A trio of major Israeli defense contractors recently delivered their final proposal dossiers for Greece’s €3 billion ($3.5 billion) ‘Achilles Shield’ program, a sophisticated, multi-layered air, anti-ballistic, and counter-drone defense network powered by cutting-edge Israeli technology.

The proposals by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), its subsidiary ELTA Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, satisfy all criteria mandated by Greece’s General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments (GDAEE), according to a report by newmoney.gr.

The nationwide shield stands out as one of the most critical crown jewels within Greece’s broader Long-Term Defense Procurement Program (2025–2036), which outlines an overall budget of €30 billion.

Industrial co-production

The final procurement contracts are now navigating the signature pipeline through the Ministry of National Defence (YETHA) and the General Staffs. Officials are pushing to have the program formally added to the agenda of the upcoming KYSEA session, tentatively scheduled for June 18, 2026, or the subsequent meeting in early July.

The report notes that a pivotal victory for Greek industry was securing a domestic industrial participation rate locked at a minimum of 25%, spanning both localized manufacturing and technology transfers.

The Israeli consortium has already engaged in extensive talks with domestic contractors, signing several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and strategic partnerships. Industrial analysts estimate that the final domestic footprint could realistically reach 30%, backed by fully drafted proposals to establish dedicated production lines on Greek soil.

Key examples and partners already tapped for the program include:

• IAI & Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB): This existing partnership has already yielded results, notably the successful integration of Greece’s proprietary “Centaur” counter-drone system into the Barak weapon architecture.
• Domestic Consortium Partners: Major Greek defense, industrial, and infrastructure players have secured preliminary roles, including Metlen, Miltech, Scytalys, Akmon, Salamis Shipyards, and GEK TERNA, with the roster expected to expand over the program’s three-year rollout.
• Tactical Logistics: The specialized utility vehicles tasked with transporting the mobile defense systems will be sourced from IVECO, represented in Greece by the Syngelidis Group in partnership with Metlen.

The tech blueprint: Inside Greece’s ‘Achilles Shield’

The architecture of the shield relies on a unified, network-centric ecosystem. It is designed to seamlessly interface with Greece’s upcoming Belharra (FDI) frigates, upgraded F-16 Viper fighters, incoming F-35 stealth jets, and existing Patriot missile batteries.

The primary systems slated for integration comprise:

• IAI Barak MX: Operating as the backbone of the entire network. Utilizing three missile variants with ranges spanning 35 to 150 kilometers, it will completely phase out legacy, Cold War-era Hawk systems.
• Rafael David’s Sling: Tasked with mid-to-upper-tier interception of advanced ballistic missiles and long-range threats. This system will functionally replace the Soviet-origin S-300 systems currently in the Hellenic inventory.
• Rafael SPYDER: Providing short-to-medium range coverage (15, 20, and 40 kilometers). These mobile batteries will replace aging eastern-bloc legacy systems like the OSA-AK and TOR-M1.
• ELTA EL/M-2084 MMR Radars: These mobile, Multi-Mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars will overhaul the Hellenic Air Force’s Air Control System. The state-of-the-art arrays can simultaneously track up to 1,200 airborne targets at ranges up to 475 km, or up to 200 weapon ballistic trajectories within a 100 km radius.
• Greek-Built C4I Hub: The vital Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) architecture will be co-developed and assembled in Greece alongside domestic software and engineering firms.

 

In the coastal waters of Chania, Crete, decommissioned navy vessels are being scuttled to create Greece’s first highly regulated, wreck-based scuba diving park.

The ambitious underwater project by the municipality of Apokoronou at Omprogialos already features 44 deployed artificial reefs alongside the decommissioned Hellenic Navy vessel Nestor. On Wednesday, the park adds its newest centerpiece: the decommissioned naval ship A/B Folegandros, which is scheduled to be scuttled using controlled explosive charges.

Θάλασσα Χανίων
Το ανατίναξαν για καλό σκοπό…
Στον Ομπρόσγιαλο Χανίων δημιουργείται το πρώτο οργανωμένο καταδυτικό πάρκο της Ελλάδας.
Μετά τους 44 τεχνητούς υφάλους και το «Νέστωρ», βυθίζεται σήμερα το παροπλισμένο «Α/Β Φολέγανδρος» σε βάθος περίπου 25 μέτρων. pic.twitter.com/OjcV1SIXvY

— Αντώνης Νταλακογεώργος (@Adalakogeorgos) June 10, 2026

Hellenic Coast Guard vessels and an elite Navy Underwater Demolition Command (OYK) unit are currently on-site overseeing the operation. Following detonation, the vessel will settle on the seabed at a depth of approximately 25 meters (82 feet).

