Greece
Launching a spin campaign on three fronts (Brussels, Italy, Greece), the EU Commission argued that since 2010 not only were there no cuts in Greece’s firefighting budget but on the contrary spending for the firefighters’ service actually increased. However, a simple fact-check of the official data tells a completely different story: From the outset of the Greek crisis until today Read more "The EU Commission’s hubris over the Greek wildfires"
In the end, the ministers and commissioners spoke as if they were good Europeans again. "It’s done," confirmed Portugal’s Finance Minister Mario Centeno, currently chairman of the Eurogroup. "With our solidarity it was successful,” said his German colleague Olaf Scholz, and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stated that "Europe should be proud of its common currency". But the staging was all bluff. In truth, there is nothing to celebrate. Read more "The euro crisis is far from over: What the EU could have learned from Greece – but didn’t"
Kyriakos Mitsotakis is odds-on favourite to become the next Greek prime minister. Both German and US media have dubbed him a “star of the people” offering Greece “a glimmer of hope”. A sworn reformist, he slams nepotism and corruption. And yet that international praise ignores hard facts – such as the inclusion of his spouse in the Paradise Papers or his personal involvement in the biggest corruption scandal of the last 30 years in Greece. Read more "The overlooked past of the “next PM of Greece”"
