Podcasts about New Democracy

Earlier this week Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis essentially launched his pre-election campaign, unveiling a roadmap to the 2027 elections. As Mitsotakis prepares for 2027, we're also seeing former prime minister Alexis Tsipras take steps that are fueling speculation about a political comeback, while the far-right is back in the headlines. Lamprini Rori, an Assistant Professor in Political Analysis at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, joins Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at these developments.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Mitsotakis outlines four key priorities ahead of 2027 electionsTsipras pitch for progressive opposition presents New Democracy with new adversaryGreek court strips three far-right MPs of seats over electoral fraudParliament votes to investigate former transport ministerPatriot missile systems being moved to Souda base

We're almost at the halfway point of Prime Minister Mitsotakis' second term. Despite a few political storms over the past years, New Democracy, the prime minister's party, is riding out a wave of dissatisfaction among voters, holding steady at about 30 percent. At the same time, a rudderless and divided opposition can't seem to translate this into votes. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis as we take a deeper dive into Greece's current political landscape, from the ruling party to the fragmented opposition. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greeks feel they have no one to vote forTsipras slams government, calls for progressive unityAthens agrees to send APCs to LebanonGreek court strips three far-right MPs of seats over electoral fraud

In one of the most timely and urgent shows we have ever done, today I speak with law scholar Aziz Rana about his brilliant and bracing article recently published in New Left Review, “Constitutional Collapse.” We talk about how the Trump administration and its enablers are shredding a liberal “compact” which was established in in the 1930s through the Sixties and extending an imperial presidency abroad to an authoritarian one domestically. We talk about the current constitutional crisis, but also about the need for, and manifestations of, a politics which is at once a genuine membership organization and social community. As Aziz Rana powerfully argues, “its aim should be to transform the world people organically experience.” This is exactly the analysis and message so many of us need in these dark times.Aziz Rana is a professor of law at Boston College Law School, where his research and teaching center on American constitutional law and political development. In particular, his work focuses on how shifting notions of race, citizenship, and empire have shaped legal and political identity since the founding. Rana's first book, The Two Faces of American Freedom (Harvard University Press) situates the American experience within the global history of colonialism, examining the intertwined relationship in American constitutional practice between internal accounts of freedom and external projects of power and expansion.  His new book, The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document that Fails Them (University of Chicago Press, 2024), explores the modern emergence of constitutional veneration in the twentieth century -- especially against the backdrop of growing American global authority -- and how veneration has influenced the boundaries of popular politics. Aziz Rana has written essays and op-eds for such venues as n+1, The Boston Review, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Dissent, New Labor Forum, Jacobin, The Guardian, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Nation, Jadaliyya, Salon, and The Law and Political Economy Project.  He has articles and chapter contributions published or forthcoming with Yale and Oxford University Presses, The University of Chicago Law Review, California Law Review, UCLA Law Review, Texas Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal Forum, among others. 

Ben is joined by John Carey to discuss how you design an electoral system for a new democracy - what factors are most important to producing a healthy and sustainable democracy, and how might those requirements change over time? This podcast is supported by the Tally Room's supporters on Patreon. If you find this podcast worthwhile please consider giving your support. You can listen to an ad-free version of this podcast if you sign up via Patreon for $8 or more per month. And $8 donors can now join the Tally Room Discord server.

This week, we are sharing an interview with a member of the Solidarity Fund for Imprisoned and Persecuted Revolutionaries, or Tameio. We talk about the case of the explosion in an apartment in the Athens district of Ampelokipi from late October of 2024 which left comrade Kyriakos Xymitiris dead and left Marianna badly injured, after which there have been arrests of four other comrades (so far), including Nikos Romanos. Some supporters of those arrested believes the case is the New Democracy government distracting from their economic collapse by increasing repression and the spectre of terrorism We also speak about the anti-repression landscape that Tameio participates in, the end of asylum protections against police on university campuses and difficulties faced by the anti-authoritarian and anarchist movements in Greece today. https://tameio.net https://athens.indymedia.org/ Nikos Romanos' letter on the case from December 5th, 2024: https://actforfree.noblogs.org/2024/12/08/letter-from-anarchist-comrade-nikos-romanos-from-korydallos-prison-greece/

Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced his pick for President of Greece last week, selecting New Democracy veteran Kostas Tasoulas. The decision is not only indicative of the direction Mitsotakis is looking to move in 2025, but it also sets the stage for a new political battleground between New Democracy and PASOK. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, joins Thanos Davelis to help us read between the lines, breaking down what's at stake for the government and PASOK, while looking at broader global trends - from potential tariffs to Ukraine - and how they could impact Greece.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Presidential vote creates new battleground as ND and PASOK renew hostilitiesAs political landscape stabilizes, PASOK fears it may have hit its ceilingPoll gives New Democracy 12-point leadChristodoulides, Tatar fail to reach deal on new crossing pointsChevron expresses interest in Greek energy exploration

2024 was a tumultuous year, with elections in the US and Europe setting the stage for major changes, and ushering in a new era of uncertainty - especially in Europe. Amid these developments, Greece saw a new opposition emerge in PASOK and its economy once again was on The Economist's list of top performers of 2024. Niko Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to explore what these global political shifts could mean for Athens, whether Greece's economy can keep up the momentum through 2025, and what other trends we should keep an eye on this year.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:2025 and the need for political solutionsWhich economy did best in 2024?New Democracy aiming to regain lost ground and keep rivals contained in 2025Cairo tripartite summit spotlights Syria turmoilTurkey says Kurdish-led armed groups in Syria will be ‘eliminated'

Developments over the past few months in Greece have seen SYRIZA lose its position as the main opposition in parliament to PASOK in the wake of leadership elections in both parties, the creation of a new political party on the left, and the ouster of a former prime minister from New Democracy. At the same time, the ripple effects of the US election are also being felt in Greek politics - as in the rest of Europe. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what to expect in this new political landscape.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Assessing Greece's new political landscapeDominoes waiting for a pushGreece to train Ukrainian pilotsCyprus offers to assist with Lebanon ceasefireIsrael-Hezbollah ceasefire begins after year of conflict

In mid-November, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to expel from the ruling New Democracy party one of his predecessors, Antonis Samaras.Samaras headed the centre-right party for several years and was the leader of a coalition government between 2012 and 2015, which means his dismissal was big news in Greece.So, why did Mitsotakis make this dramatic move and what it could mean not only for unity within New Democracy, but also for the stability of the Greek government?MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor Georgia Nakou joined Nick Malkoutzis to discuss all the permutations.Useful readingFormer Greek premier Samaras is expelled from the ruling conservative party - Associated PressTurkey rapprochement sparks rift in Greece's ruling party - Politico Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend Prime Minister Mitsotakis took a bold and risky move to expel former prime minister and lawmaker Antonis Samaras from New Democracy. The story, and its potential impact on the government, is the main issue dominating the headlines in Greece over the past few days. Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of the risk analysis company Teneo, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this latest development and break down what it means for Greece's government, New Democracy, and its broader political landscape.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:PM ensures stability post-SamarasRuling party tension boils over as Mitsotakis ousts ex-PM and right wing figurehead SamarasTurkey plans Aegean oil researchGreece Extends Drills Hampering Transfer of Russian Oil Cargoes

While all eyes are on the US elections today, in Greece it seems that there is a permanent state of campaigning. After the PASOK elections a few weeks ago, SYRIZA is now preparing for its own leadership elections this month. In the meantime, internal drama in New Democracy and PASOK's improved poll numbers have caught the media's attention as well. Panos Koliastasis, adjunct lecturer in politics at the Hellenic Open University and author of the book Permanent campaigning in Greece in times of crisis, joins Thanos Davelis to look at these developments and what message they send about Greece's political scene.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Rival factions claim victory in SYRIZA delegate elections ahead of pivotal party congressND and SYRIZA contend with internal strife as PASOK advancesND's strategy against PASOK: Divide and conquerEighty years after thousands of Greek Jews were murdered, Thessaloniki's Holocaust museum is finally set to openPro-EU leader wins Moldova election despite alleged Russian meddlingMitsotakis congratulates Moldovan president on re-election

Nikos Androulakis has been re-elected as leader of PASOK, the centre-left party that is hoping to establish itself as the main opposition party in Greece and, ultimately, challenge centre-right New Democracy for power.Given that Androulakis cruised to his victory, was there any point to this leadership contest? Also, where does it leave PASOK as it seeks to take advantage of turmoil at leftist SYRIZA and build some momentum as the social democrats seek to close the gap on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis?MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor Georgia Nakou join host Nick Malkoutzis to work out what has happened and what might happen.Useful readingAndroulakis Wins Second Chance to Revive Greece's Centre-Left Party - Balkan Insight Androulakis' last chance - Kathimerini Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week Turkish President Erdogan set out on a tour of the Balkans, visiting Albania and Serbia. The tour kicked off in Albania, with Erdogan gifting a number of drones and inaugurating the largest mosque in the Balkans - which was funded by Turkey. The second leg took him to Serbia, where Turkey made a diplomatic comeback in 2017. Thanos Davelis caught up with expert Dimitar Bechev last week while Erdogan was wrapping up his visit to Belgrade. We looked into Erdogan's Balkan tour, and broke down Turkey's broader agenda in the region.Dimitar Bechev is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, where he focuses on EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, and Eastern Europe, and he is the author of the bookTurkey under Erdogan.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Erdogan inaugurates mosque in Albania, pledges military drones as he begins Balkan tourTurkey, Serbia Eye Cooperation On Production Of Military DronesAndroulakis celebrates reelection as PASOK leader, vows to end New Democracy's dominanceAndroulakis re-elected PASOK leaderUS has not met its commitments, says Greek defense ministerDendias highlights Greece's military progress

