SAMARAS: Antonis Samaras has decided to take up the… gauntlet and respond to Dora Bakoyannis and the accusations she has been leveling against him recently.
In a TikTok video while speaking with his close associate, Nikos Tsoutsia, the Messinian politician was sharply critical of the former minister and attributed the attacks against him to her defeat in the 2009 party leadership election.
“Do you know how many years have passed since she lost the party leadership to me? Seventeen. What can we do? She still hasn’t gotten over it. Let her sort things out with her brother first,” noted the former prime minister, as he awaits the next round of their feud.
Continuing the feud, in another video, Mr. Samaras briefly reiterated his ideological platform, commenting on those who argue that if he forms a party, it will deprive New Democracy of a majority:
“A majority requires 37%; I told them to do ten things, and they did the opposite. That’s why New Democracy went from 40% to 20%,” he said, referring to same-sex couples, national issues, small and medium-sized businesses, inflation, scandals, and the justice system. “And suddenly I’m the one to blame?” he asked.
P.S. The former prime minister, however, has once again clashed with an… old friend, Giorgos Karatzaferis. “He’s an eccentric case. A man who rises through betrayals. But betrayal has an expiration date,” the former president of LAOS stated in an interview, recalling “the fate of Nenekos,” the 1821 rebel leader who surrendered to Ibrahim.
MITSOTAKIS: The prime minister’s international commitments over the next ten days are significant, beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, when he will spend two days in Ankara for the NATO Summit.
Next week (Monday and Tuesday), the Prime Minister will travel to Paris, where he will participate in a meeting of leaders of the “Alliance of the Willing,” followed by a leaders’ dinner.
At the same time, he will attend the ceremonies marking July 14 (France’s National Day).
LATINOPOULOU: Aphrodite Latinopoulou continues her… feud with the Roma, persisting in her harsh, extreme rhetoric.
When asked in an interview what she would do if she were stranded on an island with only Roma and had to choose one of them, the president of “The Voice of Reason” replied: “They’re gypsies. There’s no trait or anything in the world that would make me choose them. I’d rather leave the island and swim with the sharks. Basically, I’d commit suicide.”
You could call that racist…
KARISTIAOU: The road to “Hope for Democracy” isn’t paved with… rose petals, and that’s been proven time and again lately.
The latest example is the fact that Maria Karystianou and former party official Ioannis Fronimakis, are being taken to court due to allegations by Maria of Tempi regarding direct pressure she faced concerning her much-discussed company and its ties to investment funds.
“I was subjected to blatant blackmail: they demanded that I shut down the company immediately, erase all traces of it, ensure it didn’t appear anywhere, and keep it hidden. As you’ve seen, we didn’t tamper with anything at all, because for me, the most important thing is for everything to be out in the open.
“I personally received this request to cover things up from Mr. Fronimakis and certain others,” Ms. Karystianou emphasized (to OREN), to which her former political ally responded via Facebook, announcing that he had filed a lawsuit against her “following the slanderous remarks she made against me regarding blackmail.”
Something seems to be going wrong with this new venture…
MYKONOS: As is well known, the island of the winds is also an island of entrepreneurial passions. These passions seem to have recently reached new heights, with one of the most glamorous beaches becoming the object of desire.
We’ve learned that an unknown company, with negligible capital, recently attempted to acquire the rights to use this particular beach, even though it technically lacked the legal qualifications to enter the direct award process.
Behind this company, according to gossip, was a foreign player—not just a big one, but… a very big one.
Who, as we hear, pulled out all the stops (even at high political levels, as has become customary in recent years on this particular island) to secure the beach. Despite all that… he stumbled.
Our sources say the (legal) obstacles were put in place by a businessman with whom the developer has long been, as we say… at loggerheads, and who also informed the Land Registry, which oversees the concession.
As a result, the process has stalled, and here we are today—in the heart of the season when high-end tourism is raking in the thousands like… lettuce leaves—with a stretch of this glamorous beach still without lounge chairs or umbrellas! Something completely out of the ordinary for this trendy island!
