NIKOS KONSTANDARAS

Tragedy a ‘glitch’ or ‘product’ of the system?

A premise in the introduction to an interview with the author and playwright Gillian Slovo in The Guardian struck me.

Making excuses instead of policy

The way those who govern divert responsibility from themselves is a running sore in Greek politics and society.

26.04.2024 / 22:12

Living with bombs

We are justified in often feeling that we are Fortune’s playthings. We must admit, though, that perhaps we are luckier than we deserve.

23.04.2024 / 19:35

The West did not forget Ukraine

A year ago, American officials seemed satisfied with how the war in Ukraine was going, thinking that the longer it went on, the more Vladimir Putin would bleed out, weakening his military and his country.

19.04.2024 / 20:26

Paradoxes strange and revealing

Political parties, news media, trade unions and nongovernmental organizations lie together in a heap at the bottom of the ladder of Greeks’ trust in institutions, each with 1.9 points out of 5.

17.04.2024 / 10:00

A healthy diet for people and the environment

The climate crisis is becoming a direct threat to all. Extreme weather phenomena are accelerating in frequency and intensity, provoking death and disease, social and economic turmoil.

16.04.2024 / 17:03

Israel-Iran clash: Escalation or off-ramp?

Iran’s attack on Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones is a signification escalation of the conflict between the two. For the first time, Iran struck directly at Israel itself, not through proxies.

12.04.2024 / 21:30

Truths and lies about construction

In raging fury, Giorgos Stasinos, president of the Technical Chamber of Greece, on Thursday intervened in the public debate to defend the incentives that the New Construction Regulation (NCR) offers contractors – it allows higher and larger buildings if these are “climate-friendly.”

11.04.2024 / 15:30

In praise of positive improvisation

A common strand of failure runs through our disasters – at the crucial moment, we were either unprepared or indifferent to what might happen.

10.04.2024 / 16:00

Government both dominant and fragile

Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government find themselves in an enviable but precarious position – both dominant and fragile at the same time.

06.04.2024 / 16:00

Tempe and the lost year

“At Tempe, our country collided with all that plagues it,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during the no-confidence motion against his government.

05.04.2024 / 21:30

What was Israel aiming for?

Israel’s attack on a humanitarian organization in Gaza and on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus on April 1 will have serious consequences in our already shaken region.

02.04.2024 / 21:00

Erdogan’s dilemma a crossroads for Turkey

Turkey is entering a most interesting time. Its president and the re-elected mayor of Istanbul were both right in describing Sunday’s election as a victory for democracy – this was the definition of democracy, as the side that did not hold all the levers of power won.

30.03.2024 / 18:00

A tragedy’s inconceivable aftermath

The head-on collision of two trains on the country’s main railway line at Tempe on the night of February 28, 2023, was inconceivable. It cost the lives of 57 people, left many more injured, and plunged their relatives and all of Greece into mourning. We had an urgent need to understand how this could happen.

25.03.2024 / 20:00

The West and the extremists’ trap

The liberal democracies of the West find themselves in a trap so dangerous that it is hard to believe their enemies were capable of planning it.