Greece – Daily Brief

• Greece's foreign ministry rejected the Libyan House of Representatives' approval of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum, with government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis calling the memorandum illegal and void. Foreign Minister Gerapetritis has informed partners and allies, and in a call with his Egyptian counterpart both rejected the ratification and agreed to continue consultations, according to efsyn citing the ministry.Greek Government (government.gov.gr) (el)Efimerida ton Syntakton (el)Uncertainty: The Egypt call is reported only via efsyn (left-leaning editorial line), which cites a ministry announcement.
• PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis described the outcome on the memorandum as a diplomatic defeat and criticised government foreign policy. Marinakis replied that speaking of defeat legitimises the other side, and PASOK's spokesman answered in turn, per efsyn. Efsyn also reports that opposition parties called the episode a government failure.Efimerida ton Syntakton (el)[2]Uncertainty: Reported by a left-leaning outlet; the characterisations are the parties' own.Single source: Efimerida ton Syntakton.Efimerida ton Syntakton: Left-leaning editorial line.
• Parliament passed by majority the bill of Minister of State Akis Skertsos banning social media use by under-15s from 1 January 2027. Only New Democracy voted in favour; PASOK voted "present", and SYRIZA, Greek Solution, KKE, Niki and Course of Freedom voted against, per ERT, Enikos and in.gr. The debate lasted over 16 hours.ERT (public broadcaster) (el)[2]enikos.gr (el)in.gr (el)
• New polls by Metron Analysis (for MEGA) and Pulse (for SKAI) show New Democracy first. Pulse puts it at 30% with undecided allocated and 25% without, against 16.5% for Tsipras's ELAS and 13% for PASOK. Metron's vote estimate has ND at 30%, 15 points ahead of ELAS. Both polls show a parliament of nine or ten parties, including Kasidiaris's Spartiates-linked Hellenes Alliance, and cost of living as the main concern. In.gr says elections are expected in spring 2027.iefimerida (el)[2]in.gr (el)Efimerida ton Syntakton (el)[2]partly verifiedUncertainty: Polls only. Efsyn reports lower ND figures (26% for Pulse, below 25% for Metron raw intention), which differ from other outlets' headline figures, probably because of how undecided voters are treated.
• During an official visit on 22 October, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khaled met PM Mitsotakis. The Abu Dhabi Media Office announced a plan to raise UAE investment in Greece to €15 billion, building on a 2022 initiative initially valued at €4 billion. A separate report cites a €12 billion target for new economic opportunities.Greek City Times[2]Uncertainty: Figures differ between the two reports (€15bn vs €12bn) and rest on a single outlet; no signed agreement is described.Single source: Greek City Times.

• The UAE announced a planned €15 billion investment boost for Greece during Sheikh Khaled's visit on 22 October, building on a joint initiative launched in May 2022 and initially valued at €4 billion. The Abu Dhabi Media Office said the initiative has supported transactions in energy and healthcare.Greek City TimesUncertainty: Plan stated as intention; a separate item headline cites €12 billion in new opportunities, and the figures are not reconciled in the items.Single source: Greek City Times.
• Bank of Greece data cited by efsyn show a current account deficit of €8.9 billion for January–August 2026, against €6.5 billion a year earlier, a 37.3% rise. The outlet's assessment is that the full-year deficit will exceed 2025.Efimerida ton Syntakton (el)Uncertainty: Full-year projection is the outlet's view (left-leaning source); the excerpt is truncated.Single source: Efimerida ton Syntakton.Efimerida ton Syntakton: Left-leaning editorial line.
• At a forum with the UAE, Mitsotakis described Greece as a "bridge" between Europe and the Gulf and said cooperation covers energy, technology and AI. The report's headline cites a €12 billion target for new economic opportunities.Greek City TimesUncertainty: Single report; the €12 billion figure appears only in the headline in the excerpt.Single source: Greek City Times.
• A German-Hellenic Chamber logistics study put the sector's 2025 contribution at 10.8% of GDP (€25.5 billion), with more than €1.3 billion of investment in Athens and Thessaloniki. The study said the wider transport and storage sector supports about 236,000 jobs.Naftemporiki (el)Uncertainty: Chamber committee study; investment figures are estimates.Single source: Naftemporiki.
• Officials published the implementation guide for an EU-backed home renovation subsidy covering 70–95% of costs, up to €36,000 per home. The programme budget is €480 million and the application platform has no start date yet.Greek City TimesUncertainty: Application dates not announced.Single source: Greek City Times.

• The US State Department said on 22 October it encourages Eastern Mediterranean partners to settle maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations, after Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives approved the Turkey-Libya memorandum. It urged Greece and Turkey, both NATO allies, to address disagreements bilaterally and did not explicitly endorse or reject the memorandum's legality, while the EU reiterated that it infringes third countries' sovereign rights.Greek City TimesUncertainty: Single report; US position described as not explicit on legalitySingle source: Greek City Times.
• Greek and Egyptian foreign ministers Gerapetritis and Abdelatty agreed by phone to intensify negotiations on extending their maritime (EEZ) delimitation, state broadcaster ERT reported. The ministers rejected the Libyan parliament's action and stressed respect for the law of the sea.ERT (public broadcaster) (el)Uncertainty: Single report (state broadcaster ERT); no talks date givenSingle source: ERT (public broadcaster).ERT (public broadcaster): Publicly funded broadcaster.
• Portugal's cabinet approved spending of about €590m for three Embraer KC-390 transport aircraft for Greece, published in the official gazette on 22 October. The trade outlet Defence Point described it as an administrative step towards finalising the programme, which is to run through a government-to-government agreement.Defence-Point (el)Uncertainty: Greek-side contract signing not reported in the item; single trade-press reportSingle source: Defence-Point.
• PASOK MP Michalis Katrinis filed a parliamentary question to the national economy and defence ministers asking about the roles of persons and companies linked to Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS). He said no company named "CGS Greece" had been found in the commercial registry as of 20 October, despite a ministry announcement of 23 September on a Czechoslovak Group visit.Defence-Point (el)Militaire.gr (el)Uncertainty: Opposition MP's claim; ministry response not reported

• Greece's Parliament passed by majority a bill by Minister of State Akis Skertsos banning minors under 15 from online social media services from 1 January 2027. Only New Democracy backed it in principle; PASOK voted "present" and SYRIZA, Greek Solution, KKE, Niki and Plefsi Eleftherias voted against.ERT (public broadcaster) (el)[2]enikos.gr (el)
• Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said the measure is necessary, effective, proportionate and compatible with EU law, and that the government should not wait for a single European framework. Skertsos said there was no more time to lose, after a debate of more than 16 hours.ERT (public broadcaster) (el)[2]enikos.gr (el)Uncertainty: Government statements; compatibility with EU law is the minister's assertion
• Teachers' union OLME called a work stoppage from 08:00 to 11:00 on 23 October, and ELME Piraeus one from 11:00 to 12:00. The stoppages coincide with a disciplinary hearing for teachers Dimitris Chartzoulakis and Chrysa Chotzoglou over their opposition to evaluation. An open assembly against union prosecutions called a rally outside the Attica regional directorate at 9:00.Efimerida ton Syntakton (el)Uncertainty: Single report from a left-leaning outlet; the rally call is from the organisersSingle source: Efimerida ton Syntakton.Efimerida ton Syntakton: Left-leaning editorial line.

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