The scandal of all scandals

Dear reader,

This is our weekly round-up from Greece.

The debt of ND and PASOK cumulatively is circa 840 million euros and rising with no repercussions on the two parties. And that’s probably all you need to know about Greek politics and the finances of the state. 

Some 48,700 hectares were burned (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) during the 17-30 July wildfires in Greece, but the head of the Greek Climate Change Committee claims it is not too bad compared with the California 2021 wildfire. The Greek PM promised free vacation for tourists affected in Rhodes before taking care of the local communities. 

The good news is that a new movement reclaiming Greece’s beaches by denouncing illegal beach bars and sunbeds is spreading throughout the country and has already woken up the authorities, who have been turning a blind eye for decades. 

It’s not as bad as California, so it’s alright.

The wildfires raging in Greece between 17 and 30 July left 48,700 hectares burned (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). The fire in Rhodes was the most destructive, followed by the one in Dervenohoria. Some 53,000 hectares have been burned in the country since the beginning of the year.

“Yes, it is tragic, but if we compare this number only with one wildfire in California in 2021, there 100,000 hectares were burned,” Scientific Committee for Climate Change Management in Greece president Kostas Synolakis stated (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in an interview with the National Broadcaster ERT. 

Meanwhile, a volunteer firefighter on the island of Rhodes died (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in the local hospital, where he was hospitalized after suffering from severe respiratory problems. His relatives urge for an exact determination of the causes of his death, claiming his respiratory system suffered from his extensive exposure to wildfire smoke for 12 consecutive days.