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The Greek Current

The Hellenic American Leadership Council

A podcast on Greece, Cyprus and the region brought to you by The Hellenic American Leadership Council and Kathimerini. Hosted by Thanos Davelis.

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21 episodes
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Avg 59 min
English

Episodes 21

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#1403
August 15 · 48 min
The emerging Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan alliance, the GSI, and America's Mediterranean story
Experts Jonathan Schanzer, Vassilis Nedos, and Ian Lesser join Thanos Davelis as we look at the emerging Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan alliance and what it means for the region and projects like IMEC, the latest developments on the Great Sea Interconnector, and, as we celebrate America’s 250 anniversary, break down the integral role the Mediterranean has played in shaping this story.
#1402
August 8 · 1 hr 8 min
Europe's infernal summer: Record heat, wildfires, and migration
Whether it's sweltering heatwaves, wildfires, a new migration crisis, or the continued instability in the Middle East, the peak summer season has challenged Greece and Europe on many fronts. Professor Costas Synolakis, Nikos Efstathiou, Thanasis Troboukis, Aggeliki Dimitriadi, and John Psaropoulos join Thanos Davelis as we give you an inside look at all these developments.
#1401
August 1 · 1 hr 1 min
Economic and political uncertainties, the specter of touristification, and the story of Greek shipping
Wolfango Piccoli, Nick Malkoutzis, Alia Malek, and John Psaropoulos join Thanos Davelis as we explore what the global crises and concerns about inflation and cost of living, along with political uncertainty at home, mean for Greece and its economy. Given we are at the peak of the summer season, we also turn out attention to the phenomenon of touristification on Amorgos. Finally, given its important role in the Greek economy, we also take a closer look at the story of Greek shipping.
#1400
July 25 · 1 hr 6 min
Cyprus: 52 years of occupation, of peace efforts, and of the fight for justice
Andrew Novo, Harris Georgiades, Natalie Alkiviadou, and Alexander Kitroeff join Thanos Davelis as we look into both phases of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974, whether we could be seeing a new push from the UN for talks, the importance of the European Parliament’s resolution on the impact of Turkey’s invasion on Cypriot women, and how the Cyprus invasion mobilized the Greek American community.
#1399
July 18 · 1 hr 3 min
The timeless appeal of The Odyssey, the Iran crisis, lessons from SYRIZA's rise and fall, and the Turkey-Egypt rapprochement
Daniel Mendelsohn, Elisa Catalano Ewers, Nikos Konstantaras, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis as we look into the timeless appeal of The Odyssey, the collapse of the ceasefire with Iran and its wider ramifications, the lessons from SYRIZA’s rise and fall, and the rapprochement between Turkey and Egypt.
#1398
July 11 · 54 min
The Trump-Erdogan bromance, the F-35s, and the NATO summit
Endy Zemenides, Steven Erlanger, Steven Cook, and Tyler Stapleton join Thanos Davelis this week as we explore the main takeaways from the NATO summit in Ankara, break down President Trump’s comments on selling F-35s to Turkey, discuss Western hypocrisy when it comes to human rights in Turkey, and look at the latest reports that a deal could be in play over Turkey's S400s.
#1397
July 4 · 50 min
Trump's arms sale to Turkey, Erdogan and the NATO summit, and 10 years since Brexit
Aaron Stein, Ino Afentouli, Elizabeth Prodromou, and Simon Nixon join Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at the stakes ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump’s move to sell fighter jet engines to Turkey, reports that Halki seminary could reopen, and the lessons from Greece ten years after Brexit.
#1396
June 26 · 59 min
Andreas Papandreou's legacy: 30 years since his death
Harris Mylonas, Kostis Kornetis, Alan Makovsky, and Lambrini Rori join Thanos Davelis as we dig into Andreas Papandreou’s legacy, exploring what brought him to power, how he reshaped Greece’s political culture after the collapse of the dictatorship, his controversial approach to diplomacy and how this impacted US-Greece relations, and his lasting legacy in Greek politics today.
#1395
June 19 · 51 min
What does Trump's Iran deal mean for Greece, the region, and the global economy?
Steven Cook, Vassilis Nedos, Ian Lesser, and Maria Demertzis join Thanos Davelis as we break down what President Trump's Iran deal could mean for Washington, for the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, for Europe, and for the global economy.
#1394
June 13 · 55 min
The landmark East Med Energy Center, Turkey's provocations in Cyprus, and protecting Greece’s natural landscapes
Lena Argiri, Sinan Ciddi, Lia Papazoglou, and Annie Schroeder join Thanos Davelis this week as we look into the significance of the new East Med Energy Center, Turkey’s harassment of aircraft carrying European defense ministers to Cyprus, and the ongoing efforts to mobilize Greece’s youth around climate action. We also highlight Eleni Apostolopoulos Katsoulis in our latest "I am HALC" feature.