A recent poll is turning heads in Greece as it shows not only what appears to be a total collapse of the main opposition SYRIZA, which fell into single digit numbers, but also a noticeable decline in support for the ruling New Democracy party. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the key takeaways from this poll as we look at what message it sends about Greek politics, from SYRIZA with its never ending cycles of internal crises, PASOK and its effort to capture the Greek center left, and the ruling New Democracy. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:New poll sees SYRIZA drop to single digits amid noticeable decline for New DemocracySYRIZA leader plays his final cardsChevron-led group to update offshore gas plan as Cyprus sets deadlineDrying lakes and thirsty trees: In drought-hit Greece, water trucks are keeping crops alive

Ruehl Muller joins Breht to discuss his upcoming book, put out by Iskra Books, titled "Building a People's Art: Selected Works of Trường Chinh and Tố Hữu". Together, they discuss Vietnamese Socialist Realism, Maoist China, Cultural Revolution, dialectics, the death drive, fascism in Germany and Israel, New Democracy, and much more! Find this book, stay up to date on all releases, get into contact with Ruehl, and so much here at www.iskrabooks.org Outro Song: "Opening Salvo" by Blue Scholars --------------------------------   Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded, you can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episode in our back catologue on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio   Follow Rev Left on Insta

With SYRIZA on the brink of civil war, PASOK facing a new leadership fight, and New Democracy still reeling from the aftermath of the European elections, it seems like a period of uncertainty has set in among Greece's top political parties. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the challenges facing Greece's political leaders amid the backdrop of broader uncertainty across the West, from the upcoming elections in France to the Presidential race in the US. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Uncertain times and the actions of political leadersTurkey tracks cable work in Cyprus EEZGreek parliament approves military procurement programs

The European Parliament elections held in Greece on June 9 produced a few surprises, some of which could be significant for the country's political scene over the next few months and years.The ruling centre-right party, New Democracy, performed worse than opinion polls had suggested and fell below the bar set by its leader, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The main opposition parties, leftist SYRIZA and socialist PASOK, had mixed nights but failed to make any major progress, raising questions about what the future holds for the Greek centre-left.The far right appeared to be the major beneficiary of the voting patterns in these elections, but a closer inspection of the numbers tells a more complicated story.MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor Georgia Nakou step into The Agora to discuss the twists and turns produced by this vote, which was marked by a record low turnout.Useful readingGreece's centre-right wins but with heavy losses - EuractivGreek PM hints at cabinet reshuffle after EU vote disappointment - ReutersWhere did all the far-right votes in the EU, but also in Greece, come from? - Kathimerini Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European elections this past weekend saw far right parties gain ground in a number of countries. Greece was not an exception, with the party Greek Solution more than doubling its support since the last elections. Beyond the far right's gains, the ruling New Democracy did not hit its target, describing the results as a “pyrrhic victory”, while the battle for second place between SYRIZA and PASOK proved inconclusive. Meanwhile, in Cyprus, a 24 year old YouTuber made political waves finishing third. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis from Athens.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Where did all the far-right votes come from?Nine new hands and 12 old ones heading to StrasbourgSYRIZA members urge overture to center-left parties following election resultsPM rules out snap election, hints at reshuffleGreece sends aid to raging Cyprus wildfireHouses burnt down in out-of-control Paphos wildfire

In this episode Greece Chats Podcasts I am joined by Panagiota Niovi Christopoulou. ** You can learn more about Niovi and her campaign at: https://bit.ly/4bHBlIZ ** Niovi is the first Greek-American candidate for New Democracy in the EU Parliament Elections in 2024. Niovi strives to strengthen the connection between Greece and the Greek Diaspora, among many other ambitions. Watch the video edition of this interview at: https://youtu.be/iwGNrC8RCbc https://bit.ly/4bHBlIZGreece Chats podcast is brought to you by Greece Media. Do you need help claiming your rightful Greek citizenship? Greece Media can help. Book a consultation today: www.greece-media.com/greekcitizenship

The rise of the far right nationalist party Greek Solution is attracting the interest of many who follow Greek politics, especially due to its approach to issues like Athens' support for Ukraine. If Greek Solution's growing appeal in the opinion polls continues ahead of European elections in June, it could even end up in third place. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English edition, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the rise of Greek Solution and what it could mean for Prime Minister Mitsotakis, New Democracy, and Greece's broader political scene. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:The rise of Greek SolutionEU announces €7.4 bln package for Egypt as concerns over migration mountGreek PM and Egyptian President strengthen partnershipMaintaining calm relations in the ‘frozen' Greek-Turkish disputeUS Ambassador to Greece wants more US-Greece flights

This past weekend SYRIZA held a 4 day convention that was filled with drama and chaos, with both its identity as well as its leadership being challenged. With a new leadership race narrowly avoided, the question remains if there is a leader in the fragmented center left that can unite the opposition. At the same time, recent polling shows an increase in support for parties to the right of New Democracy. Political scientist and expert Panos Koliastasis joins Thanos Davelis to look at this ongoing crisis in SYRIZA and the broader center left, while breaking down the latest polls and the message they send ahead of European elections.Panos Koliastasis, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Peloponnese, contributor to Kathimerini, and the author of the book "Permanent campaigning in Greece in times of crisis: the Samaras, Tsipras and Mitsotakis premierships".You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:SYRIZA: The challenge of unity and reinventionGreek center-left: The long road to unityRuling New Democracy maintains dominanceGreece seeking to create ‘smarter' armySenators warily allow F-16 sale to Turkey as part of NATO expansion agreement

Phoebe Fronista and Nick Malkoutzis return after a prolonged absence to discuss what's behind Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's political dominance in Greece and whether things are more complex than they look.Their discussion was prompted by a piece Nick wrote recently for The Agora on MacroPolis's website after listening to Mitsotakis speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the Greek PM shed light on the political strategy that has helped his centre-right New Democracy party comfortably see off its opponents.As Nick and Phoebe discuss, this success cannot be separated from the Greek context because serious problems with the opposition, media and institutions have provided Mitsotakis with considerable assistance.Useful readingRule of Law and Media Freedom in Greece - European ParliamentStemming the Tide of Greek Media Freedom Decline - MFRRCorruption Perceptions Index (Greece) - Transparency InternationalA Greek form of Triangulation - MacroPolis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his cabinet have been under pressure these past days, as farmers and students across the country have taken to the streets in protest. This comes as Mitsotakis also prepares to pass a key marriage equality bill this month, and as the latest polls show a slight drop in support for New Democracy and the government. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to look at these challenges and break down how they could impact the Mitsotakis government. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Strong public support for farmers adds to pressure on PM for more measuresWhy are farmers protesting across the EU and what can the bloc do about it?Students and police clash in Greece as debate rages over legalizing private universitiesHoly Synod warns of impact on family in letter to MPsAthens airport IPO attracts strong demand after two-year lull in EuropeAthens Airport IPO Caps String of Events Showing Greece Is BackBritish Museum director backs Parthenon Marbles loan planTurkey Israel: 'Seven arrested for passing information to Mossad'

As Greece's government looks set to get marriage equality legislation over the finish line, the bill itself has managed to rattle Greece's political system - particularly within New Democracy, Greece's ruling party. Given dissent within New Democracy over the bill, the government will need to look across the aisle to pass it. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this bill, look at how it's impacting Greece's political scene, and touch on the broader public debate around the issue of marriage equality - including hate speech on social media platforms. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Government to bring forward bill on marriage equalitySame-sex marriage spices up Greece's political sceneTiptoeing into same-sex marriageGreek students protest government plan for private universitiesHellenic Caucus leaders call on US president to commemorate 50th anniversary of Cyprus invasionRead the letter Hellenic Caucus leaders sent to President Biden

Following several weeks of tensions, a left-wing faction within SYRIZA, Greece's main opposition, announced on Sunday that it was peeling off, accusing newly elected leader Stefanos Kasselakis of “Trumpian practices” and abandoning the party's core left wing ideology for a sort of “right-wing populism.” Nektaria Stamouli, an Athens based journalist and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the current crisis within SYRIZA, look at the likelihood of a new party emerging on Greece's left, and break down what SYRIZA's implosion means for both New Democracy and PASOK, which is looking to overtake SYRIZA as Greece's main opposition.Read Nektaria Stamouli's latest for Politico here: Syriza's bad Sunday: Greece's main opposition cracks upYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Mitsotakis-Scholz talks to focus on economy, migration, energy, Mideast crisisGreece starts process to sell 20% stake in National BankUSAID signs partnership with Greece to improve energy security in western Balkans