The dispute between the two isn’t just a thing of the past—it has a future, too. And judging by what happened with the beach, that future doesn’t bode well for turning these into profitable businesses.
P.S.: Anyone who knows how many... hundred-euro bills an umbrella with two lounge chairs costs at Mykonos’s most “trendy” spots—along with the... extras—understands the opportunity cost of a beach where a significant portion remains empty for 5–6 months. We’re talking about a lot of money!
ENERGY: Three and a half years have passed since the framework for self-consumption via rooftop solar panels—known as net-metering—was abolished at the European Commission’s behest to be replaced by net-billing (simultaneous offsetting), the regulatory framework remains pending.
The Association of Photovoltaic Companies (SEF) highlighted this missed opportunity for the industry—and for consumers—a few days ago in a letter to the Prime Minister.
We’ve learned that the letter had an impact. Information from this column suggests that the new framework—which had been stalled (for unknown reasons) at the Ministry of Environment and Energy—is set to be released for public consultation soon. Perhaps even within the week.
Its basic philosophy is said to be based on comments the market has submitted from time to time, simplifying the self-consumption regime. This is based on the idea that the new framework will clarify what applies in the case of virtual simultaneous offsetting, as well as set a fixed price for the surplus energy fed into the grid by residential consumers.
The same decision will also include regulations for “balcony solar panels”...
ELLINIKO: Another piece of the puzzle in the major Elliniko residential project has fallen into place. Last week, the Standard Environmental Commitments were approved for the 263-space underground parking garage in building block A-P1.9, which is part of a complex of five buildings containing residences, retail stores, and dining establishments.
The project also includes 16 private swimming pools and underground utility spaces.
INVESTMENT: ROLOPAK secured the inclusion of its plastic packaging production facility in Acharnes under the Standard Environmental Commitments (SEC), paving the way for the next phase of the investment.
Inclusion under the Standard Environmental Commitments means that the operation is licensed through the simplified procedure for Environmental Category B, without the need for a full environmental impact study.
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY: Medicair Bioscience Laboratories has received environmental approval to establish a pharmaceutical quality control laboratory at its facilities in Oinofyta.
The facility will conduct analyses and quality control of pharmaceutical products.
COCA COLA 3E: The company has secured approval of environmental conditions for the expansion of its storage and distribution center in Kifissia, moving forward with the modernization of one of the group’s most important logistics facilities.
The plan calls for the demolition of existing buildings covering an area of 8,783.6 square meters and the construction of new facilities totaling 11,053.9 square meters, comprising offices, support facilities, and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
According to the study, the facility will operate exclusively as a product storage and distribution center and not as a production unit, meeting the company’s logistics needs with a storage capacity of over 211,500 cubic meters for dry cargo and approximately 6,600 cubic meters for refrigerated cargo.
ABAX: The stock’s return hit 13% (+13.1%) last week after closing at 3.885 euros on Friday.
The stock remains the focus of attention, as the market continues to value its strong order backlog and the prospects of the construction sector.
During the Annual General Meeting, management estimated that this year’s backlog will be around 2.8 billion euros—roughly the same level as last year—while the group’s growth will be supported by three pillars: concessions, energy, and real estate.
At the same time, he ruled out scenarios involving a capital increase, with Group Chairman Christos Ioannou noting that “we do not have any investment plan that is not covered by the company’s existing borrowing capacity and cash reserves.”
Although the company does not provide annual guidance, it stated that it is targeting EBITDA of 150 million by 2030, with 40% of revenue coming from non-construction activities.
MOTOR OIL: The Vardinoyannis Group company also stood out, posting an 8.5% gain after a four-session winning streak and closing at 41.40 euros.
This followed an announcement on Monday afternoon that the Aktor Group had submitted a proposal to acquire 75% of the shares in “ELEKTOR S.A.” and “THALIS E.S. S.A.,” which operate in the waste management sector, with a focus on the operation and management of waste treatment facilities and public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
The market capitalization is approximately 4.6 billion euros.