PM dismisses mediation in talks with Turkey
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece does not need a mediator to discuss issues with Turkey, describing bilateral relations as self-contained, in an interview with SKAI television. Speaking to Kathimerini Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas, he said he believes Ankara shares the view that the two countries can address differences directly. Mitsotakis said he harbors no illusions about ties with Turkey, arguing that the “major issue, the big difference” is the delimitation of maritime zones, exclusive economic zones and continental shelf rights in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. As long as Turkey adds other issues to the agenda, he said, progress remains difficult.
PM calls for ‘bold’ constitutional changes to tackle modern challenges
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday signaled the launch of the process to revise the Greek constitution, first promulgated in 1975 after the fall of the military junta, calling for a “daring constitutional revision” to address contemporary challenges.
Opposition parties criticize PM’s constitutional revision proposal
Opposition parties have reacted sharply to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ announcement on launching a constitutional revision process, voicing criticism, reservations and direct accusations against the government.
Former PM Karamanlis urges respect for political experience
Former New Democracy prime minister Kostas Karamanlis on Monday called for greater respect for political experience, urging that seasoned figures should be listened to rather than sidelined, as he appeared alongside fellow former ND premier Antonis Samaras, recently expelled from the party.
ATHEX: Alpha Bank leads main index to rebound
The benchmark of the Greek stock market rebounded on Monday to almost match the record-high it had reached last Wednesday. After a slow start with sellers outnumbering buyers, the market regained its upward course and recovered to close the day on its highest level for this session. However, some late jitters in fellow eurozone markets, regarding companies connected with artificial intelligence and shipping could signal another short-term decline.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1294132/athex-alpha-bank-leads-main-index-to-rebound
KATHIMERINI: Proposal to include “debt break” in the new Constitution
TA NEA: Constitution: The 5 pillars of its amendment
EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Constitution amendment: First they violated it and now they want to change it
RIZOSPASTIS: The Greek Communist Party is strong and determined to fight for socialism and revolutionary overthrow
KONTRA NEWS: The government is changing the Constitution in order to change the public agenda
DIMOKRATIA: Games with the Constitution
NAFTEMPORIKI: e-snatch for undeclared rents
DRIVING THE DAY
GOLDEN TICKET FOR EUROCRATS: The European Commission is opening its fast-track route to officialdom for the first time in seven years this week, giving aspiring public servants a chance to contend for coveted jobs in the corridors of power, according to a planning note.
Ready, steady: The EU’s executive arm will fire the starting gun on its graduate competition on Thursday. Unlike other pathways into the bureaucracy such as finance, law and IT, this one is open to those who studied any subject. The competition has not been held since 2019, which left thousands of generalists with dreams of running parts of Europe’s political administration biding their time in worse-paid, insecure agency and temporary-contract jobs. Successful candidates will be eligible for AD5 roles, which come with a plum salary of around €6,000 to €7,000 a month.
Not so fast: András Baneth, the author of “The Ultimate EU Test Book” covering how to pass the test, told Playbook that the AD5 opening is a “big moment and a big opportunity” for the next era of officials. However, he said, as few as 1,200 people are likely to be offered jobs directly from the process out of as many as 50,000 candidates applying. Several thousand will also be added to a reserve list — from which only 30 percent will actually secure employment. “This leads to a lot of negative feelings when someone goes through all this and still they cannot be sure they get a job,” Baneth says.
“This is finally my first chance to enter the [EU] institutions, which until now has seemed impossible,” said one young professional who has spent the past four years in the private sector, granted anonymity to avoid jeopardizing their chances. “Everyone knows that once you pass the [test] and get a job, you’re set for life. Which is why literally all of my friends will take this opportunity.”
Headhunting cabinets: A current official, also granted anonymity to speak freely, said the opportunity is rare because “it’s an easy route in — you can be very comfortable very quickly.” They added that commissioners’ cabinets are always on the lookout for smart, hard-working people who have come up through the system as they have quotas on how many external hires they can make.
Gen-Z EU: One senior Commission official said the AD5 competition comes amid a push to get new blood into the institutions.“It’s very important to bring [in] a younger talent pool with a different way of thinking. You’ll have a lot of certain levels retiring and you need to make sure the next generation of public servants is coming through … We need people who understand the technologies of the future from a different perspective.”
What’s on the exam: As well as abstract reasoning, arithmetic and psychometric tests, there’s a bumper quiz on EU facts and figures and an essay marked by serving officials for those who get through the first phases. But how would you fare? We took a look at a previously-published example. (Answer at the bottom of the email.)
Which of the following is an EU agency responsible for ensuring the safety of food and feed in the EU?
A) European Food Safety Authority
B) European Consumption Agency
C) European Agency for Food and Safety Regulations
D) European Agriculture Agency
It’s a hard task: One applicant, a recent graduate who asked that her name not be shared, said she has spent the last month preparing to sit the test. “I’ve been researching what exactly is expected and trying to find resources to prepare for the EU knowledge quiz especially,” she said, complaining about the lack of practice tests. Others, meanwhile, say they’ve heard of colleagues hiring tutors and preparing for years waiting for the process to reopen.