To ensure public safety, maritime authorities have enacted stringent security measures across the broader Ompros Gialos sea area. A strict multi-kilometer exclusion zone has been established, completely banning the approach, anchoring, or transit of any vessel within a one-kilometer radius of the scuttling site. The Hellenic Coast Guard has been actively patrolling the perimeter since the early hours of the morning and will maintain surveillance until the operation is fully finalized.

A scuba diving park

The scuttling of the Folegandros is a pivotal step toward finalizing the Apokoronou Diving Park, a cornerstone project in the region’s strategic push to develop high-end, niche tourism markets. The diving park, which will be owned and operated directly by the Municipality of Apokoronas, features three distinct underwater routes designed for varying exploration levels:

• Route 1: The Eco-Trail — Navigating through the network of 44 artificial reefs, submerged at a highly accessible depth of 9 to 10 meters (30–33 feet)
• Route 2: The Nestor Wreck — Centered around the previously scuttled Hellenic Navy ship
• Route 3: The Folegandros Deep Wreck — Descending to the newly scuttled vessel at 25 meters, geared toward intermediate and advanced divers

A catalyst for alternative tourism

Local officials aim to have the diving park fully operational by the end of the current 2026 tourism season.

Hailed as one of the most significant alternative tourism infrastructures in Chania and the wider island of Crete, the park is projected to become a premier hotspot for international and domestic diving enthusiasts. Beyond the economic boost, this dedicated “shipwreck museum” is designed to act as a marine sanctuary, generating a highly positive ecological footprint by fostering localized marine biodiversity and promoting sustainable eco-tourism in the Aegean.

Related: Greece’s Ten Best Scuba Diving Spots

Water loss in parts of Greece’s aging water networks exceeds 50 percent, according to a new analysis by EY-Parthenon, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and a new approach to water management.

The report warns that climate pressures, prolonged drought, declining water reserves, and outdated infrastructure are pushing Greece’s water sector to a critical turning point.

Greece’s water networks are now increasingly viewed as core national infrastructure with direct implications for economic stability, environmental protection, and long-term public planning.

A loss of over 50% in some of Greece’s aging water networks

According to EY-Parthenon, the global strategy consulting arm of Ernst & Young (EY), water losses across Greek networks exceed 30 to 40 percent in many cases, while certain areas face losses of over 50 percent. The high losses reflect aging infrastructure, insufficient maintenance, limited monitoring of water flows and consumption data, and the need for more efficient management systems.

The analysis also notes that water reuse remains extremely limited in Greece, at around two percent. At the same time, irrigation accounts for approximately 85 percent of total water consumption. More than 70 percent of irrigation water comes from underground reserves, which highlights the need for more efficient resource use and a more pronounced shift toward circular water management.

Fragmented water sector faces growing pressure in Greece

EY-Parthenon identifies fragmentation as one of the main weaknesses of Greece’s water management sector. The market includes 129 municipal water and sewage companies, more than 450 irrigation organizations, and a broad network of local authorities. This dispersed operating model makes coordination harder, limits economies of scale, and slows modernization projects.

The challenge becomes more urgent as the sector faces increasing demands related to resilience, governance, service quality, and regulatory compliance. Numerous smaller providers remain under financial pressure, as revenue from water bills often does not fully cover operating costs or support major infrastructure investments.

Greece’s water infrastructure needs reach €10 billion

Although the sector faces serious structural problems, EY-Parthenon sees significant room for investment in Greece’s water market. The country’s medium- and long-term infrastructure needs stand at around €10 billion ($11.5 billion). Meanwhile, Greece’s two largest water companies have planned or ongoing investments that exceed €3 billion ($3.46 billion).

These investments focus on network upgrades, expansion, modernization, and efficiency improvements. According to the report, investor confidence in the sector also continues to rise, as shown by the recent market performance of listed companies operating in the water industry.