Ahead of the second round of local elections everyone was expecting New Democracy to cement its political dominance across Greece. Instead, New Democracy candidates suffered surprise defeats in key regions and municipalities, including Athens and Thessaloniki. This has many wondering if we are seeing the first cracks in New Democracy's grip over Greek politics. At the same time, this was a good night for the center left, and the question has been raised as to whether the two parties occupying that ideological space, PASOK and SYRIZA, need to find a way to cooperate. Yannis Palaiologos, a journalist at-large with Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to break down Sunday night's results and look at what they mean for both the ruling New Democracy party and the center left. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece's ruling conservatives suffer setbacks in regional, municipal electionsChange of guard in Athens, ThessalonikiPM links Albania's EU accession hopes to Beleri caseEU leaders to hold a summit with Western Balkans nations to discuss joining the blocTwo thousand US citizens evacuating from Haifa to Limassol port

With the second round of local elections set to take place on Sunday, ruling New Democracy, which posted a sweeping victory in the first round last week, is looking to build on this momentum to cement its dominance over Greece's political scene. At the same time, the main opposition SYRIZA seems to be caught in a popularity rut, while Stefanos Kasselakis, its newly elected leader, is facing unrest within the party. Expert Panos Koliastasis, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Peloponnese and the author of the book "Permanent campaigning in Greece in times of crisis: the Samaras, Tsipras and Mitsotakis premierships", joins Thanos Davelis to break down what these elections mean for Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his ruling party, SYRIZA, and Greece.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:A confirmation of political dominanceThe derby in ThessalonikiInternal resistance keeps Kasselakis on his toes, while ND focuses on local voteCyprus becomes safe haven for people heading to, leaving IsraelMitsotakis says unified European stance on Mideast crisis necessaryBracing for pitfalls of Mideast turmoil

Local elections are taking place on Sunday in Greece, and Prime Minister Mitsotakis has been on the road campaigning for New Democracy candidates across the country. This is seen as the first big test for the government after Prime Minister Mitsotakis was overwhelmingly re-elected this summer, and comes after a few months of heavy criticism over its handling of multiple crises - from wildfires to floods. It's also the first test for Stefanos Kasselakis, the new leader of SYRIZA, Greece's main opposition. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what these elections mean for Prime Minister Mitsotakis, SYRIZA's new leader, and the country. Read Tom Ellis' latest in Kathimerini: An early test for the governmentYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Nothing ‘simple' about local government voteU.S. Jet Shoots Down Turkish Drone Over SyriaU.S. F-16 shoots down Turkish drone flying over American troops in SyriaU.S. shoots down armed drone flown by NATO ally TurkeyGreek feta makers reel from historic floods

