger coastal protection, and a new sustainability-based classification system for tourism areas.
The EU's €150 billion SAFE fund is accelerating factory expansion, industrial integration and strategic autonomy. Yet the dispute over Britain's participation exposes a deeper political dilemma: Europe is building a common defense industry faster than it is defining the boundaries of its own security community.
New legal framework establishes a dedicated heritage organization, strengthens the audiovisual sector, safeguards archaeological assets and modernizes cultural management. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni insists the reform protects public ownership while improving efficiency and international outreach.
The first major supply agreement for European-produced gallium with a leading US technology company transforms METLEN’s investment into a strategic link in the Western industrial supply chain. The deal reduces commercial risk, strengthens the project’s financing prospects and places Greece at the heart of the global race for AI, semiconductors, telecommunications and defence technologies.
The UN Secretary-General has announced a new informal expanded meeting involving the two Cypriot communities and the three guarantor powers. His “constructive” talks with Nikos Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman have revived diplomatic momentum, although deep divisions remain over the form of a settlement, security guarantees and Turkey’s continued role on the island.
The leader of ELAS presented his vision for a “New Social Contract” and a “New Metapolitefsi,” proposing stronger local governments, the restoration of more than 100 municipalities, and nearly €15 billion in guaranteed funding for regional and municipal authorities.
Backed by a €1.3 billion capital base, a successful €650 million share capital increase and strong international investor support, AKTOR Group is entering a new era of growth. Chairman and CEO Alexandros Exarchou describes the milestone as “a new chapter” for the Group, while the market views it as the emergence of one of Southeast Europe’s most powerful investment platforms.
The UN Secretary-General’s visit to Nicosia aims to turn confidence-building measures into a genuine political process. His separate meetings with Nikos Christodoulides and Tufan Erhürman, the private dinner and Wednesday’s joint meeting will reveal whether there is sufficient ground for meaningful negotiations—or whether partition is becoming entrenched. The European Union may not formally sit at the table, but it is an indispensable part of any viable settlement.
Athens is reviving the debate over a fundamental reform of the European electricity market, arguing that the low production cost of renewable energy must finally be reflected in household and industrial electricity bills. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is aligning Greece with Mario Draghi's competitiveness agenda, warning that Europe cannot remain globally competitive while paying significantly higher energy prices than its major economic rivals.
A trilateral partnership between Greece, the United States and South Korea could transform Elefsina into a strategic shipbuilding and defence hub for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and NATO. Kimberly Guilfoyle linked major investment, 10,000 skilled jobs and the construction of frigates, corvettes and submarines to a broader ambition: restoring Greece’s capacity to produce maritime power.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned that Europe is not yet out of the energy danger zone, stressing that rising fuel prices cannot be tackled through simplistic national measures alone. Standing alongside Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Salzburg, Mitsotakis called for coordinated European action should geopolitical tensions once again trigger a surge in energy costs. At the same time, Greece received strong praise from Austria for its economic reforms, its role in safeguarding the EU’s external borders, and its growing strategic importance as an energy hub.
Parliament votes on whether 33 constitutional provisions should be opened for revision, but the real battle concerns parliamentary majorities, future governing alliances and who will ultimately write the new rules on ministerial accountability, justice, universities, the civil service and the electoral system.