New rules could reshape Greece’s aging water networks

Changes in Greece’s regulatory framework could further transform the sector. The expanded role of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY), stricter European obligations on wastewater management, and efforts to reduce fragmentation are shifting reform from discussion to implementation.

These changes create opportunities, but they also impose new requirements on water providers. They call for greater transparency, more rigorous reporting obligations, improved accountability, and more reliable long-term planning. EY-Parthenon emphasizes that the sector’s future challenges are not only technical. They also involve financial sustainability, pricing policies, digital transformation, investment priorities, and cooperation between public and private stakeholders.

By Tony Cross

Greece and its geology are a wonder of nature, with the nation a paradise blessed with high mountains, blue seas, and over six thousand islands. But it’s all a big geological accident, the result of millions of years of violent earth movements on a planetary scale.

Geology in Greece: in the beginning…

The story of Greece and its geology begins around 250 million years ago when the continents had all come together into one single land mass that geologists call Pangea.

The area that would one day become Greece lay on the southern shore of what would eventually become Europe and on the northern edge of a great ocean called Tethys. On the southern edge of Tethys lay the continent that would one day become Africa.

The Earth’s crust is not all the same, nor is it a single unit. The crust making up the continents is very thick—30 km to 40 km (18.6 to 24.85 miles) thick—and thicker still under mountain ranges. The crust under the oceans is quite thin, however, at only around 7 km (4.3 miles) thick.

In addition, the crust is not one single unit but is broken up into various-sized chunks known as tectonic plates. These plates move relative to one another because they are literally floating on the deformable layer of the upper mantle beneath them in much the same way that a ship floats on the sea.

In some places, these plates are moving together, and where oceanic crust is pushed into continental crust, the thinner oceanic crust is forced beneath the thicker continental crust and down into the mantle, where it begins to sink and melt. Geologists call this type of plate boundary a subduction zone.

The Greek landscape and geology that we see today is here because of a subduction zone. Without it, Greece would simply not exist.

The compressive phase

Around 150 million years ago, the great continent of Pangea started to break up. The African plate began to move northwards, and the Tethys Ocean started to shrink. The northwards movement of Africa meant that the oceanic crust beneath Tethys was subducted under the southern edge of the continental crust of Europe.

As the oceanic crust under Tethys slid beneath the continental crust of Europe, all of the rocks that had formed on the ocean floor over many millions of years were scraped off by the leading edge of the European continent. These rock scrapings, which would have been hundreds of meters thick and many kilometers long, were piled up one on top of the other on the southern edge of Europe.

This rock pile (geologists call it a nappe) was likely many kilometers thick in the end. It contained all the rocks that would eventually form Greece’s geology all piled up in the same place.

The photo shown here is of a large sea cliff near Kavousi on Crete. The rocks on the left are a gray color with clearly defined horizontal layers. Those on the right are a greenish brown color with a nearly vertical layering. Clearly, this cliff is composed of two very different rock types.

The rocks on the left are limestones while those on the right are phyllites. The compressional forces of the subduction zone forced the phyllites over and on top of the limestones. The junction between the two (known as a thrust fault) lies roughly in the center of the picture, running diagonally up from right to left.

Millions of years of weathering and erosion have ground both sets of rocks down so that to the casual observer today, they appear to be a single unit.

The tensional phase

Around 65 million years ago, the continent of Africa finally collided with the continent of Europe and closed the Tethys Ocean forever. It would eventually be reborn as the Mediterranean Sea.

When two continental plates come together, there is no subduction since they are both too thick. Instead, the continents themselves are deformed, and mountains are created. In the west, this collision formed the Alpine mountains while in it formed the Balkan mountains in the east.

In these mountain areas, the continental collision destroyed the subduction zone, but in the area in between, where modern Greece lies, the subduction zone remained active.

Even though Africa could no longer move northwards as fast as was previously the case, the oceanic plate in the area of Greece was still sinking into the mantle. As it sank, the subduction zone itself rolled back southwards. This rollback of the subduction zone put the nappe pile under enormous tension.

When rocks are placed under tension, they break, causing normal faults. One side of the fault moves downwards on a sloping surface to relieve the tension. Normal faults often occur in parallel and in swarms leaving alternating areas of high ground with lower ground in between.