Ambitious — and angry: Many with dreams of public service are less than happy with the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), which controls the process, after delays and changes to the testing provider derailed efforts to hold the contest last year. One diplomat who had applied the last time it was held said the reading part of the test had been “incomprehensible,” based on a poor machine translation.
It also previously took as long as a year for applicants to get their results back, leading to nail-biting waits. May the odds be ever in your favor …
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW
A HOME OF ONE’S OWN: The EU’s first major foray into housing policy — an issue for which it has historically held no responsibility — faces a key test today as Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen dials in to national governments to present his Affordable Housing Plan.
“My message to ministers will be … straightforward: Brussels cannot fix housing alone,” Jørgensen told Playbook ahead of the meeting. “Only by working together at European, national, regional and local levels can we begin to deliver real change.”
“It’s true that housing has traditionally not been an area of EU competence,” the Danish commissioner said, while insisting the bloc has to get tough on the issue or face public anger that will shake it to its core. “If we fail to deliver solutions in the coming years, we risk leaving a political vacuum—one that could be filled by extremist forces that, in reality, have no credible answers to this crisis.”
Please agree: Jørgensen wants to use today’s call to get “broad support” from capitals for his plans, which include limits on short-term rentals and smoother permitting for building, as well as “constructive feedback” where needed. “If we want a Europe where teachers, nurses and police officers can afford to live in the communities they serve, and where students, trainees and young people can start their adult lives in the place they choose, then the time to act is now.”
EU-U.K. RELATIONS
TIME FOR A BREXORCISM? European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will use a speech before the Spanish Senate today to call for a major reset in relations between the EU and the U.K., burying the hatchet after Brexit. The intervention comes as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to step up access to Brussels’ flagship defense funding scheme and pledges to take the country further into the single market.
Channel-ing spirits: “Ten years on, and in a world that has changed so profoundly, Europe and the U.K. need a new way of working together, on trade, customs, research, mobility and on security and defense,” Metsola is expected to say, according to a copy of her speech seen by Playbook. “It is time to exorcize the ghosts of the past, reset our partnership and find solutions together.” While capitals will have the final say on these policies, Metsola’s intervention could be seen as a signal countries are politically ready for a rapprochement.
ALL FRIENDS HERE: With fears that tensions among top EU commissioners are on the verge of bubbling over, Ursula von der Leyen’s top team has been invited to a retreat on Wednesday to try to resolve any issues and improve “the working methods of the European Commission.”
Leuven love-in: My colleague Gerardo Fortuna’s inside story on the kumbaya, hugs-all-round session — and the fiery exchange that provoked it — is out this morning.
TAKING ON THE MAINSTREAM
RIGHT-WING FREE-SPEECH BASH: Chilean President José Antonio Kast Rist, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Jay W. Richards and Grace Melton from the Trump-aligned Heritage Foundation think tank are among the speakers at a “transatlantic summit” focused on free speech taking place in the European Parliament today.
Speak your mind: The summit is backed by the Patriots for Europe and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) groups, promoting the idea that free speech is under attack in the EU. “In several countries — and even entire regions such as Europe — there is a worrying trend toward restricting freedom of expression and imposing a uniform discourse,” Croatian ECR lawmaker Stephen Bartulica said. “The murder of Charlie Kirk, for example, highlighted the serious challenges faced by those who openly defend human dignity and fundamental freedoms.”
“Freedom of expression is not a privilege that is granted, but a right — prior to the state — that must be recognized and protected; it is one of the foundations of any truly democratic society,” Bartulica added. “Without the freedom to speak, debate and dissent, all other rights are weakened and democracy loses its foundation.”
Not everyone is a fan: The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, an advocacy group, last week accused the event of providing a forum for “activists who support so-called [gay] conversion therapy, advocate for strict abortion restriction, link LGBTQ+ people to pedophilia” while promoting xenophobic narratives. One of the event’s guests, Ugandan MP Lucy Akello, helped pass legislation imposing the death penalty or life imprisonment on LGBTQ+ individuals, the group said.
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IN OTHER NEWS
CONSCIOUS UNCOUPLING: From tech to military hardware, European governments are working to slash reliance on an increasingly unpredictable U.S. administration after President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Nicholas Vinocur and Zoya Sheftalovich have the definitive story on “decoupling.”
Opt out: But the European Commission is still pushing ahead with plans to share data on millions of EU citizens with U.S. border authorities, despite concerns over the administration’s use of social media and other information to turn away Trump critics, as Ellen O’Regan reports.
Time to go it alone: Only Europe can defend Europe, former MEP Domènec Ruiz Devesa writes in an op-ed for POLITICO this morning, rejecting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s diagnosis that there’s no alternative to being backed up by troops and technology provided by Washington.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: A former Italian army general has sparked crisis in the far-right League party, a critical pillar of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition, by threatening to start a new “National Future” splinter party further to the right. Roberto Vannacci, a defender of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, could spell trouble for Rome’s big beasts, Hannah Roberts writes this morning.