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Observing the events of last July in Ceuta, Spain, many in Athens were reminded of what happened in 2015, when hundreds of boats carrying refugees and migrants arrived on Lesvos and other islands each day.
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The mass attempt by thousands of people to enter European territory ‘evoked memories’ of the 2020 events at Evros, when thousands also tried to cross from Turkey into Greece.
The political debate has heated up, and the migration issue returned to the top of the agenda. Against this backdrop, MPs Dimitris Kairidis and Milena Apostolaki face off in this special edition of The Ring.
Dimitris Kairidis, an MP for the conservative ruling party New Democracy, emphasizes that citizens need to feel safe, while noting that “we must avoid the extremes we see on the other side of the Atlantic.” Milena Apostolaki, an MP for PASOK—the centre-left main opposition party—stated that the events in Ceuta were “used as a propaganda tool to undermine Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.”
Furthermore, Milena Apostolaki points out that, according to Eurostat, Greece ranks second in terms of poverty and social exclusion, with Bulgaria in first place. Dimitris Kairidis believes significant strides have been made since 2019, when his party returned to power, although he acknowledges that Greece has lagged behind due to the prolonged economic crisis.
Both politicians believe that Europe needs to engage in dialogue with Vladimir Putin to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. They also consider it Greece’s obligation to execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant should Benjamin Netanyahu visit Greece.
This episode of The Ring is hosted by Apostolos Staikos, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited and directed by Vassilis Glynos.
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