The rollback of the subduction zone caused massive parallel swarms of normal faults in the nappe pile. Because the subduction zone is fixed in the east and in the west, the rollback created an arc that is ever expanding as the rollback progresses.

The photo above is of a small section of the north wall of the Corinth Canal. The rocks here are nicely layered; we can see yellow, white, red, and black layers.

The two diagonal lines in these rocks are normal faults, breaks in the rocks caused by tensional forces due to the rollback of the subduction zone. The rocks to the right of each fault have dropped down relative to the rocks on the left; this is clearly visible in the displacement of the colored layers of rock.

The total vertical displacement here is only a few meters, but in the massive regional faulting that shaped Greece and its geology, displacements are measured in kilometers.

The modern topography of Greece

Looking at a topographical map of Greece today, you can see how a subduction zone, starting roughly in the area of the north Aegean and rolling back southwards in an expanding arc would create the “ripped” and “torn” appearance of Greece today. You can also see how regional faulting created the alternating series of high mountain ranges and islands, with lower plains or sea in between.

The Pindus Mountains, for example, the backbone of mainland Greece, run southeastward in a gently curving arc. On both sides are lower plains. These mountains, like so many others in Greece, are bounded by massive regional faults.

The expanding arc of the subduction zone caused extensive local faulting, too. On Crete, for example, all of the mountain ranges are bounded by faults. They stand tall because the ground around them has dropped due to faulting. Such local, fault-bounded structures are widespread in Greece.

What about the volcanoes?

There are many volcanoes in Greece—on Santorini, Milos, Nisiros, Methana, and Sousaki among others. Some are active, like Santorini; most are dormant, like Milos, and one or two are extinct, like Sousaki.

If you look closely, all the Greek volcanoes sit on an arc that parallels the arc of the subduction zone but is north of it by about 100 km.

As the oceanic plate is subducted deep into the mantle, it begins to melt. Magma from the melting plate rises to the surface where it erupts, forming volcanoes.

The hot springs of Thermoplyae (of Spartan fame) sit at one end of this volcanic arc; the hot springs of Pamukkale in Turkey sit at the other. In between are all the Greek volcanoes, formed above the spot where, deep in the mantle, the subducted oceanic crust is melting.

Greece’s geology continues to change

The subduction zone today runs in a great arc down the western side of the Ionian Islands, around the Peloponnese and south of Crete, and then curves up northwards again past Kasos, Karpathos, and Rhodes.

Greece and its geology as we see these today are not an end point, however; this is simply the way things are right now.

The subduction zone is still active, and the oceanic plate is still descending as Africa creeps northward. The subduction zone is still rolling back, and the arc is still expanding. That’s why we have so many earthquakes in Greece—we’re still being torn apart by tectonic forces.

We don’t need to worry about this too much though, as these geological processes happen on a timescale that is measured in millions of years. Chances are, that beautiful Greek beach in the travel brochure will still be there when you arrive.

The Mayor of Milos, Manolis Mikelis, has issued a fierce warning against new central government legislation and aggressive corporate development, which he claims threaten to permanently disfigure one of Greece’s most visually distinct islands.

Mikelis extensively critiqued Greece’s proposed tourism zoning framework, accusing the central government of bureaucratic negligence and creating legal loopholes that favor wealthy international funds while systematically locking out local residents.

Corporate development that excludes islanders on Milos

At the heart of the crisis is a newly introduced tourism spatial plan, released online by the Ministry of Tourism. The legislation establishes strict minimum land requirements for the construction of new hotels, setting the threshold at 8, 12, or 16 stremmata (approximately 2 to 4 acres) depending on the specific zone.

Mikelis points out that because land ownership on Milos is historically fragmented, with local families generally owning plots of only 4 to 6 stremmata (about 1-1.5 acres), the law effectively bars residents from developing small, independent hospitality businesses.

“Consequently, it allows the big funds and the rich who have too much money to come in, forcing locals to sell off their property just so these businesses can operate for only seven months a year,” Mikelis warned in speaking to Greek Reporter.

The Mayor also expressed deep concern that the central government plans to issue a legislative decree to retroactively amnesty existing illegal corporate constructions. “That is the goal, and that is what we see happening,” he said, adding that his office is actively trying to block a recent influx of newly issued building permits from being executed.

