MARINAKIS: It’s hard for him to step down from his role as government spokesperson, as the combination of eloquence, memory (just think of how many issues he must keep in mind at every briefing), and sometimes… audacity—which characterizes him—is hard to replace.
Especially during periods of government pressure caused by a combination of unpleasant events.
A prime example is his reaction yesterday to the recent report in VIMA, according to which Tal Dillian—now known to most—has a written agreement, as well as a series of emails showing that the EYP routinely used (with or without the…law) the Predator software to conduct surveillance.
Responding to a detailed question on the matter, the formidable Pavlos managed neither to confirm nor to deny the specific report, ultimately referring to his earlier statements on the same subject.
Notice in the relevant video how he manages to start by saying, “I don’t comment on reports, information, or rumors; there have been no new developments,” even adding that “we have provided clear and, I believe, entirely sufficient answers regarding everything that has happened” (!) before artfully shifting the conversation to… the successes of the EYP, citing a recent example, as he put it, the arrest of the Hamas terrorist.
The man (and we mean that) is a master of his craft! He can speak for over two minutes without actually answering the question, all while promoting the “government’s work.”
How could Kyriakos waste such talent at the Ministry of Transport?
Hellenic Police: In recent years, those at Koumoundourou have been wondering who is really behind the “Pen Dalaoura” account on “X” with its countless posts about internal party affairs within SYRIZA.
Although many of its officials found themselves in the crosshairs of this “troll,” it took Theoni Kufonikolakou stepping into the public arena to take the matter to court.
The trigger was a post from that account, according to which the Hellenic Police spokesperson was an executive at Attica Bank when the loans to Christos Kalogritsas’s construction group were approved.
Without further ado, Ms. Koufonikolakou, after emphasizing that she had never worked at any bank, announced that she would contact the relevant authorities “so that the mask of the troll is removed and I can proceed with all the necessary legal actions.”
As it appears, the leaders of Tsipras’s new party do not seem willing to follow the well-trodden path of protests, clarifications, and explanations when facing such attacks, but will cut through the Gordian knots with whatever legal “knife” is available on a case-by-case basis.
SYRIZA: SYRIZA officials remain stuck in the familiar, ineffective tactic of “the pot calling the kettle black” following the vote the day before yesterday on Famellos’s motion that the party will not run in the elections “in opposition to Alexis Tsipras’s ELAS.”
For the second day in a row, the majority faction is attempting, through public relations, to square the circle by saying that SYRIZA’s decision not to run … “does not mean the party is dissolving.” Meanwhile, the minority (Polakis, Dourou, Pappas, etc.) are speaking of a self-dissolution and are calling on Socrates Famellos to speak directly with Mr. Tsipras so that his intentions regarding electoral cooperation between parties may be made known.
The fact that the Hellenic Police has reiterated—for the umpteenth time—that it does not engage in discussions with parties regarding cooperation and that its doors are open only to individuals goes unnoticed by both groups at Koumoundourou.
Deliberately, of course, because both want to buy time: the former to quietly disband, and the latter to shift internal party dynamics in their favor…
“In the end, not even their close relatives will listen to them,” comments a figure who has… already drifted toward ELAS, assessing that with such a situation, “it won’t be easy for Alexis to accept into his party even some of those he’d like to have with him.”
If the public bickering continues, he means.
SYRIZA II: Nikos Pappas, however, insisted again and publicly: since Famellos did not propose the party’s self-dissolution, he must speak with Tsipras immediately and reach an agreement.
What if he doesn’t speak? There will be an issue regarding the presidency, he emphasizes. What if he speaks but fails to reach an agreement? We’ll see what other alliances we can form; what’s certain is that SYRIZA will run in the elections, he adds.
How all this will play out in the middle of summer is a question…
PASOK: We have reported that Char. Trikoupi’s hope rests on local polls that “will show PASOK in second place” and, thus, will overturn the national polls that place it “third or fourth.”
This hope was bolstered by a pan-Cretan poll (by the firm To The Point) where it came in second, but took a hit in a similar poll (by the firm Opinion Polls) in Thessaloniki: the ranking places PASOK in fourth place, slightly behind Maria Karystianou’s Hope and… far behind Alexis Tsipras’s ELAS.
Since no polls are needed for Attica—given that PASOK has consistently placed fourth in all recent elections, behind the KKE—the party’s leadership is developing a special plan codenamed “Lekanopedio.” This includes targeted actions by region, tours by party teams, events, and speeches by Nikos Androulakis, modeled after the presidential visit to Nea Ionia last week.
As sources say, if PASOK manages to climb “even one spot” in Attica, it will have a chance to go head-to-head with Tsipras.
Will it work?
TOURISM: The National Council for Spatial Planning met yesterday to discuss the new spatial planning framework for tourism. According to this column, the comments recorded during the consultation were presented in broad strokes, and an initial overall assessment of the material was made, with members examining the formulation of the content of the five categories into which the national territory is divided, given that each region has its own distinct characteristics.
At the same time, the integration of regulations concerning short-term rentals is being examined, to the extent that these affect the spatial organization of tourism activity and vary the pressures by region. Of course, more details regarding this market will be provided by regional and local urban planning authorities; however, the National Council will set the basic guidelines.
