SAMARAS: Even before his new party was formed, the former prime minister made it clear that one of his key electoral targets is the large social—and economic—group of small and medium-sized business owners.
His remarks were telling, particularly regarding the Recovery Fund, where he noted: “Money from EU funds does not trickle down; it does not reach everyone; it does not benefit small and medium-sized businesses and ends up in the hands of the few. This is a major blow to the middle class!”
Or regarding his clear stance on the taxation of small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed individuals, on which he emphasized: “…I propose at least two measures for immediate implementation: Lowering tax rates for small and medium-sized businesses and abolishing the advance tax payment! Immediately, I repeat, to give the middle class some breathing room!”
This is certainly an open-net goal by Antonis Samaras, as, for reasons unknown, the government has a significant gap in this policy area.
SAMARAS II: Because while the dividend tax rate is a meager 5% —perhaps the lowest rate in the EU—but corporate tax rates stand at a far from negligible 22%, accompanied by an advance tax payment for the following year amounting to… 80%.
For individuals engaged in business activities, there is a progressive tax system, while the advance tax rate is “only” 55%.
Which means, for example, that the cash tax burden on a small company, for 100 euros in taxable profits, totals 39.6% before dividend distribution and… 43.5% after dividend distribution!
That’s certainly no small amount. The New Democracy party has been in government for seven years and is still… thinking about doing something about this issue. There are reports that it is seriously considering it, but it now risks being seen as being dragged into this by its political opponents.
Big mistake…
HATZIDAKIS: The Maximos Mansion has put Antonis Samaras’s moves under the microscope, in view of the previously announced establishment of the new political party.
Following his speech in Crete last Friday, the former prime minister is closer than ever to his next political move, and the government is not hiding its concern, even as it attempts to downplay the situation.
Thus, the deputy prime minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, assessed that a new party would cause “some minor damage” to New Democracy and greater damage to Antonis Samaras himself, while government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis referred to a “personal agenda” and “personal grievances,” arguing that Mr. Samaras’s rhetoric is not aimed at New Democracy voters.
The results will tell…
NEW DEMOCRACY: Theodoros Rousopoulos will not take over the position of government spokesperson in the event of Pavlos Marinakis’s departure, in light of the upcoming changes in the government.
Despite the rumors circulating over the past 24 hours, the experienced politician, having successfully served as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, believes he has completed a political cycle that includes the aforementioned position (in the Karamanlis government) and for this reason, he does not intend to run for parliament in the upcoming national elections in the northern district of Athens.
Given, however, the high regard in which he is held by the prime minister (we recall that he appointed him chairman of the Organizing Committee for the recent New Democracy Congress), there are quite a few who believe that Mr. Rousopoulos’s name will ultimately appear on the party’s national honorary ballot.
BELERIS: He may be fighting for Greek interests in the European Parliament, but his greatest aspiration remains the municipality of Himara.
“What would interest me is for the court rulings in Strasbourg, where I have filed a complaint against the Albanian state, to become final. If I am vindicated there, I would like to run and try to claim the municipality of Himara,” Freddy Beleris stated characteristically (in Parapolitika), unable to forget the maneuvers to remove him from the specific position to which he had been elected three years ago.
“Mr. Rama understands that, if his intention was to prevent me from speaking out to protect the rights of the Greeks of Northern Epirus and specifically of Himara, he failed miserably because the Greek prime minister’s decision to nominate me as a candidate, and the Greek people’s trust in voting for me and sending me here, gave me the strength to fight for the same causes from a broader platform with greater potential,” he noted.
The next municipal elections in Albania are scheduled for spring 2027.
SYRIZA: “We saved our home, my love” rang out from the open microphones at that… unforgettable SYRIZA conference at the bouzouki club on Iera Odos, shortly after Kasselakis was barred from the new presidential elections.
A few weeks later, the newly elected president, Socrates Famellos, promised, among other things: “We will have cheerful offices everywhere.”
A year and a half later, the …cheerful offices have been emptied of members, and “our home” is being demolished live on air, with its president giving the signal to the excavator.
Even officials from the majority—that is, those who support Alexis Tsipras’s rallying under ELAS and SYRIZA’s decision not to run in the elections—do not hide their anger over the missteps in the leadership team’s handling of the Central Committee.
“The honorable thing would be for the president to say that SYRIZA’s operations are being suspended for this and that reason. What does it mean to say we’re not running in the elections but we’re remaining as a party?” is the refrain.
With the assumption that, “yes, Alexis’s new party has sucked up SYRIZA and the New Left like… a vacuum cleaner; the polls show us below the threshold for entering Parliament, and we have no reason to exist.”
