Greek Daily News 10/06/2024

POLITICS

A total of 21 MEPs will represent Greece in the next European Parliament following the election process held on Sunday. According to news outlet in.gr, 58.61% of voters in the country turned their backs on the polls, which is significantly higher than the 41.3% abstention rate in 2019.

ECONOMY

-A Greek government new 6-day working scheme is about to take effect next month. As of July 1st, businesses with continuous operations and rotating shifts will be able to ask their employees to work on the 6th day.

-The Overall Industrial Production Index in April 2024 recorded an increase of 10.8% compared with April 2023, according to data from the Greek Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

-The trade deficit for April 2024 grew by 35.6% on an annual basis, due to a surge in imports, ELSTAT data showed. The total value of exports in April stood at 4.47 billion euros, up 11.1% compared to the same month in 2023. The total value of imports amounted to 7.48 billion euros, showing an increase of 19.8%, y-o-y.

-The annual inflation rate in Greece eased to 2.4% in May 2024, the lowest since September 2023, from 3.1% in the previous month. Consumer prices slowed down primarily for food & non-alcoholic beverages (3.1% vs 5.4%), health (2.2% vs 3.6%), and miscellaneous goods & services (1.1% vs 2.3%), according to ELSTAT.

REAL ESTATE

A new online database for landlords and tenants will be put into operation as of September in which detailed data will be inserted not only for the properties owned by the taxpayers, but also for the properties they rent, according to the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE).

TOURISM

In 2023, tourist flows from Serbia to Greece increased by 15% and the outlook for 2024 is very encouraging. The port city of Preveza, embraced by both the Ionian Sea and the Ambracian Gulf, has become a tourist attraction for Serbians, AMNA reported citing Leonidas Argyros, Deputy Mayor of Tourism for Preveza.

-From this month, the Bulgarian national carrier Bulgaria Air launches seasonal flights to Crete’s Heraklion. The flights will be operated with two operating frequencies per week – Wednesday and Sunday throughout the summer season /June to October/.

GENERAL

Temperatures are set to soar again across the country in the following 4 days. Greece’s National Meteorological Service EMY issued a weather warning of a heatwave forecast. The peak of the heatwave is forecast for June 12 and 13, when temperatures are expected to reach 40-41 degrees Celsius and even 42-43°C in some areas including Athens and Attica.