At its next meeting, the National Council will dive into deeper waters and thoroughly examine the comments that have been recorded…
More to come…
PAVLOS I. KONTELLIS: The company has proceeded with the spin-off of its real estate operations by completing the establishment of “DROMEAS Eleona S.A.,” which was founded with a share capital of 1.29 million euros. The new company will take over the group’s entire real estate management and development division, including properties and land in Orfeos, Kalochori, Thessaloniki, and other areas.
According to management, the restructuring aims to optimize the utilization of real estate assets and to organize commercial and investment activities more effectively.
LATSCO: LATSCO Family Office Single-Member S.A., owned by the Latsis family, has completed its first fiscal year. For the period from late November to the end of December 2025, the company recorded revenue of €83,300 and net profits of €4,250.
Equity stood at €29,300 and total assets at €87,000.
The sole shareholder of the company is Anna-Maria-Louiza Latsi, while the manager is Dimitrios Afentoulis.
ACCENTURE: Accenture established Accenture Newra AI Hub Single-Member S.A., strengthening its presence in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
The new company was established in May 2026 with a share capital of 30,000 euros and is headquartered in Kifissia, with the group’s Greek subsidiary as its sole shareholder.
Its activities cover artificial intelligence solutions, software development, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics, while it will also provide consulting services for digital transformation projects. The first board of directors includes Kyriakos Sampatakis, Georgios Pallioudis, and Stefano Sperimborgo.
TOTALENERGIES: The group has established a new subsidiary in Greece, strengthening its presence in the trading and shipping support sectors.
TotalEnergies Trading & Shipping Hellas Single-Member S.A. was established in Athens with a share capital of €25,000 and is wholly owned by the French SAS TotalEnergies Activités Maritimes.
It will operate in the wholesale fuel trade, business support services, and related commercial and technological services, expanding the group’s footprint in the Greek market.
GEORGIOPOULOS: After an eight-year absence from the VLCC market, Peter Georgiopoulos is making a strong comeback with an order for up to 10 very large crude carriers. The iconic Greek-American shipowner sees significant long-term prospects in the industry, betting on new, highly fuel-efficient vessels.
With the phrase “go big or go home,” Peter Georgiopoulos described his return to the VLCC market during a meeting with journalists at Posidonia.
The head of United Overseas Group (UOG), together with his partner Leonidas Vrontis, has placed an order for six VLCCs, with an option for four more, at the Chinese shipyard Wison New Energies. The total value of the investment is estimated to exceed $1 billion.
The move marks P. Georgiopoulos’ return to the large tanker sector for the first time since the sale of Gener8 Maritime to Euronav in 2018.
The two shipowners are particularly optimistic about the long-term outlook for the oil market and VLCCs, while placing special emphasis on the technological features of the new vessels. As Mr. Vrontisis noted, the fuel consumption of the new VLCCs is nearly half that of ships built a decade ago, a fact that can translate into a daily savings of $20,000 to $30,000 per ship, depending on fuel prices.
At the same time, UOG has already begun discussions regarding the financing of the program, exploring both bank loans and export credits, with the two partners expressing confidence in securing the necessary funds.
SHIPPING: Greek company Pleiades Shipping Agents, owned by the Peratikos family, is returning to the MR tanker market, signing an agreement for the construction of two newbuild vessels at the Guangzhou shipyards in China. This is the company’s first MR order in nearly a decade.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Posidonia shipping exhibition, with deliveries of the vessels scheduled, according to shipbuilding sources, for the fourth quarter of 2028.
The value of the investment is estimated at close to $50 million per vessel, reflecting both the quality of the shipyard and the relative scarcity of available delivery slots before 2029.
The move signals the strengthening of Pleiades’ presence in the product tanker market, while also confirming the company’s shift toward Chinese shipyards. As early as 2024, it has commissioned New Times Shipbuilding to build five LR1 tankers.
Interest in MR tankers has been reignited this year, with 51 new orders recorded globally in the first five months.
MARINAKIS: Vangelis Marinakis’ Capital Clean Energy Carriers announced a significant boost to its order book, as a series of new charters for newly built vessels adds $87.4 million in revenue. The contracted portfolio of the Nasdaq-listed company now stands at $3.1 billion, and could reach $4.6 billion if the relevant options are exercised.
Capital Clean Energy Carriers (CCEC) continues to strengthen its portfolio by leveraging the delivery of new vessels and improved conditions in the natural gas and alternative fuels markets.
Last week, the company took delivery of the 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier “Archimidis” from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in South Korea. The vessel, along with its sister ship “Agamemnon,” which is set to be delivered in the coming days, has secured a transitional time charter with a major energy group through March 2027.
Meanwhile, the CO2 and multi-gas carrier “Amadeus” has commenced a 12-month charter, while its sister ship “Alkimos,” which is scheduled for delivery in September, has already secured a seven-month charter. Similarly, the newly built dual-fuel LPG carrier “Aristogenis” has commenced a one-year charter.
The company is also accelerating the delivery of three LNG carriers from its shipbuilding program, seeking to capitalize on the increased volatility and higher freight rates in the LNG market, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.