Campaigning for Euro elections resumes after Easter break
After the Easter respite, party leaders resume their pre-election campaigns on Tuesday, as we enter the last stretch before the European Parliament elections.
On the diplomatic front, the government in Athens is preparing for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ planned visit to Ankara next Monday, where he will be meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The other issue that could dominate the political agenda in Greece is a visit by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama over the weekend, at a time when relations between the two neighbors have been strained over the conviction and imprisonment of the elected ethnic-Greek mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri.
Election campaigning
Both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and main opposition SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis are set to visit western Greece this week. Socialist PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis will be in the Aegean, making stops in Serifos and then Crete.
Europe Day
Europe Day is celebrated on May 9, marking the anniversary of the historic “Schuman Declaration,” setting out French foreign minister Robert Schuman’s ideas for a new form of political cooperation in Europe. Several events will take place in Athens to mark the occasion, culminating with a celebration at Anassa City Events on Sunday, May 12.
Albanian PM visit
Rama is expected in Athens on May 12 to address a gathering of supporters and members of his party. The visit comes at a difficult moment for Athens and Tirana.
The date of the visit marks the one-year anniversary since the arrest of Beleri, now a candidate for ruling New Democracy for the European Parliament.
The Greek Foreign Ministry informed the Albanian prime minister’s office that it would be preferable if the visit was conducted after the European elections.
Strike
Medical laboratory scientists working in the private sector will be on strike on Wednesday, calling for changes to the amount of money public health insurance funds contribute to diagnostic tests prescribed to patients. This may turn out to be a protracted strike that will affect diagnostic clinics and labs.