#1393
June 6 · 1 hr
Middle East conflict, Cypriot elections, and a controversial tourism project in Albania
Aaron David Miller, Nektaria Stamouli, and Yannis Papadopoulos join Thanos Davelis to explore the wider ramifications of the ongoing war with Iran and the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, look at the latest parliamentary elections in Cyprus, and turn our attention to an evolving story in Albania, where a planned billion dollar tourist project is at the heart of controversy and protests that has had a spillover effect into Greek-Albanian relations. Taking us to our “I am HALC” segment, we highlighti
#1392
May 30 · 59 min
Erdogan tightens his grip on Turkey
Ayla Jean Yackley, Henri Barkey, Ambassador Marc Pierini, and Aya Burweila join Thanos Davelis this week as we break down the latest crackdown on Turkey’s opposition and its wider ramifications for Turkish democracy and the West, while looking into what Turkey is up to in Libya, where it's looking to expand its influence.
#1391
May 23 · 1 hr 3 min
Greek politics is shaking up as the country inches toward elections
Tom Ellis, Nick Malkoutzis, Yiannis Mouzakis, and John Psaropoulos join Thanos Davelis as we break down everything you need to know with Greece inching toward elections, including the new parties being formed, the challenges facing the the government, and key issues set to dominate the political debate like inflation and foreign policy concerns.
#1390
May 16 · 58 min
Turkey raises tensions with "Blue Homeland" legislation
Kostas Ifantis, Ryan Gingeras, Endy Zemenides, Sinan Ciddi, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis this week as we explore what’s at stake in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean should Turkey move forward with its provocative “Blue Homeland” legislation, and what the discovery of a Ukrainian naval drone in Greek waters means for Greece and the region.
#1389
May 9 · 1 hr 1 min
From NATO to "Clash Report": Transatlantic tensions and Turkey's global media operation
Max Bergmann, Maria Demertzis, and Eitan Fischberger join Thanos Davelis as we break down what message President Trump's announcement that the US is withdrawing troops from Europe sends, whether we should prepare for another US-EU trade war, and look at who is behind Clash Report - which was unmasked as a Turkish media operation with connections to President Erdogan's inner circle - and why it matters.
#1388
May 2 · 1 hr 3 min
Cyprus and the future of Europe
Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Ian Lesser, and Alexis Papachelas join Thanos Davelis this week as we break down the key takeaways from the EU leaders summit in Cyprus, including the debate around Article 42.7. In addition, we discuss French President Emanuel Macron’s visit to Cyprus and Greece, a visit that raised important questions about Europe’s future and its geopolitical role.
#1387
April 26 · 1 hr 6 min
Turkey–Israel tensions, Tom Barrack's Middle East agenda, and what it means for Greece
Sinan Ciddi, Henri Barkey, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis as we look into this escalating war of words in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Israel, break down how US Ambassador Tom Barrack is effectively pursuing his own Middle East policy that’s undermining US interests, and discuss the wider impact of these developments for Greece. We wrap up with a focus on Bill Matsikoudis in our "I am HALC" segment.
#1386
April 17 · 54 min
A turning point for Europe? Hungary's election and the end of the Orban era
Steven Erlanger, Simon Nixon, Jennifer McCoy, and Nick Malkoutzis join Thanos Davelis as we look at Hungary’s landmark election, breaking down what it means for Europe and for the war in Ukraine, the message it sends to those concerned about democratic backsliding in the West, and what takeaways there are for Greece as the country inches toward national elections next year.
#1385
April 10 · 1 hr
Is NATO's future in doubt, and what does this mean for Greece?
James Lindsay and Ino Afentouli join Thanos Davelis as we break down whether NATO's future is in doubt after President Trump's comments slamming the alliance, why matters in a world of increasing great power rivalry, what’s at stake for the US, and why it’s critical for Greece. We also look at the 200 year anniversary of the heroic exodus of the Greeks from the city of Messolonghi during the Greek War of Independence with Professor Alexander Kitroeff. Finally, we're
#1384
April 3 · 1 hr
Is the future of Christians in the Middle East in doubt?
Vicky Hartzler, Nadine Maenza, Vassilis Nedos, and Alexia Kalaitzi join Thanos Davelis as we look into USCIRF’s 2026 report and Turkey’s problematic record on religious freedom, the plight of Christians in Syria in the wake of another attack on this vulnerable community, and how Greece is working to ensure that the protection of Christian populations in the Middle East remains on the agenda.

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