On this episode of the pod, my guest is Penny Travlou, a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Cultural Geography and Theory (Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art/University of Edinburgh). Her research focuses on social justice, the commons, collaborative practices, intangible cultural heritage and ethnography. She has been involved in international research projects funded by the EU and UK Research Councils. For the past eight years, she has been working with independent art organisations in Colombia and most recently in the African continent to understand the commons from a decolonial perspective and to look at commoning practices within artistic forms while understanding the specificities of the commons rooted in various socio-cultural and geographical contexts. As an activist, she has been involved in a number of grassroots and self-organised initiatives on housing and refugees' rights in Greece.Show NotesGreek Elections and the Rise of the Ultra-RightExarcheia and the Student Uprisings of 1974An Olympic Tourism Plan for AthensMass Tourism Consumption in ExarcheiaGovernment Plans to Dismantle Local Social MovementsThe Greek Golden VisaAARG and Community Action Against GentrificationFortress EuropeWhen Will the Bubble Burst?Advice for Tourists; Advice for OrganizingHomeworkPenny Travlou University of Edinburgh WebsiteAARG! AthensPenny's TwitterTranscript[00:00:00] Chris: Good morning, Penny, from Oaxaca. How are you today? [00:00:04] Penny: Very good. Good afternoon from Athens, Chris. [00:00:07] Chris: So perhaps you could share with me and our listeners a little bit more about where you find yourself today in Athens and what life looks like for you there. You mentioned that you had local elections yesterday.[00:00:19] Penny: Yes, I am located in the neighborhood of Exarcheia but towards the borders of it to a hill, Lycabettus Hill. And I am originally from Athens, from Greece, but I've been away for about 20 years, studying and then working in the UK and more specifically in Scotland.So the last eight years, since 2015, I've been coming and going between the two places, which I consider both home. And yes, yesterday we had the elections for the government. So we basically got, again, reelected the conservatives, which are called New Democracy, which is a neoliberal party, but also government also with patriotic, let's say, crescendos and anti-immigration agenda.And at the same time, we have first time, a majority in parliament of the, not even the central, but the right wing, in the Parliament. So it's 40%, this party and another three which are considered basically different forms of ultra- right. And one of them is a new conglomeration, from the previous, maybe, you know, or your audience Golden Dawn, which is a neo- Nazi party, which was basically banned and it's members went to us to prison as members of a gang, basically.But now through, I don't want to go into much detail, managed to get a new party called the Spartans, which obviously you can think what that means, plus two more parties, smaller parties, which are inclined towards very fundamentally religiously and ethnic focus, meaning, you know, anti immigration.And then it's the almost like the complete collapse of the radical left that is represented by Syriza. The Communist Party is always stable. You know, it's the fourth party. So anyway, we, it's a bit of a shock right now. I haven't spoken with comrades. Not that we are supporters of Syriza, but definitely change the picture of what we're doing as social movements and what it means to be part of a social movement right now.So there will be lots of things happening for sure in the next four years with this new not government. The government is not new cause it's the current one, just being reelected, but the new situation in the Parliament. [00:03:02] Chris: Hmm. Wow. Wow. Well, perhaps it's a moment like in so many places, to begin anew, organizing on the grassroots level.You know, there's so many instances around the world and certainly in Southern Europe where we're constantly reminded of the context in which local governments and top-down decision makings simply no longer works.And that we need to organize on a grassroots level. And so I'm really grateful that you've been willing to speak with us today and speak with us to some of these social movements that have arisen in Athens and Greece, in Exarcheia around the notions of immigration as well as tourism.And so to begin, you mentioned that you've been traveling for the last half decade or so back and forth and I'd like to ask you first of all, what have your travels taught you about the world, taught you about how you find yourself in the world?[00:04:02] Penny: Very good question. Thank so much for raising it because I won't say about my personal history, but my father was, actually passed away a couple of years ago, was a captain in the merchant Navy. So for me, the idea of travel is very much within my family. So, the idea of having a parent travel, receiving letters before emails from far away places was always kind of the almost like the imagination of the other places, but also reality.So, when myself become an adult and moved to the UK specifically, to study and then work. This became my own work and my own life reality because I had dramatically to live between two places. So, it was almost this idea of not belonging and belonging. This concept from in both places, but also the specific type of research, because, I haven't mentioned that my day job is an academic. I am currently, equivalent in the United States will be associate professor in geography, but in the school of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. But the type of research I do request me to travel a lot. I'm looking on the idea of collaborative practices in emerging networks of artists, digital artists, specifically activists and trans-local migrants.So what it means actually to connect and to collaborate and to share knowledge and co-produce knowledges. Actually knowledge travels. So everything in my life, in the last two decades is around this, let alone that my own PhD was about tourism. I was looking on tourist images and myths, myths in metaphorically speaking of representations of Athens before the Olympic Games of 2004.So the journey and the travel and tourism is very much part of what I do in my day job, but also on other things I do personally. So what I learned through this is, first of all, maybe it's very common to say that without travel, knowledge doesn't travel.So, how we basically do things and flourish and develop ideas is through the sharing and sharing travels very much. So, movement is totally important. [00:06:37] Chris: I think that, for so many of us who have taken a critical eye and, and looked to the critical eyes around tourism and over tourism in the tourism industry, that there is this sense that things can be different and things must be different.To find a way to look towards, as you said, some sense of collaboration, some sense of interculturality, some sense of working together so that our earthly movements can produce honorable connections and meetings as opposed to just this kind of flippant and flacid kind of turns style travel.And so, I've invited you on the pod, in part, today, to speak about this neighborhood that you're in Exarcheia in Athens, in Greece. And you know, I imagine that many of our listeners have never heard of this, this neighborhood before, but many in Greece and many, many in Athens have, certainly. And I'm wondering if you could offer our listeners a little bit of background in regards to why Exarcheia is such a unique place and why it attracts so much attention politically in terms of social movements and also with tourists.Mm-hmm. [00:07:53] Penny: The history of Exarcheia is quite long in the sense with where it is in the very center of Athens. So if somebody basically get the Google map, you will see that the neighborhood is in walking distance from the Greek parliament. And Syntagma Square, which is another important square with regards to movements.It became very known in later years in the 2010s due to not only riots demonstrations that happened in what we now call the square movement. It started from Spain, to put it this way, and then to Greece, as well, in Athens. So Exarcheia is very central, but also it was since, postwar, it was a bohemic neighborhood.Lots of artists related to the left or at that point to communist party, et cetera, were living here, but also there were theaters, independent theaters, the printing houses. So we have a number still of Publishing houses that they are located in various parts of the Exarcheia neighborhood. So it has put its imprint into the Athenian urban history for quite a number of decades. And when I say Communist party, the communist Party was not legal at the time, when we say postwar. But, we had people inclined towards the left, like intellectuals, et cetera.Then with the dictatorship that happened in 1967-19 74, that's when first time really it gets, it's a real place in the political side of not only of the left, but also generally speaking of the political milieu and situation in Greece and abroad, and became very known due to the uprising, the student uprising against the dictatorship or otherwise, as we call it, junta in 1974, where here in Exarcheia is also the National Technical University of Athens, which is known also as a Polytechnic, where it was basically the uprising against the dictatorship with students basically rioting, but also died. So, it became an iconic part of the student movements since then in Greece. So, since the seventies.People can Google search or YouTube. They will see various documentaries dedicated specifically to that student uprising. And through that, after the dictatorship, one thing which was added in the Constitution and now has changed with this current government is that for a number of decades, it was what we call the asylum.That the police or the army cannot enter the university premises, and that's across Greece. So, students can occupy buildings. They can have, their own strikes, et cetera, without the police and or army entering. However, the Constitution changed a year ago. During the COVID period with the current government, the conservatives were basically they're not only say the police can enter if there is antisocial behavior happens within the university premises, but also that they will basically would like to have a police dedicated to university premises. Anyway, things are changing, but if we go back to Exarcheia and to your question, so since then the seventies, it became the neighborhood hub for the left and particularly for the radical left to congregate, to meet, to have social spaces.And also that a lot of demonstrations start from this neighborhood. And also since late eighties, became also the center of the anarchist and anti authoritarian movement. Since 2015, it was also a hub for those let's say groups, initiatives dedicated to offer solidarity to the newly arrived refugees in Greece and Athens due to the Syrian conflict. Yeah. So there is lots of facts related to why Exarchia has become iconic neighborhood with regards to social movements and definitely since 2015. The year of the election of the radical left as said, Syriza government at the time were attracted also more attention from abroad, from journalists and "solidarians," comrades, from international or transnational, social movements to come to Greece to see what was happening, to take part into the local movements and initiatives.But also it was the deep time of the austerity crisis. So, we have austerity crisis and refugee crisis at the time, ...and tourism! How did that happen?I was at that point here in 2015 is when I started coming in Athens and spending more time. And it was much more obvious that, first of all, before Athens, it was a completely different story with regards to tourism and specifically even before the Olympic games of 2004. People from abroad were coming, spending one or two days, nothing, just to visit the Acropolis and the other historical sites and museums and go to the islands. Was not basically considered as a beautiful city, as an interesting city. Or even as a modern city.So if somebody wants to see, let's say, "Rough Guides" of that period, the way the city was described was, I remember very well, I think it was a rough guide, "a cacophony." That it was extremely ugly. 2004 basically is the first time that there is a definitely dedicated clear plan from the top, from the government and local authorities to think of Athens as a tourist product.And they made some major plans. One is obviously that it's not about tourists, but it relates to tourism. It's the metro and it's the unification of the archeological sites and creating pedestrian zones, which makes it easier for people to walk through the different places. So slowly, we saw tourism getting, numbers like higher and higher.Interestingly, the austerity crisis that you expected there will be a "no" for tourism became actually an attraction for tourism, first, because things were getting cheaper. And the crisis created this, actually, this opportunity in that sense. And secondly, that even the radical left government, Syriza thought that tourism is an industry that can top up the economic issues related or the economic, the financial deficiencies of the country.So it created a series of possibilities for investment from people from abroad to invest in real estate that was matched with the beginnings of the short-let accommodation businesses, Airbnb and equivalent. So all these started slowly creating a fertile land of the right conditions for the tourist economy to flourish further. And to get tourist numbers up in such an extreme that in 2019, we reach full capacity in regards to accommodation. And I don't remember now that in numbers of millions of tourists who visited the country. So there's lots of factors which brought Athens to experience.And of course, Exarcheia, specifically mass touristification, because Exarcheia is in the center of Athens. Very easy to come. Secondly, attractive because it's a vibrant neighborhood, not only because of social movements, because the tourists who come are not all interested in the political scene of the area, but mostly it's about consuming this very vibrant nightlife economy.It's the art economy, which is related with the street art and basically night economy because it has a lot of cafes which have doubled. Nowadays is one of the most populated with Airbnb accommodation. Wow. [00:16:56] Chris: Wow, what a history. It seems, from what I've read, from what I've seen, that Exarcheia was, perhaps summarize it in a single word, a kind of sanctuary for many people over the decades.And and you mentioned the Olympics too, but certainly Barcelona as well had the Olympic Games in the last 30 years, and then you tend to see this similar result or effect or consequence after the Olympic Games in which the cities themselves in some cases are either abandoned in terms of infrastructure.And so all of the billions of dollars that went into them seems to have been only for that month of the Olympic Games or in the case of Athens or, or Barcelona, perhaps, that it's created this unbelievable kind of spiraling out of, of economic growth, if you wanna call it that.But certainly of gentrification, of exile and the increase in cost of living. Mm. And so in that regard, Penny, I'm curious, what have you seen in regards to the growth of tourism in Athens? How has it affected the people, the culture, and the cost of living there?Hmm. What have you seen on that kind of street level? Cause we can talk about it on an economic level, right? Where we're kind of removed from the daily lives of the people, but what do you see in regards to your neighbors, your family, your friends that live in that neighborhood with you?