They themselves (i.e., the majority, as always) believe that “Socrates should resign as president,” since “Alexis has made it clear that he will not discuss party-level collaborations.”
SYRIZA II: This last point, however, is not going to happen until it is ensured that the party “will not fall into Polakis’s hands.”
Something that will happen automatically if members of the Central Committee (who are already on their way to ELAS anyway) begin to leave the party en masse, because in such a case the balance of power will shift and the minority (Polakis, Dourou, Pappas, etc.) would become the majority.
This would not simply mean that “the shop remains open” but also that its assets would pass to the new …bosses. That is, the Koumoundourou building, the archives, and the media outlets “Avgi” and “Sto Kokkino.”
Although the survival of the latter raises many questions as to whether, even in such a scenario, SYRIZA would fail to enter Parliament, in which case it would be left (also) without the state subsidy…
And one detail: the majority side claims that Famellos’s proposal was passed by the Central Committee with an overwhelming majority, having received over 70% of the votes.
The minority side reports a narrow rejection of its own position with percentages “above 45%.”
Why don’t they just give us the vote count so we can get this over with? Because far fewer than the 270 members of the body attended this supposedly “critical” session, so publishing the numbers would reveal…the plaster falling every day from the house they saved the year before last.
SYRIZA III: As for what will happen from here on out, “don’t expect decisions on an official dissolution with votes, drama, and tension,” our sources insist—sources which, by the way, have proven to be entirely reliable.
The shutdown, they say, will take place “in practice” with SYRIZA’s non-participation in the elections and the mass transfer of members/officials to ELAS—once the matters mentioned above are settled.
Which means, no new… critical meetings of the party bodies are planned for the summer.
Attention is turning to the moves by Polakis, Dourou, Pappas, and others, as they promise they won’t remain idle and… silent. Pavlis has already fired a rocket at the Central Committee (as a warning shot?) claiming that “Tsipras asked Pappas to support Kasselakis in the second round” of the 2023 presidential election.
And at another point, speaking of efforts toward coordinated electoral cooperation with other parties rather than individual defections to ELAS, he emphasized: “Let’s call on Tsipras to take a stand, not through individual agreements, not ‘step down and join us.’ No. Dignity.”
Strong words, no jokes.
TOURISM: The comments made regarding the spatial planning framework for tourism—as part of the consultation process that concluded in late May—are being submitted today to the National Council for Spatial Planning.
In fact, as this column has learned, there are a few… hundred comments, and this will lead, following the discussion that begins today and will conclude in the coming days, to changes in the final Joint Ministerial Decision.
Based on the letters published by tourism organizations, the objections center on blanket prohibitions, the new plot size limits, and, of course, the concept of carrying capacity.
The goal, in any case, is for the revised Joint Ministerial Decision to be published by June 30.
We shall see!
REAL ESTATE: Argi Capital S.A., founded with a capital of 500,000 euros, is headquartered in Thessaloniki.
Behind the company is Stavroula Mantziou, who controls 96% of the shares and serves as chairwoman and CEO.
Sotirios Tsilis, Antonios Argyrakis, Panteleimon Yiarimagas, and Christos Kalogiorgios are also part of the shareholder and management structure. As for its activities, they range from real estate and investments to tourism, construction, and technology.
ANTIKEΣ: Although the initial share capital of Kalium I.K.E. amounts to just 5,000 euros, its shareholder structure is of particular interest.
99% of the company is owned by the American firm Commonwealth Reserve INC, headquartered in Lewes, USA, while the remaining 1% is held by Michael Kolpidis, who also manages and represents the company.
As for its business, it involves the purchase of collectibles, works of art, and items of high collectible value.
FOOD: “Mati Brothers S.A.” demonstrates that growth in the food industry does not necessarily require bank financing.
The Trikala-based halva and cheese manufacturer closed 2025 with a turnover of 4.55 million euros, pre-tax profits of €184,400, and cash reserves exceeding €5 million, while maintaining zero bank debt.
With equity exceeding €10.4 million, the company continues to self-fund the modernization of its production facilities and equipment, strengthening its competitiveness in a high-cost environment.
EFTHYMIAIDIS: Raidestos Holding is proceeding with new intra-group financial support by providing a corporate guarantee of €2.6 million in favor of K & N Efthymiadis S.A. for bank financing from Piraeus Bank.
K & N Efthymiadis controls approximately 70% of Raidestos Holding and holds a 60% stake in KNE BRANDT, a subsidiary of Raidestos.
