International

In their joint statement, the 27 ministers stressed that the EU rejects the use of migration pressure by Turkey for political purposes.

'It is so dishonest of Erdogan. We cannot let ourselves be blackmailed so any new money must not come too soon. But we will probably have to pay eventually. What else can we do?' an EU diplomat told Reuters.

Either the EU will resign itself to being a simple observer of developments and indirectly become a victim of this war or it will marshal its power and intervene.

Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg nounced that Austria will offer one million euros to the UNHCR representation in Greece and more staff to stem the flows either bilaterally or through Frontex.

On the purely symbolic level, however, the joint visit of Von der Leyen, European Council Co-President Charles Michel, and European Parliament President David Sassoli was intended as a message to Turkey and migrants that the EU is prepared to guard its borders.

The heads of EU institutions in a highly symbolic move intended to express solidarity with Greece and send a message to Turkey will on 3 March visit the Evros border region with the PM.

'Late last night #Frontex received a request from the Greek government to launch a rapid intervention at its external borders. We are looking into how to best support Greece in the shortest time possible," Frontex tweeted today.

The current multivarious challenges to everything in Greece require vigilance, coordinated and organised action, and discipline with a common understanding.

'Over the last days Greece has been subjected to sudden, massive, and coordinated pressure from the movement of populations on its eastern land and sea borders directed and encouraged by Turkey.' said government spokesman Stelios Petsas.

Mitsotakis will hold an emergency meeting with the ministers of foreign affairs, defence, and public order as well as the country’s top military brass including Floros, deputy defence minister Alkiviadis Stefanis, and the Cooast Guard Chief to review the situation and determine strategy.

Bank of America cited concerns over the coronavirus in revising downwards its initial projections on the growth of the global economy – from 3.2 percent to 2.8 percent.

Nineteen lawyers from Mytilini, the capital of Lesvos, have filed a lawsuit against “all bearing criminal responsibility” detailing acts of violence and egregious violation of police regulations during their operations on the island.

Experts say that the COVID-2019 virus remains a relatively mild disease which in over 85 percent of cases is similar to the common cold.

Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras stated recently that projections about the economy take into account the possible impact of the coronavirus and other serious dangers such as the sudden adjustment of global financial markets

Authorities in Athens unveiled a contingency plan which includes school closures, bans on public gatherings and suspension of all means of public transport in the event of a health emergency.

Condemning what he called a “day of shame” the governor of the northern Aegean region branded the deployment “extremely aggressive” and announced a decision by local authorities to hold a 24 hour general strike today against the actions of the central government

Although there have no cases in Greece so far, the Act will give authorities expansive power, including the power to suspend activities at venues that involve large gatherings of people.

Speaking to the theme of the conference, The Greek foreign minister outlined the government’s regulative framework and programme – entitled “No child alone” - for addressing the needs of unaccompanied child migrants.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed heightened concerns about the sudden rise in incidence and warned about a prospective pandemic.

Germany, France, The Netherlands, Denmark, and smaller countries that comprise the club of rich states of Northern Europe in the two decades since the introduction of the euro have enjoyed enormous benefits and profits