[00:18:18] Penny: Okay. I mean, first of all, I mean there is a lot of things that happen in Exarcheia and now it's clear there is also a strategy to completely dismantle the social movements. It's not like extreme to say that, but it's very clear and that's what the discussions now are focusing. And it's important to say that because in order to do that, one of the ways is to basically disrupt the spaces, disrupt the space that this happens. And Exarcheia is not metaphorically the location that the social movements and initiatives are and happen,but it is the first time that we see a plan, a strategy that if there is a future here, that through not anymore tactics, but strategies from the government and the local authorities, which also are conservative, in one sense.So, to give you an example, Exarcheia neighborhood is identified by its square. The square. When we talk about Exarcheia, we talk about the Exarcheia Square, specifically, when you want to talk about movements. Not the things were happening on the square, but it's identification of the movements.So, the government with the municipality decide that the new metro station in the Exarcheia neighborhood will happen on this square. So, through this, they block completely, they fence the square, so there's no activity in the square. So, this completely changes the landscape.To put it this way, the imaginary of this landscape for the local residents, but also visitors. So, if you check the images, you will see, which is a reality, is a five meter fence. So it's definitely changes. So, I'm saying that cause somebody from the audience say, but "yes, it's for the metro. It's for the benefit of the people."Of course it's for the benefit. But there were also Plan B and Plan C that was submitted by a group of architects and some of them academics from the university here to suggest that they are better locations in the area for the metro for various reasons. "No, the metro will def will happen in the Exarcheia Square."And there is now a number of initiatives that they were dedicated to solidarity to refugees now are moving towards struggles and resistance against the metro. Mm, wow. And how tourism comes in, because you have the blocking of a central square, for a neighborhood, which is its center and then you see slowly, more and more businesses opening, pushing out or closing down all the more traditional local businesses, for opening businesses more related to tourism, like restaurants that they have a particular clientele, you know, of the food they promote, et cetera, which definitely dedicated to this particular clientele, which is basically foreigners.The second thing that happens and has to do, of course, with gentrification. In the high rank of gentrification, we're experiencing aggressive gentrification, fast and changing the look and the everydayness of the neighborhood, is that since the Syriza, they make things much easier for foreign investors through what is called golden visa.Mm-hmm. The golden visa is that in order for a non-European, non-EU national to be in Europe. And you need a specific visa, otherwise you can be only with the tourist visa for three months. In order to obtain a longer term visa of five years, 10 years, is this we call Golden Visa, where you can invest in the local economy, like in London, I don't know, in Paris. Greece has the cheapest Golden Visa, which is until recently up to 250,000 euros. So imagine it's not a lot of money if you want to invest. So, people will start getting this visa by buying property, and obviously they want to make more money by converting these places into Airbnbs.Mm-hmm. They started with individuals like, let's say me that I decide to buy a property in Paris, but now we have international real estate developers, like from China, Israel, Russia, Turkey to say a few and Germany, where they buy whole buildings, right. And they convert them to Airbnbs, not only for tourists, but also for digital nomads. So, for your audience, for example, yesterday I was at an event and I was speaking to a young artist and the discussion moved, I don't know how to, "where do you live?" I said, "I live Exarcheia." He said, "I live in Exarcheia. I asked, "Where?" And he told me, "I live there. But I have big problems, because although I own the place through inheritance, I would like to move out to sell it, because the whole building, apart from my flat and another one has been bought by an international company and now my neighbors are digital nomads, which means I dunno who these people are, because every couple of weeks it changes. It's fully dirty. Huge problem with noise. Lots of parties. It's extremely difficult."So, imagine that this changed. There are stories of this, a lot. The other thing that has happened in Exarcheia is young people, in particular, are being pushed out because the rents, as you understand, if somebody who wants to rent it for Airbnb then thinks in this mindset and something that was until recently, 300 euros. A one bedroom flat. Now it ends up in 500, 600 euros, where still the minimum sa salary is less than 700 Euros. Wow. So people are being pushed out. I have lots of examples of people, and when I say young, not young in the sense of 20s, but also people in their forties that they are being pushed out. They cannot rent anymore, let alone to buy. To buy, it's almost impossible. Yeah. [00:25:04] Chris: Yeah. Almost everyone I talk to, doesn't matter where they live these days and not just for the podcast, but in my personal life, and of course with the people who I interview on the podcast, they say the same thing. This housing crisis, if you wanna call it that, because I don't know if it's an issue of housing, as such, but an issue of regulation, an issue of the lack of regulation around these things. And it's clear that so much of the issues around tourism have to do with hyper mobility and and housing. Yes. Or at least that's what it's become in part. Mm-hmm. And so I'd like to ask you, Penny, I know you're also part of an organization named AARG! (Action Against Regeneration and Gentrification) in Athens. Mm-hmm. And so participating in the resistance against these consequences.So I'd love it if you could explain a little bit about the organization, its principles and what it does to try to combat gentrification and of course the government and police tactics that you mentioned previously. [00:26:12] Penny: Well, now we are in a turning point because obviously what are we going to do? It's like "day zero."But we started in 2019. It's not an organization. It's an activist initiative. So, we don't have any legal status as an activist group, but came out of a then source of free space called Nosotros, which was located, and I explain why I use the past tense. It was located in the very center of Exarcheia, in Exarcheia Square, basically, in a neoclassic building since 2005, if I'm right. And it was really like taking part in all the different events since then with regards to, you know, things were happening in Athens in particular, and the square movement later on during the austerity crisis years.And it is also part of the anti-authoritarian movement. So, in 2019 a number of comrades from Nosotros and other initiatives in Exarcheia Square came together through recognizing that, definitely, since 2015 started slowly seeing a change in the neighborhood. On the one hand, we were seeing higher numbers of comrades coming from abroad to be with us in different projects with the refugees, but at the same time, as I said earlier, an attraction by tourism. And gentrification was definitely happening in the neighborhood; at that time, in slow pace. So it was easy for us to recognize it and to see it, and also to have discussions and assemblies to think how we can act against it.What kind of actions can we take, first of all, to make neighbors aware of what was happening in the neighborhood, and secondly, to act against Airbnbs, but not only, because the issue was not just the Airbnbs. So in 2019 we started, we had a series of assemblies. We had events. We invited comrades from abroad to, to share with us their own experiences of similar situation, like for instance, in Detroit, that at that time we thought that it was the extreme situation on what happened with the economic crisis in US and the collapse of the car industry, not only with the impact in Detroit and in Berlin, which again, at the time, still in 2019, we felt that Berlin was experiencing gentrification very far beyond what was happening in Athens and specifically in Exarcheia.So, that's in 2019. We had also actions that we start mapping the neighborhood to understand where Airbnbs were kind of mushrooming, where were the issues, but also in cases, because the other thing that was start becoming an issue was the eviction. At that time was still not as, for example, we were reading 2019 and before in Berlin, for example, or in Spain, like in Barcelona or Madrid...but there were cases, so we experienced the case of a elderly neighbor with her son who is a person with disabilities who were basically forced through eviction from the place they were renting, for almost two decades, by the new owners, who were real estate developer agency from abroad, who bought the whole building basically, and to convert it to Airbnb, basically. So we did this. Let's say this started in January 2019, where we just have elections and it's the first time we get this government, not first time, but it's the first time we have conservatives being elected and start saying dramatically and aggressively neighborhood with basically the eviction almost of all the housing spot for refugees in the area, apart from one, which still is here.All the others were basically evicted violently with the refugees, were taken by police vans to refugee camps. Those who had already got the papers were basically evicted and sent as homeless in the streets, not even in camps. So, we basically moved our actions towards this as well.And then Covid. So during Covid we created a new initiative were called Kropotkin-19, which was a mutual aid, offering assistance to people in need through the collection of food and things that they need, urgently, in the area, in the neighborhood, and the nearby neighborhood and refugee comes outside Athens.So, AARG! Has basically shifted their actions towards what was actually the urgency of the moment. So, and what happened in all this is that we lost the building through the exact example of gentrification, touristification. The owners took it because obviously it's next to the square where it's actually the metro and the think, they say future thinking, that they will sell it with very good money, to the millions, basically.So Nosotros and us as AARG! were basically now currently homeless. We don't have a real location because the building was basically taken back by the owners, and we were evicted right from the building. [00:32:14] Chris: Well, this context that you just provided for me, it kind of deeply roots together, these two notions of tourists and refugees of tourism and exile.In southern Europe, it's fairly common to see graffiti that says "migrants welcome, tourism go home." And in this context of that building, in that relative homelessness, it seems that, in a place that would house refugees, in a place that would house locals even, that this gentrification can produce this kind of exile that turns local people as well as, you know, the people who would be given refuge, given sanctuary also into refugees in their own places.And I'm wondering if there's anything else you'd like to unpack around this notion of the border crises in Greece and Southern Europe. I know that it's still very much in the news around this fishing vessel that collapsed with some seven to 800 people on it, off the coast of Greece.And certainly this is nothing new in that region. And I'm just wondering if there's anything more you'd like to unpack or to offer our listeners in regards to what's happening in Greece in regards to the border crises there. Mm. [00:33:36] Penny: Okay. I mean, the border crisis, is Greece and it's Europe. So when you speak about national policies or border policy, you need also to think of what we call fortress Europe, because this is it. So Greece is in the borders and it's actually policing the borders. And, there's lots of reports even recently that quite a lot of illegal pushbacks are happening from Greece back to Turkey or in the case of this current situation with a boat with more than 500 people.I think it's almost like to the 700. That's the case. So this current government it was for four years, we've seen that it has definitely an anti-immigration policy agenda, definitely backed up by European policies as well.But now being reelected is going to be harder and this is a big worry for, because still we have conflicts nearby. We need to consider environmental crisis that it creates in various parts for sure, like refugees, and we have conflicts.We have Ukraine, et cetera. Although also there is discussion of thinking of refugees in two ways: those that they come from, let's say, Ukraine, which they look like us and those who do not look like us. And this obviously brings questions of racism and discrimination as well.So borders and tourism also. It is really interesting because these two are interlinked. We cannot see them, but they're interlinked. And even we can think in the widest, let's say, metaphor of this, that at the same week, let's say 10 days that we had this major loss of lives in the Greek Sea.At the same time we have the submarine with the millionaires or billionaires, which almost is a kind of a more like upmarket tourism because also we need to think what the submarine represents symbolically to the life we are creating, worldwide.And I'm saying worldwide because I was currently, and I think I talked with you, Chris, about it, in Latin America and specifically in Medellin, which is a city known mostly abroad for not good reasons, basically for the drug trafficking. But one of the things, definitely post pandemic that the city's experiencing is massive gentrification and massive touristification due to economic policies that allow specific type of tourism to flourish through digital nomads having real opportunities there for very cheap lifestyles. Very good technology infrastructure, but other issues that bring mass tourism that in this case is also sex tourism and underage sex tourism, which is really, really problematic. But going back to Athens and Exarcheia in particular, the issue, it's very obvious. We are even now discussing that this thing is a bubble and sooner or later we will see that bursting because tourism is a product. Tourist locations are products and they have a lifespan.And it's particularly when there's no sustainable planning strategy. And an example in Greece, which is recently been heard a lot, is Mykonos Island. The Mykonos Island was known as this like hedonistic economy, up market, et cetera.But right now it is the first year that they've seen losses, economic losses, that it doesn't do well on the number of tourists coming. So, there are these things that we will see. Still, Athens is in its peak and they're expecting big numbers still because we are not even in July. I live now what most of us would say, we don't want to be in Exarcheia for going out because it doesn't anymore looks as a space we knew, for various reasons. But still there is movement. As I said the metro now is the center of the resistance. And also the other thing that I forgot to say that it's actually from the municipality coming in is that they are closing down and closed down basically green areas in the area, like Strefi Hill, and the nearby park for supposedly to regenerate it and to ensure that it's up in the level that it needs to be. But at the same time, they are leasing it into corporate private businesses to run. [00:38:43] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. And just for our listeners, whether this is the intention of local governments or not the closure or at least suspension of these places such as parks or local squares is the refusal to allow people to use public lands or to operate on what are traditionally understood as the commons, right? Mm-hmm. And these are traditionally places that people would use to organize. And so whether this is a part of the government's plans or not this is the consequence, right?And this tends to happen more and more and more as tourism and development reaches its apex in a place. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And Penny, I have a question that was actually written in by a friend of mine who lives there in Athens and his name is Alex who I had the pleasure of meeting last year there.And Alex talks about how everyone in Greece seems to be involved in tourism in some manner or another, that it's according to him "the country's biggest industry and how all of us are bound and tied to it," he said. Mm-hmm. And Alex wonders what alternatives and perhaps worthy alternatives do you think there might be to tourist economies?[00:39:59] Penny: Well, I mean, the issue is not, I mean, tourism is a type of model of tourism as well. I mean and it is also kind of percentages. So if we have more tourists than locals, then there is a question here, what exactly is happening when particular neighborhoods are turned to theme parks?Then again, it's an issue of what exactly offered locals, because okay, it could be good for businesses, but as I said, where is the sustainability in these projects and these models? Because if it's five year plan, then after the five year plan, all these people who are involved in tourism, what are they going to do?The other thing is what kinda tourism we're talking about and what kind services, because if we're all tangled or related with a tourist product, but what we do is servicing, meaning that even very few people will make money because most of us, we will be employees. And saying that is also about labor rights.So this is actually not regulated. There is no real regulation to various levels. Housing, for example, that you touched upon, earlier on in the conversation... In Greece doesn't have a dedicated law. So housing comes in various different parts of law, but it doesn't have a dedicated one.That's another reason why things are very unruly, unregulated. And the other thing is that in Greece, one thing that is unique, in comparison to all the countries, is that after the second World War, there was this idea of small ownership; that the dream is to own a small place, and to give it to your kids, et cetera.So it is very, very complex in that sense. And also as a tenant, it's very difficult to basically to have rights as well. Likewise, when we talk about labor, there's lots of things which are not regulated. So people who work in the tourist industry... it's almost like slavery.Quite a lot of people do not want to work right now in the tourism industry because they know that it's really unregulated and where that ends. So go back to what your friend asked, I'm not an economist and it's not an easy, and it's not, I'm not using it as an easy way to escape from giving a reply, but it's not about how to replace tourism, but it's actually what kind of a tourist model we bringing in because it's the same thing that I brought.So in Greece what exactly are we actually looking as a model to bring things that we saw in other places, didn't work?And they've seen the aftermaths of it. So this is something we need to be very, very serious about. Because at the moment, I think it's a five year plan with no future-thinking further because imagine a scenario that if tourism collapse, and we have all these businesses dedicated to tourism in one single neighborhood. We have urban Airbnb everywhere. What all these privately owned premises going to do? What kind of alternative you they're gonna have? [00:43:27] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. You used the word " replace," to replace tourism and I'm a big fan of etymology of the study of the roots of words and in English, the word replace in its deepest meaning could mean "to place, again." Right. And if we understood the word place as a verb, and not just as a noun, not just as a thing, but as something we do, what would it look like to place again, to consider our place not just as a thing, but as a process, as a process through time.And what would that mean to re-place ourselves. To re-place the time we're in. And it brings me to my next question, which is around solidarity and mm-hmm. I'm wondering in this regard, what kind of advice might you have both for tourists, for individuals, and also for people looking to organize their own communities in solidarity with, for example, the movements, the collectives, the residents of places like Exarcheia. What advice would you have for those people who wish to act and live in solidarity with the collectives that are undertaking these battles in places like Exarcheia?[00:44:51] Penny: Okay. If I remember well, the initiative against the Metro has created an open letter which will be for also address to tourists. So to make them aware, you know, you are here, you are welcome, but be aware that this is happening in this neighborhood, that the neighborhood is not just a product for consumption, but they are us, that we live here and we have been hugely affected by policies against us.It's not a blame to the tourists because we've been tourists and we are tourists ourselves. We go somewhere else. It's a matter to how you are respectful and understanding of what happens in local level and that there are people leaving not only the people who make money out of offering you services, but basically every people who have an everydayness in these areas and they need to be respected as well. And even understand where and what may happen to them. I mean, obviously we hear, and there are people who think, okay, we rather prefer to stay in hotels instead of AIrbnbs because this will basically support further this economy, which is platform capitalism because again, at the end, who makes more money, are the people who own those platforms.So it's about to be conscious and to be open and to see around you. And I'm saying that, and I can give you an example because for me, it definitely summarizes what I want to say. Okay, last summer, I was out with friends in Exarcheia, near Exarcheia Square to have a drink with friends who were visiting. No, no one visiting. One is from here. And in another table comes a seller, a migrant from East Asia to sell something and stop in my table. We discuss something with him and behind him, a couple of tourists with a dog passed by. The dog stops, probably afraid of something and kind of barks and bites the seller, the guy who was actually the vendor.So, the vendor gets really panicked and we say what happened to him? The two people with the dog, say, don't actually listen to him. He's lying. He's trying to get money out of us. And this is a story I mean, of understanding, of two people, you know, coming here not understanding at all and having completely this idea, but at the same time trying to consume what Exarcheia is offering. Is a story that to me can say a lot, actually. Mm, [00:47:23] Chris: yeah. Deep imposition. [00:47:25] Penny: Exactly. Exactly. I mean, as tourists, we need to be more conscious of the places we go. We need to understand and to listen and to hear.It is difficult to do otherwise because I mean, when you go back to solidarity, I mean, this is another thing because we don't expect people who come for couple of days to go to different, let's say, collectives, initiatives and take part.But at the same time, people who come and they want to spend time, in the sense of being part, again, one thing you do is not only you consume experiences, you take the experience and you look something abroad. You share the experience and we need that as well. Hmm. [00:48:16] Chris: Wow. And what would you say to people, for example, in places like Oaxaca, where there's been a tourist economy for the last 10, 20 years, steadily growing, and then after the lockdowns has become a destination like cities in Southern Europe, for digital nomads, for quote unquote expatriates, where now the consequences of the tourist economy are reaching a boiling point a kind of crisis moment, and where people are experiencing a great deal of resentment and backlash against the tourist, but who want to find some kind of way of organizing together in order to lessen or undermine or subvert the tourist economies.What advice would you have for those people maybe looking to places like Exarcheia, places like Southern Europe, where people have begun to organize for many years? What advice would you have for those people, for those collectives? [00:49:21] Penny: Well, the prosperity out of what you can get from this type of economy, it's going to be short term. So those who will make money or those who anyway will make money for those who have small businesses, it's going to be for few years. And particularly with digital nomads, is exactly what the word the term means: nomads. So this year or this couple of years, they will be in Oaxaca, they will be in Medellin.Previously they were in Lisbon. They were in Berlin. There is a product that is movable because their business, the work they do is movable. So for them, is what you offer like a package. And if it is cheap package, they will go there. If it has good weather, they will go there. And easier legislation.So it's a matter of recognizing because at the same time you cannot start pushing and throwing and beating up tourists. You're not gonna change anything. It's basically awareness.I'm not fond local authorities, but I've seen that in cases like Barcelona, the local authorities were more conscious and more aware, and obviously more on the left side. They were trying as well to create policies that has some limitation that at least this thing, it doesn't become beyond what you're able to sustain, basically, to create an equilibrium.But still, even in Barcelona, there are situations as in the neighborhood, which has became totally gentrified and people were pushed out. So they need some kind of legislation to limit the numbers of visitors for Airbnbs or things like that. But in the level of action, it's actually awareness and resistance and to continue.It's not easy because the political situation doesn't help. It has created a fruitful land for this to become even more and more and more. But the idea is not to give up and stop. I know that it's very like maybe generic and very abstract what I'm offering a solutions, because obviously here we're also trying to see what solutions we can have. Maybe you create a critical mass in an international level. Also, you make aware outside of what happens. So, so the tourists before even coming, they're aware of what's exactly happening and also with regards to solidarity between similar causes. Hmm. [00:52:00] Chris: Hmm. Thank you Penny. So we've spoken quite a bit about what's come to pass in Athens, in Greece, in Exarcheia in regards to tourism, gentrification, and the border crisis there in fortress Europe. And my final question for you is do you think there's anything about these movements of people and the way that we've come to understand them about the flight and plight of other people's, not just refugees, but also tourists as well, that can teach us about what it means to be at home in our places?[00:52:40] Penny: Oh, that's a big discussion. Cause it depends. I mean, when you talk about mobile population, like those, for instance, digital nomads, then we talk about something else, which is basically a more cosmopolitan understanding of the world, but also that the world is a product for consumption. So, it is two different layers of understanding also home.And basically when you see advertisements of houses specifically short-lets dedicated to let's say, digital nomads, the advertisements will say something like "home," that what we offer you like home. But when you go to those places and you stay in, what they mean like home, is that you have all the amenities to make your life easy as a digital normal.That you have a fast internet to make your work easy, et cetera, et cetera. So it is a very complex thing and definitely the way we live in, it's between the nomadic that has nothing to do with how we understood the nomadic in previous centuries or histories and to their, place as home, like you have a stable place.So, there are many questions and many questions about borders, that borders are easy to pass if you have the right profile, but then it is a block, and it's actually a "no" for those who leave home because they're forced to. So, it's a very unequal way of thinking of borders, home and place, worldwide.It's not just about Greece or Athens or Exarcheia, but maybe Exarcheia is a good example of giving us both sides who are welcome and who are not welcome. So yes, we say "welcome to refugees" and we see this kind of tagging and stencils and graffiti around because yes, this is what we want. We want them here to welcome them, but at the same time, we say " no to tourism," not because we have individual issues with specific people, but because of what has been the impact of this mobility into local lives.[00:54:59] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. Well, may we come to understand these complexities on a deeper level and in a way that that honors a way of being at home in which, in which all people can be rooted.Mm-hmm. So, I'd like to thank you, Penny, for joining me today, for your time, for your consideration, for your willingness to be able to speak in a language that is not your mother tongue is deeply, deeply appreciated. And finally, how might our listeners be able to read more about your work, about the social movements and collectives in Greece?How might they be able to get in touch? [00:55:41] Penny: Okay. We have on Facebook, on social media, we have AARG!. So if they, look at AARG! Action Against Regeneration & G entrification, but it's AARG! on Facebook and also Kropotkin-19, they will find their information. Now about my work specifically, they will look at my profile like Penny Travlou at the University of Edinburgh. So they will see what I do in Athens and in Latin America. So there is material, some things are in the form of academic text and other things are in videos, et cetera, which are more accessible to a wider audience.[00:56:22] Chris: Well, I'll make sure all those links and social media websites are available to our listeners when the episode launches. And once again, on behalf of our listeners, thank you so much for joining us today. [00:56:34] Penny: Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a good morning. Get full access to ⌘ Chris Christou ⌘ at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