Environmental violations at Sarakiniko and Mytakas

The local administration has recently been forced to take emergency legal action following severe environmental violations in some of the island’s most ecologically sensitive regions.

In the Kaminia/Sarakiniko area, an investor engaged in illegal excavations directly adjacent to the beach, destroying ancient fossils verified by the Goulandris Museum. Despite public administration inspectors declaring the project “100% illegal,” the developer ignored government-mandated restoration deadlines with zero consequences.

Meanwhile, in Mytakas, an extension of Sarakiniko’s famous lunar-like volcanic landscapes, a large development company purchased an existing hotel with plans to construct a massive 271-bed complex featuring one hundred private swimming pools.

According to municipal records, the developer illegally excavated and shipped out eleven shiploads of pozzolan (volcanic ash) to cement factories. Local authorities intervened only when bulldozers began moving toward the public shoreline. “We went to the Supreme Court (Council of State) and we are waiting for the final decision,” Mikelis stated. “A temporary revocation of the permit has been issued, and we are awaiting the final ruling.”

The fight for the “syrmata”

Beyond environmental destruction, Mikelis is fighting a bureaucratic battle to preserve the island’s unique cultural heritage: the syrmata. These are traditional, vibrantly colored fishermen’s structures carved directly into the seaside volcanic rock across coastal villages like Klima, Mandrakia, and Fourkovouni.

The municipality is pushing for strict architectural guidelines to ensure all 350 existing structures are protected and repaired using traditional methods despite a lack of formal state recognition.

“The syrmata were the cultural heritage of this place, showing the life of people 150 years ago,” Mikelis explained. “In order to survive, they made a hole in the rocks to store their boat and their fishing equipment so they could live off fishing and survive during the Axis occupation and long before it.”

The Mayor noted that the term originates either from dragging (syrsimo) boats into the caves, or from historical lookouts who would shout “Syrma, syrma!” (“Watch out!”) to warn workers of approaching gendarmes, as the structures were originally built without formal permits. “Venice exists inside the water, yet we as a state cannot recognize these areas as special urban settlements,” Mikelis lamented.

A united front against corporate overdevelopment

The conflict highlights a growing rift between local municipalities and the central government. In 2023, Milos completed a comprehensive local zoning plan (SCHOOAP) designed to protect its environmentally-sensitive Natura-designated areas. However, the central government overturned the environmental study to accommodate high-value corporate investments.

Speaking to Greek Reporter, Mikelis described the Ministry’s overriding framework as a “death knell” for the local small entrepreneurs who built the island’s reputation. Instead of smaller rooms tailored to the island’s cultural scale, legal loopholes are being exploited to construct massive 300-bed luxury resorts that block public beach access.

The cash-strapped municipality is currently diverting vast public funds toward legal fees to fight these investments in court, explicitly pointing to neighboring Cycladic islands that have already been devastated by anarchic overdevelopment.

Milos is not fighting alone. Mikelis concluded by vowing to form a united front with other Greek island mayors to force a rewriting of the national tourism framework. “We will use every legal remedy to convince the people who wrote these unacceptable laws not to destroy our land any further,” Mikelis said. “Our destinations shouldn’t last for just ten years and then be degraded because the beauty and unique characteristics of our islands were destroyed. Together with other mayors, we are coordinating to make our voice stronger, ensuring longevity so that when someone pays to travel here from America, Australia, or Europe, they can still find and visit these rare beauties.”

Greece and Turkey have established a permanent cultural forum to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cultural heritage, museums, research, education, and new technologies, creating a new institutional framework for dialogue between the two countries.

The Greece-Türkiye Cultural Forum was formally established last week through a Joint Declaration signed by Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy during the forum’s inaugural session in Cappadocia. Under the agreement, the forum will meet regularly in both countries and serve as a platform for exchanging expertise and developing joint initiatives. “Culture is perhaps the deepest and most enduring field of communication between our societies,” Mendoni said.

The forum is the latest outcome of efforts to strengthen Greek-Turkish relations following the Athens Declaration on Friendship and Good Neighbourly Relations signed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in December 2023. It also builds on a Memorandum of Cultural Cooperation signed by the two culture ministers during the 6th Supreme Cooperation Council in Ankara.