BEER: A new player enters the market with the establishment of HOP HORIZON Single-Member Limited Liability Company by Ellino Winery-Distillery-Brewing Ltd., headquartered in Kiato with an initial capital of 35,000 euros.
Christodoulos Vasdekis is leading the venture, taking on its management and representation. Beyond beer production, HOP HORIZON is planning activities in malt, soft drinks, bottled water, and beverage wholesale, revealing a broader business plan.
BAZAAR: As this column has learned, the well-known supermarket chain is revising its profit distribution plan and reducing the dividend to shareholders.
The general meeting on May 14 decided to reduce the total distribution amount to €1.85 million from the €5.8 million approved in September 2025, resulting in the dividend per share falling to €3.84 from €12.05, a cut of approximately 68%.
At the same time, the chain is also moving to support an affiliated company, having approved the pledging of a term deposit of €901,000 with National Bank of Greece in favor of JILA Investments Limited, as collateral for a €2.4 million loan.
WINE: A new investment in the wine sector is underway in Naoussa, as Artisans Vignerons De Naoussa IKE has secured environmental approval to establish a wine bottling facility in the Patrida area of Veroia.
The new facility will have a capacity of approximately 10 tons per day, strengthening the local wine production infrastructure in one of the country’s most important quality wine-producing regions.
For Naoussa, the new facility is yet another sign that the region is establishing itself as a leading wine hub, attracting investments that strengthen the sector’s production base and export prospects.
SEAFOOD: A new investment in the fish processing sector is underway at the Sindos Industrial Park, with Aegean Fish and Mussels I.K.E. securing the necessary environmental permits for a fish and shellfish processing and preservation facility.
The facility will be developed in Lot 61 of the Thessaloniki Business Park, strengthening the region’s industrial footprint in a sector with a strong export focus.
BYLOT-EVOKE: This column had noted from the outset that any agreement regarding Evoke would constitute a rescue deal.
In this light, the preliminary agreement by its creditors (i.e., bondholders) to the terms of Bally’s Intralot’s (BYLOT) binding offer paves the way for its acceptance by shareholders as well.
The second key point is that the structure of the transaction does not result in BYLOT assuming Evoke’s debt. BYLOT will acquire, through a subsidiary, 100% of Evoke without assuming its debt.
The special purpose vehicle (SPV), due to the legal framework governing its operation as well as its equity structure (two SPVs), protects the parent company from the financial risks of this specific investment (i.e., ring-fencing).
BYLOT will contribute 230 million pounds (approx. 268 million euros) to the SPV. Of this amount, up to 117.1 million pounds will be allocated to repaying shareholders who do not accept the share exchange, and approximately 89 million pounds will be used to repay a derivative product of Evoke’s bond loans, maturing in 2028, issued by Evoke in U.S. dollars.
The remaining amount will finance the fees for a five-year loan agreement with a five-year term and an amount of up to 889 million pounds, which the special purpose vehicle will enter into to finance the repayment of Evoke’s senior bonds maturing in 2028 and will be used for working capital.
BYLOT-EVOKE II: The SPV will issue a subordinated bond, which will be underwritten by TPG BD Finance, Oaktree Capital Management, and OakHill.
The interest rate was agreed at 11%, a low level for a subordinated loan, due to the following terms: first, BYLOT commits to repaying £200 million of the £889 million in bonds maturing in 2028 by December 31, 2027; second, the subordinated bondholders will receive 50 million pounds, provided that predefined synergy targets are met. BYLOT will not provide any guarantee or collateral for the SPV’s second-tier financing.
BYLOT-EVOKE III: Regarding Evoke’s debt, maturing in 2030 and 2031 (i.e., senior notes), totaling approximately 860 million pounds, BYLOT also does not provide any security or guarantee.
These remain unchanged, with bondholders having consented to the change in control, provided the binding offer is accepted by Evoke’s shareholders.
To address working capital needs, Evoke has agreed with five banks to increase, subject to conditions, the revolving credit facility to 220 million pounds. This is a super senior loan.
In practice, Evoke’s bondholders accepted BYLOT’s business plan to rescue the company, which calls for a robust synergy plan in the range of 180 million pounds annually.
If achieved, Evoke’s EBITDA will rise to 430 million pounds, with net debt of 1.9 billion pounds (note: prior to the agreement). Annual synergies will cover Evoke’s interest expenses, while free cash flow will reduce net debt.
Finally, Evoke shareholders who accept the share swap will end up with shares in a healthy company that can generate added value from the synergies with Evoke. As a result of the exchange, Evoke shareholders will hold up to 6.5% of BYLOT’s share capital.