We discuss Kwame Nkrumah's "Neocolonialism", the crisis of neocolonialism, and the crisis of the US empire.

HALC's Erini Kosmas interviews Harris Mylonas about Syriza's defeat in the last election, the resignation of Alexis Tsipras from Syriza's leadership, and the future of the left in Greece in the wake of New Democracy's massive victory

We've got some amazing news coming out of Europe over the weekend! We had two elections on the continent and the nationalist right absolutely stomped the left!    Highlights:  ●      “According to the latest polling, the AfD has now officially surpassed the leftist ruling party known as the SPD, the Social Democrat Party that's linked up with the Green Party in a ruling coalition over the last couple of years, after insufferable Angela Merkel was finally driven from power. The AfD, the German patriot party, is now polling higher than Germany's ruling party!" ●      "What's really at the heart of all of these concerns is an increasing sense among Germans that they've lost their national sovereignty. They're simply not allowed to govern their nation in a manner that's independent of the wishes and whims of the EU and the Bullies in Brussels. And that is what's really giving rise to the AfD." ●      “The left-wing Syriza party, which governed Greece a few years back collapsed to winning barely 47 seats. The current government is considered the most rightwing that Greece has had since the restoration of democracy back in 1974.” ●      “As of last week, a new nationalist-populist government, the most rightwing government ever to rule Finland, was installed, and of course, they've wasted no time in implementing a very hard stance on immigration.”   Timestamps:  [00:50] How the Alternative for Deutschland, Germany's Patriot party, won a huge victory [03:16] On a number of reasons that pundits are pointing to for the rise of the AfD [05:15] How the conservative party New Democracy won a massive landslide in Greece [06:45] How Finland got its most rightwing government ever Resources:  ●      HE'LL BE BACK! Get your limited edition TRUMPINATOR 2024 Bobblehead HERE: https://offers.proudpatriots.com/ ●      Nature's Morphine? Dr. Turley and scientist Clint Winters discuss the incredible pain relief effects of 100% Drug-Free Conolidine. This changes pain relief…  https://conocb2.gamedayready.me/natural-relief ●      Learn how to protect your life savings from inflation and an irresponsible government, with Gold and Silver. Go to http://www.turleytalkslikesgold.com/ ●      The Courageous Patriot Community is inviting YOU! Join the movement now and build the parallel economy at https://join.turleytalks.com/insiders-club-evergreen/?utm_medium=podcast ●      Join my growing FREE Courageous Patriot Network TODAY: https://group.turleytalks.com/telegram-chat-optin ●      Get Over 66% OFF All of Mike Lindell's Products using code TURLEY: https://www.mypillow.com/turley   Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Sick and tired of Big Tech, censorship, and endless propaganda? Join my Insiders Club with a FREE TRIAL today at: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com Make sure to FOLLOW me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks BOLDLY stand up for TRUTH in Turley Merch! Browse our new designs right now at: https://store.turleytalks.com/ Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts. 

Greece's Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his center-right party New Democracy won by a landslide in elections on Sunday, winning 40.5 per cent of the vote, enough for Mitsotakis to govern without a coalition partner. Mitsotakis described the results as “a strong mandate, to move more quickly along the road of major changes.” While New Democracy swept to power, Syriza continued its decline, winning less than 20% of the vote. In the meantime, three hard-right parties - including one that is endorsed by a jailed member of the neo-nazi Golden Dawn party - are set to enter Parliament. Yannis Palaiologos, a correspondent-at-large for Kathimerini and Inside Story, joins Thanos Davelis to break down Sunday's election results and look at what to expect from Mitsotakis in his second term.Read Yannis Palaiologos' latest in the Wall Street Journal: Greek Conservatives Score Decisive Election WinYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins by a landslide in Greek electionsWith Resounding Win in Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis Tightens Grip on PowerPolice detain 50 after Pride march in IstanbulIstanbul gay pride activists stage annual rally in defiance of banMitsotakis sworn in as Greek PM, promises more jobs and 'big changes'New ministerial cabinet announced

AP correspondent Mimmi Montgomery reports on Greece Elections.

On Sunday Greeks will head to the polls for a second time in just over a month. With the election just days away, New Democracy is seeking the crucial 40% threshold that would secure a safe outright majority to form a single-party government. In the meantime, opposition parties SYRIZA and PASOK are battling over who will win over Greece's center left, as SYRIZA's defeat in May raised a number of questions about its future. Expert Panos Koliastasis, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Peloponnese and the author of the book "Permanent campaigning in Greece in times of crisis: the Samaras, Tsipras and Mitsotakis premierships", joins Thanos Davelis to break down what we should be looking out for ahead of Greece's upcoming elections.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:The break is over, everyone back to workThe threshold for a ‘safe' outright majorityBattle for the undecided in final stretchTime has come for Turkey to ratify Sweden's NATO bid - Swedish ministerSecretary Blinken's Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister FidanGreece will get investment grade after elections, says central bankerJobless figure at 12-year low

Let's talk about making this world a better place. What if, instead of fighting over politics, diverse groups of citizens came together to envision and create the kind of system we want? And is that even possible? Listen in as Olivia interviews Dr. Ruth Backstrom. Ruth is keenly aware that the stark polarization in politics is woven into the fabric of the culture of every society — but it doesn't have to be. In her highly anticipated forthcoming book, IGNITING A BOLD NEW DEMOCRACY: Empowering Citizens Through Game-Changing Reforms, Ruth offers a solution that has the potential to reform politics as we know it: by using proven facilitation tools to seed new and inspiring conversations with citizen groups to bring the majority together around a new vision.Connect with Dr. Backstromhttps://ruthbackstrom.comConnect with Olivia Email - olivia@oliviatmcook.comLink's and freebies- https://linktr.ee/OliviatmcookAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Based on the results from the May election, New Democracy is once again set to win a comfortable majority later this month - something the latest polls confirm as well. As we approach the June 25th elections, the questions then are whether this will be enough for New Democracy to form a single-party government, and what the opposition will look like as PASOK and SYRIZA battle for dominance of Greece's center left. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition, joins Thanos with the latest analysis from Athens ahead of this second round of elections. Read Tom Ellis's latest in Kathimerini here: Aims and expectationsYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece: 90 migrants rescued from US-flagged yacht in distressMitsotakis: ‘We are not destined to live in perpetual tension with Turkey'