Heritage protection and cultural cooperation between Greece and Turkey

During the forum, Mendoni outlined Greece’s approach to heritage protection, noting that Greek legislation safeguards all monuments equally—ancient, Byzantine, Ottoman, post-Byzantine and modern—regardless of their religious or cultural origin. She also stated that all are incorporated into the country’s cultural routes and tourism networks.

Furthermore, the forum featured presentations by officials and experts from both countries on the restoration and conservation of Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, heritage management, historical research, and the use of new technologies in the cultural sector. Discussions also focused on combating the illicit trafficking of cultural goods, an area in which Greece and Turkey have cooperated since signing a bilateral protocol in 2013.

“The exchange of information, the cooperation of competent services and the use of international mechanisms are crucial tools for effectively combating the illegal trafficking of cultural goods and securing their return to their place of origin,” Mendoni said. The Joint Declaration also highlights the importance of digitalization and improving public access to cultural resources through digital technologies, while encouraging closer cooperation in the use of emerging technologies in heritage management.

On the sidelines of the forum, Mendoni thanked Ersoy for Turkey’s support at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee regarding the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. She noted that his confirmation that no Ottoman document ever authorized Lord Elgin’s removal of the sculptures strengthens the international case for their reunification in Athens.

Related: Turkey Deals Blow on the UK’s Legal Claim For the Parthenon Marbles

Greece’s Parliament has passed a major migration bill that officially integrates the European Union’s new Pact on Asylum and Migration into domestic law. The legislation introduces stringent measures to overhaul border controls, expedite asylum applications, and fast-track the deportation of individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected.

A central element of this new framework is the establishment of offshore “return hubs.” These are transit centers located in non-EU countries where rejected asylum seekers will be transferred if their countries of origin refuse or delay their repatriation.

Minister Plevris on “return hubs” and negotiations

Migration Minister Thanos Plevris clarified that these hubs will not operate outside the law, emphasizing: “These centers will operate within the framework of European Union agreements with third countries and under the guarantees of European and international law.”

Greece is spearheading this initiative alongside Germany, Denmark, Austria, and the Netherlands. The coalition aims to sign their first bilateral agreements later this year so the hubs can become fully operational in 2027. Minister Plevris revealed that advanced talks are already underway. “The Greek government has already been in consultations with two African countries,” he stated.

The Minister also noted that these hubs are a vital tool for Greece, as partner nations frequently experience secondary migration flows—meaning migrants who initially crossed into Europe via Greek territory. He added:

“The creation of a more effective European return mechanism can act synthetically with the existing system and offer an additional innovative tool both to Greece and the remaining member states for managing returns.”

Voluntary returns and stricter detention policies

The new law expands administrative detention, increases surveillance on individuals awaiting deportation, and speeds up removals in coordination with Frontex. Minister Plevris stated that the strict new framework “is already starting to produce tangible results.”

According to Plevris, voluntary returns handled via the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have already increased by 25% since the new measures were introduced, with hundreds of undocumented individuals coming forward to express their intent to return home.

The changing migration numbers in Greece

Minister Plevris linked the accelerated asylum processes and rigid enforcement directly to a steep decline in illegal border crossings, noting that proper returns and secure borders are inherently connected: “These figures confirm that the effective management of returns, the acceleration of asylum procedures, and border protection are interconnected pillars of a cohesive migration policy.”

To demonstrate the shifting impact, Plevris provided specific data comparing past crises to current trends. Under the previous administration between 2015 and 2019, Greece saw a massive wave of 1,215,280 irregular arrivals. Since 2019, that number has dropped significantly to 197,651 total arrivals.

Furthermore, during the first five months of 2026, nationwide arrivals saw a further 31% decrease, with arrivals in the Aegean Sea plunging by 65%. However, localized pressure remains. Over the past two years, for instance, the southern islands of Crete and Gavdos have experienced a sharp rise in migrant boats arriving from Libya.

The efficiency of processing has also changed. Pending asylum applications in Greece have plummeted by roughly 80%, dropping from 142,000 in 2019 to just 28,000 today. At the same time, stricter evaluation standards have caused the international protection approval rate to fall from 71.5% to 40.7%.

Two key pillars of the new legislation

Mandatory Border Screening: Before a migrant is legally considered to have entered EU territory, they must undergo a mandatory pre-entry screening at the border. This process includes identity verification, biometric data capture, security and health checks, and cross-referencing information via the upgraded Eurodac database to track migrant movements across the EU.