It's another EmMajority Report Thursday! She talks to Matthew Dallek, historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, to discuss his recent book Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right. Then, she speaks to independent reporter Moira Lavelle to discuss her recent reporting in Jacobin on the Greek elections. First, Emma runs through updates on the House passing the debt ceiling deal, reported statements by Trump on his classified document debacle, DeSantis' continued kowtowing to Trump, fascism in Tennessee and Turkey, Florida's business strike, and Project Veritas turning against James O'Keefe, also parsing through Georgia's fascist crackdown on anti-Cop City activists, and the active lies coming out of Brian Kemp's office. Matthew Dallek then dives right into the history of the John Birch Society's shaping of the American Right, diving into their birth as a domestic Cold War anti-communist organization intent on following the blueprint of Senator McCarthy and exposing and expelling all communists from US politics. Next, Professor Dallek walks through their tactics that are deeply reflected in the GOP of today, including spreading conspiracy theories, establishing martyrs, and dabbling in anti-democratic and anti-Semitic messaging, before exploring the quintessential “Birchers” in US politics throughout the last half-century, from Pat Buchanan to Rand Paul, and looking at the importance of the Birch Society's emphasis on local organizing. Moira Lavelle then parses through the recent non-conclusive Greek elections, with no party establishing a majority via election or coalition, first taking on the myriad factors in Greece's current political disillusionment and desire for stability, before stepping back to analyze the floundering trust for Syriza, the left-wing party most recently elected in 2015, and why their right-wing opponents, New Democracy, are successfully capitalizing on this moment. Wrapping up, Lavelle discusses the likelihood of a New Democracy victory in the coming round of elections, and what that means for a future of continuing austerity and instability in the country. And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Matt Binder as they discuss the ongoing Daily Wire-Elon Musk beef over Twitter's decision to cancel their premier of Matt Walsh's transphobic documentary on the app, and the recent despicable backlash to a recent CUNY Law graduate from the NY political and legal establishment. Luke from Florida calls in to discuss why MR doesn't want to take his guns, Shane from Vancouver dives into the secret second shooter behind Kid Rock's Bud Light video, and Omar from Austin dives into Kirsten Gillibrand's recent work on exposing UFOs. The MR Crew also covers the Supreme Court's recent shocking decision to side with a company suing a union for striking, and the complete rhetorical domination of Ron DeSantis by Donald Trump, plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Matthew's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/matthew-dallek/birchers/9781668622339/?lens=basic-books Check out Moira's piece here: https://jacobin.com/2023/05/greece-general-election-austerity-new-democracy-syriza-mera25-voters/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' landslide victory on Sunday night in Greece's elections had many talking about a political earthquake. The markets seemed to take note as well, with Greek stocks and government bonds rallying sharply following New Democracy' win as Mitsotakis is keen to implement a pro-investment and pro-reform agenda. Wolfango Piccoli, co-founder of risk analysis company Teneo with a long experience in advising financial institutions and corporations on political developments in Europe, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the market reaction to the Greek elections, the message the election results sent to investors, the reforms that a new government in Greece will need to focus on, and more.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Mitsotakis victory: Five questions for marketsPriorities of the next governmentOnly way is up for securitiesPASOK leader reiterates no interest in ND coalitionSlow death or a second chance?Christodoulides calls island's division a European problem

Greece's ruling party New Democracy achieved a huge victory in Sunday's election, managing to gain a double-digit lead over its main rival, the left-wing Syriza, which saw its support melt away. The margin far outstripped pollsters' forecasts, and raises questions about the future of Syriza and Alexis Tsipras. Prime Minister Mitsotakis described the victory as a “political earthquake” that shows New Democracy has the backing to govern alone, setting the stage for another round of elections later this summer. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest breakdown from Sunday's election, from Prime Minister Mitsotakis' historic win to the questions the result has raised about Alexis Tsipras' political future.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Mitsotakis eyes majority in second vote as SYRIZA reels from crushing defeatWith His Party Ahead in Elections, Greek Leader Claims ‘Political Earthquake'PASOK sees chance to regain status as main opposition at SYRIZA's expenseMitsotakis victory: five questions for marketsErdogan hails ‘special relationship' with Putin ahead of crucial Turkey runoff voteErdoğan: I have a ‘special relationship' with Putin — and it's only growing

Greece's New Democracy party scores a major victory in the country's general election. What happens next? Plus: a look at Sudan's temporary ceasefire, today's papers and a fashion round-up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greece is gearing up for a vote on May 21, but several major scandals could pave the way for other political parties to gain ground from the ruling New Democracy party. From a tragic train collision to a government wiretapping, some argue this may be the most unpredictable election in over a decade. To make things more uncertain, an estimated 440,000 young people are set to vote for the first time. How decisive will their vote be? In this episode:  Moira Lavelle (@Alohamoira), Athens-based journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat with Negin Owliaei and our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Greece's party leaders held a debate on Wednesday, touching on everything from the economy to foreign policy. While the three hour debate didn't produce a clear winner, it was an opportunity for the party leaders to speak directly to voters. In the meantime, polls are indicating that New Democracy has recovered some of its lost ground, raising questions about what kind of coalition could be in the cards after elections. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the main takeaways from this week's debate, explore what impact it could have on voting trends, and look at what the latest polls tell us about the prospects of a coalition government after elections.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Party leaders debate economy, foreign policyErdogan speaks to Kathimerini, calls for new era in Greece-Turkey relationsMitsotakis hopes for better relations with Turkey if reelected as Greek premierChristodoulides, Netanyahu continue ties in chummy reunionPresident Christodoulides in Israel for two-day visit

With Turkish elections around the corner, the atmosphere in the country is becoming increasingly heated. President Erdogan and his coalition seem to be feeling the heat, and their rhetoric has become notably more intense in recent days as they double down on nationalism and culture wars issues. At the same time, the Sunday attack by government supporters on Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's campaign bus has left many wondering if we should be bracing ourselves for similar acts in the coming days. Despite this, the opposition has maintained its unity, and has been honing its message - particularly on the economy - while showing continued signs of strength. Prof. Howard Eissenstat, a non-resident scholar with the Middle East Institute's Turkey Program and an associate professor of history at St. Lawrence University, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis in the run-up to Sunday's crucial election.Read Howard Eissenstat's latest on the upcoming election in Turkey: Turkish Election Watch: The Week of April 30-May 7You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Chasm between New Democracy and PASOK widensCyprus handed 800-page US dossier on Russia sanctions breachesPresident announces receipt of first US sanctions list

Doug Pagitt chats with Dr. Ruth Backstrom to talk about her book, Igniting a Bold New Democracy: Empowering Citizens Through Game Changing Reforms.   Doug Pagitt is the Executive Director and one of the founders of Vote Common Good. He is also a pastor, author, and social activist.  @pagitt   Daniel Deitrich is a singer-songwriter, former-pastor-turned-activist, and producer of The Common Good Podcast. @danieldeitrich Our theme music is composed by Ben Grace. @bengracemusic   votecommongood.com votecommongood.com/podcast facebook.com/votecommongood twitter.com/votecommon

Tonight's reading comes from, The New Democracy, by Walter Vrooman. Published in 1897, the book focuses on the events leading up to the U.S Presidential election in the year 1900. While I don't have a personal allegiance to any political party in U.S politics, it's interesting to see the similarities between what's happening today, and what was taking place 120 years ago. If you do find the podcast beneficial, there is a small but hugely helpful favour that you can provide. Please share the podcast with a friend and if possible, kindly leave a review in your podcast app. There are a lot of people out there who are struggling with sleep, and my goal is to help as many people as possible get the sleep they need. If you would like, you can also say hello at Boreyoutosleep.com where you can support the podcast. I'm also on Twitter and Instagram @BoreYouToSleep In the meantime, lie back, relax, and enjoy the readings. Sincerely. Teddy --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/boreyoutosleep/support

Greece's Parliament voted on Tuesday to ban the extreme-right Greeks-National Party from running in the upcoming elections, aiming to block its members linked to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn criminal organization from entering parliament. The decision comes ahead of what could be a tight race between the ruling New Democracy and opposition Syriza parties. Nektaria Stamouli, Politico's Athens-based Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Greece's parliament has taken this step and break down its broader implications for the upcoming elections.Read Nektaria Stamouli's report in Politico: Greek parliament votes to ban extreme-right party from electionsYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greek far-right party seeks to defy election banU.S. sanctions Turkey-based entities it says helped Russia's warEnergy Minister puts forth Cyprus' natural gas to cut costs for consumersMinister explores options for expediting gas extraction

Greece is officially heading to elections on May 21st. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the much anticipated announcement on Tuesday, officially kicking off the campaign season. Mitsotakis has called on Greeks to compare his administration with the previous Syriza government in terms of its handling of the economy, foreign policy, and Greece's image abroad. Opinion polls show his party, New Democracy, in the lead over the main opposition Syriza, but the gap has narrowed amid criticism of the government's handling of a train crash that took the lives of 57 people. How this will impact the election remains to be seen. John Psaropoulos, an independent journalist based in Athens and Al Jazeera's southeast Europe correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis.Read John Psaropoulos' latest piece: Greek parties bleed votes between a train disaster and electionYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece to hold national election on May 21‘Nobody' leading polls ahead of votePondering the new electoral landscapeAs elections loom, narratives scrutinizedGreece raises $2.7 billion as new 5-year bond sees strong demandErdoğan to slash Turkey's energy bills ahead of tough election

Elections in countries outside the United States provide some of the most lucrative opportunities in political gambling.  The fact that traders know little about these countries and information is hard to track down creates market distortions that saavy traders know how to exploit. In this episode, Pratik interviews three traders—Naman Mehndiratta, Jay Yu, and Paul Krishnamurty—who have made money on recent elections in Nigeria, Hungary, and elsewhere and have advice on how to apply their insights for upcoming contests in Turkey and Greece.

Matt interviews Dr. Ruth Backstrom.Ruth is an accomplished author, speaker, and educator who is an expert in facilitation methods that foster deeper conversations. She is a trained coach in the Dynamic Facilitation technique, a method designed to help people address and solve impossible-seeming issues through collaboration.Her book, Igniting a Bold New Democracy: Empowering Citizens Through Game-Changing Reforms comes out on March 30 and offers a solution that has the potential to reform politics as we know it: by using proven facilitation tools to seed new and inspiring conversations with citizen groups to bring the majority together around a new vision.Make sure to check out our sponsor for today's episode at Kitcaster with a special offer for friends of our show to become guests on other podcasts.