Fast-Track Asylum Evaluation: The law establishes much tighter deadlines to eliminate years of bureaucratic delays. Applications flagged as “manifestly unfounded,” particularly those submitted by nationals of countries with historically low asylum approval rates, will face rapid, border-adjacent evaluations and immediate rejection.

A major international ranking has highlighted eleven Greek scientists who have made it into the global elite of research. Spanning institutions from Stanford and Columbia to the University of Crete, these researchers are recognized among the top 1,000 scientists worldwide in their respective fields.

This prestigious list is compiled annually by Research.com, a prominent educational platform and academic research portal. To compile these rankings, Research.com analyzes data from millions of scientists globally, evaluating their career achievements based heavily on a standard academic metric called the h-index.

The h-index is a metric used to measure both the productivity (how much they publish) and the impact (how often other scientists cite their work) of a researcher.

The top 11 Greek scientists

Here is a summary of the researchers making waves in the global scientific community:

1. John Ioannidis (Stanford University)

A professor of medicine at Stanford and one of the world’s most-cited scientists. He is a pioneer in “meta-research”—the study of scientific methods themselves to improve the quality and reliability of research.

2. George Yancopoulos (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals)

Yancopoulos is a top biomedical scientist and the billionaire co-founder of Regeneron. He is highly recognized for developing life-saving monoclonal antibody treatments, notably used to combat viruses like Ebola.

3. Tom Maniatis (Columbia University)

Maniatis is a pioneer in molecular biology and biotechnology who revolutionized gene cloning techniques. His current research focuses on comprehending the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

4. Christos Pantelis (University of Melbourne)

Pantelis is a professor of psychiatry who heads the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre. He is a global leader in using brain imaging to study the development and structural changes associated with schizophrenia.

5. Nicholas Peppas (University of Texas at Austin)

A chemical and biomedical engineer known as the father of modern drug delivery systems, he pioneered the development of hydrogels used in oral drug delivery, contact lenses, and tissue engineering.

6. Constantinos Stoumpos (University of Crete)

One of the three researchers on the list based entirely in Greece, Stoumpos is a materials chemist specializing in halide perovskites, which are highly efficient materials used to advance next-generation solar cells and electronics.

7. Costas Soukoulis (Iowa State University / FORTH)

Soukoulis is a physicist who split his career between the US and Greece. He is world-renowned for his groundbreaking research on metamaterials—artificial materials engineered to manipulate light and sound waves in ways natural materials cannot.

8. Spyros Pandis (University of Patras / FORTH)

A chemical engineering professor based in Greece, Pandis is an international authority on atmospheric chemistry and air pollution, focusing on how airborne particulate matter affects both human health and global climate change.

9. Eleni Diamanti (CNRS / Sorbonne University)

A physicist based in France who is a leading researcher in quantum cryptography, Diamanti develops secure quantum communication networks and protocols to protect data from future cyber threats.

10. George Paxinos (NeuRA / University of New South Wales)

Paxinos is a world-famous neuroscientist based in Australia who mapped the human and animal brain. His highly detailed brain atlases are universally utilized by neurosurgeons and medical researchers worldwide to identify specific brain structures.

11. Gerasimos Rassias (University of Patras)

An organic chemist based in Greece whose research focuses on developing new chemical synthesis methods, his work helps streamline the creation of complex molecules used to manufacture new pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.

The massacre at Distomo remains to this day one of the most heinous crimes the Nazis committed against innocent women and children just months before the German occupying forces pulled out of Greece.

On June 10, 1944, Fritz Laufenbach, captain of the 2nd company of the 1st battalion of the 7th SS armored regiment, was ordered to move his troops from Livadia to Distomo, Steiri and Kyriaki to locate guerrillas on the western side of Helicon Mountain.

This move by the German soldiers was in retaliation for several troops whom the Greek Resistance had killed. As bait, the Nazis had used two Greek civilian trucks filled with SS men disguised as villagers. The two trucks were moving ahead of the main phalanx.

At the same time, the 10th and 11th Amphissa companies of the 3rd Battalion were directed to Distomo to meet the 2nd company. The German troops met outside Distomo without finding any resistance fighters, save for eighteen children hiding near the village. Six of the children who tried to escape were executed.

The Germans entered Distomo, and after intimidating the villagers, they discovered that there were Greek guerrillas at Steiri. The 2nd company headed toward the village, and at Litharaki near Steiri, they were ambushed by fighters from the ELAS resistance group.

The battle at Steiri was so bloody that the Germans were forced to retreat. Approximately forty of them were killed.

Cold-blooded massacre at Distomo

After the casualties they had suffered at Steiri, the Nazis entered Distomo with a clear intention of retaliation for their losses. The cold-blooded massacre of everyone they found in the village then began.

They went from door to door, killing anyone in sight. Their fury was such that they were careless about whether they killed women or children. The slaughter lasted into the night until the Nazi troops had to return to Livadia. However, they did not leave before burning the entire village to the ground.

According to survivors describing the atrocities, SS soldiers bayoneted babies in their cribs, stabbed pregnant women, and beheaded the village priest.

However, the Germans did not stop at Distomo. The executions continued all the way back to their base, as they killed any civilian they encountered on the way. The death count in Distomo amounted to 228 of which 117 were women and 111 men while 53 were children under the age of sixteen.

According to the testimony of International Red Cross Swiss envoy George Wehrly, who arrived in Distomo a few days later, about six hundred people were killed by the Nazis in the wider region.

Haunting pictures from Distomo

A few months after the Distomo massacre, LIFE magazine published a haunting report on the Nazi atrocity. Under the headline “What the Germans did to Greece,” the US magazine interviewed survivors and published photos of the town in ruins.

Among the survivors was Maria Padiska, who came to be known as the “Woman of Distomo.” She passed away in March 2009 at the age of 84.

Her photo adorns the Museum of the Victims of Nazism, located at the entrance of Distomo. The museum was founded in 2005 at the site of the old primary school. It was inaugurated by then President of the Hellenic Republic Carolos Papoulias.

The total area of the museum, which is roughly about 200 square meters, is divided into two levels. On the first floor, one can see photos of all the victims, and there is also a special area with photos of the ossuary, which is located intact at the Mausoleum on Kanales Hill of Distomo.

The museum also holds historical issues of newspapers and magazines of the time with related articles, photographs, and documents.

Greek women are having their first children later than ever. The average age of first-time mothers in Greece reached 31.2 years in 2024, according to new data from Eurostat. The figure places Greece well above the European Union average of 29.9 years and among the highest in the bloc.

That number marks a sharp climb over two decades. In 2001, the average age at which Greek women had their first child stood at 27.7 years. It crossed 30 for the first time in 2014. By 2021, it had surpassed 31. Since then, Greece’s first-time mothers have continued aging upward year by year.

The country’s standing in Europe reflects a broader pattern. Italy posted the highest first-birth age in the EU at 31.9 in 2024, followed by Luxembourg at 31.6 and Spain at 31.5.

Greece, at 31.2, sits alongside Ireland at the same level, within a cluster of countries where having a first child after 30 has become the standard.

First-time mothers in Greece having their firstborn at the age of 31

The age at all births, not just the first, has moved in the same direction. Greek women averaged 32.2 years at childbirth in 2024, up from 29.3 in 2001. Over those two decades, the average rose by nearly three years. The EU average for all births stood at 31.3 in 2024, placing Greece notably above it.

In the EU, the mean age of women at the birth of their first child was 29.9 years in 2024. ⁠
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Learn more https://t.co/UXznIQAcaV pic.twitter.com/KZLowpImTu

— EU_Eurostat (@EU_Eurostat) June 7, 2026

These numbers in Greece sit against a wider backdrop of declining fertility across Europe. The EU’s total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.34 live births per woman in 2024, down from 1.46 in 2022 and from 1.57 in 2008.

Eurostat notes that a rate of 2.1 is the level required to sustain a population without migration. A rate below 1.3 carries the label “lowest-low fertility.”

Greece remains among the EU countries yet to recover above that threshold, alongside Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Finland, and Estonia.

EU fertility hits record low, Greece still below threshold

The broader birth count tells the same story. The EU recorded 3.55 million births in 2024, compared to 6.8 million at the peak in 1964. That figure has fallen by roughly half over six decades.

For Greece, the Eurostat data makes the direction clear. Women in the country are becoming mothers for the first time at a later age than at any point on record, and the gap between Greece and the EU average continues to widen.