Hello there — so, today I’ll start with the leak (or “diarroi,” as we say in Greek) from our leader Alexis’ book, specifically with a rather… metaphysical incident he himself recounts — after, of course, citing the source of the leak, which is documento.gr. The report, which so far hasn’t been denied by the publisher or Tsipras’ people, mentions various things about the TV licensing process and Nikos Pappas. Tsipras writes, in a tone that’s part self-criticism and part humblebrag, that he was very aggressive with the TV owners, having them all locked up in little rooms for the licensing contest, etc. But the most interesting part of documento.gr’s piece is how Tsipras himself describes the day he left SYRIZA. He writes: “At dawn on June 29, 2023 — the day I announced my resignation as President of SYRIZA — I woke up to a noise on the balcony caused by a trapped pigeon. The pigeon couldn’t fly because it was hitting against a transparent protective glass. I caught it in my hands and helped it fly over the glass barrier. When I returned to the room, I explained to my wife what had happened and added: ‘Unbelievable and symbolic. Now I’m completely sure of my decision.’”

Pigeons…
As you can see, pigeons have quite literally become a symbol in Alexis’ life. Let me remind you — back in 2015, during the Epiphany celebration in Piraeus, a pigeon landed on his head, and a few days later he became Prime Minister. And now, years later, another pigeon lands on his balcony, he sets it free — and feels just as free himself as he parts ways with SYRIZA.
I’m starting to think that maybe I like SYRIZA more than Tsipras himself does.

Mitsotakis and the eagle
Now, my source (M.M.) tells me that this excerpt from Tsipras’ book reached K.M. (i.e., Mitsotakis) yesterday — someone sent it to him and he read it. In fact, a person accompanying him on his tour told me that he jokingly commented:
“Well, in 2016 I also freed an eagle that got trapped in my house in Chania — and I told Mareva I’d become leader of New Democracy!”

A dance at Proto Thema…
Yesterday, during the podcast promoting his book, our Alexis was asked how he feels now that he can’t go out and have a drink because of his fame. He replied that these days, with everyone holding a mobile phone, you can’t even go for a spin at a rebetiko joint, because Proto Thema will post it instantly.
Thanks for the free advertising!

The furious Karahalios
Now, on to the other hot topic of the day — this one came from one of our own, Giorgos Evgenidis, who also works at Alpha Radio and yesterday interviewed Nikos Karahalios. You can say many things about Karahalios, but “delusional” isn’t one of them. And as he now says quite openly, the heart of the behind-the-scenes discussions about Karytianou’s party was the office of lawyer Maria Gratsia, on Karneadou Street in Kolonaki. The connections with figures like Nikos Nikolopoulos (a.k.a. “NikNik”) were made by Gratsia’s husband, who, like her, used to be with New Democracy and knew them well. Among those who gathered around her were other personalities of the movement — for example, Dr. Kouvelas, known for his stance against vaccines, and Michalis Patsikas, who led the protests over the Macedonian issue and came out of Mikis Theodorakis’ Spitha movement. Karahalios said he was invited in early July to provide advice and help organize the announcement of Karytianou’s party. Strategic discussions followed, and it was decided that the launch would take place in Chania — homeland of Mitsotakis and other former prime ministers. The date was chosen carefully too: July 24, the anniversary of the restoration of democracy. Those who were there remember Karahalios making calls that afternoon to TV station owners and news directors he knew, urging them to send cameras to Chania’s port. He started with the 7 p.m. news slots (Alpha, ANT1, Open), then moved to the 8 p.m. ones (Mega, Star, SKAI), and of course Crete TV — and they did respond. But while Karahalios was at one end of the venue where Karytianou was to deliver the main speech, journalists came to tell him that she had just appeared and told cameras: “Who’s saying I’m forming a party?” Even so, their relationship didn’t end there — Karahalios continued working on preparations for the party’s name, logo, etc. He even called polling firms, asking them to include questions about the new parties to measure Karytianou’s potential. Karahalios’ crescendo — his detailed revelations, with names and facts, about the behind-the-scenes of the Karytianou party — is intriguing. Let’s see if her side will respond.

Mitsotakis–Styliandis
Given Samaras’ recent shots — and Karamanlis’ (Rafina) overall irritation — K.M.’s appearance yesterday on tour in Rhodope alongside former ND minister and MP Evripidis Styliandis is notable.
Styliandis isn’t exactly “easy,” since he co-signed the “group of 11” question about electricity rates, but he doesn’t want to go full rebel either.

Right-wing fire on Samaras
Aside from Latinopoulou — who, by the way, is now dealing with some legal trouble over the signatures for her party’s founding declaration — Samaras’ interview seems to have stirred up the other right-wing parties, who’ve started taking swings at Antonis. Velopoulos, of course, who in 2012 had actually joined ND under Samaras’ leadership (even if he never ran for office), couldn’t resist. And now even Natsios, whose movement is already in decline, showed up — he’s desperate not to lose influence on Mount Athos, where Samaras has long-standing ties.

The meeting with the farmers
You may have seen yesterday’s images of furious farmers in Alexandroupoli clashing with riot police outside the airport where K.M. landed. What’s not widely known is that in the days before, they had been offered a chance to meet with the Prime Minister — a small delegation of them, if they wished.
But they refused, saying it wouldn’t be right to hold such a meeting on the very day of a nationwide protest, while other farmers were demonstrating in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Mandatory AI training for ministers
– On Mitsotakis’ visit to Komotini, let me tell you that K.M. is thinking of making… AI retraining compulsory for his ministers. While speaking with the rector of Democritus University and students — both Orthodox and Muslim — he heard them mention that AI training programs are available, and he revealed in turn that he himself is currently taking a demanding retraining course in artificial intelligence. That’s when he said he’s considering making it mandatory for members of the Cabinet as well — and even having them take exams, without cheating.

Private universities and… fine wine
– “Drei Professoren – Vaterland verloren” (“Three professors – homeland lost”) is the famous quote by Otto von Bismarck. Add a lawyer and a few student unionists, and the reform for establishing non-state, non-profit universities is gone too. Initially, the institutions that submitted applications at the end of March 2025 saw their operating licenses issued by late August so they could open in September. However, although the academic year has started and students should already be in class, that’s not happening because some study programs (three law schools and one computer science school) have not yet been officially accredited.
The authority responsible for licensing and accreditation is the National Authority for Higher Education (ETHAAE), chaired by former Aristotle University rector P. Mitkas. But the ETHAAE committees responsible for certifying the law schools include a representative of the Athens Bar Association (which opposed their operation), as well as student representatives from the Law Schools of the University of Athens and Aristotle University.

Allwyn moves forward with PrizePicks and OPAP
– Allwyn, the parent company of OPAP, has comfortably secured USD 1.5 billion in funding for the acquisition of PrizePicks. This move is a central part of the strategy to merge Allwyn with OPAP, as the new group will have a significantly expanded presence in the massive U.S. market in addition to Europe and Greece.
PrizePicks, in which Allwyn is acquiring a 62.3% stake, is a fantasy sports company with millions of active monthly users across more than 45 U.S. states. It’s one of the fastest-growing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators in the U.S., consistently recording strong double-digit annual revenue growth and solid profitability. Specifically, it posted an adjusted EBITDA of USD 339 million in the 12 months to June 2025, with revenue up more than 60% year-on-year, and the deal values the business at USD 2.5 billion.
This is Allwyn’s second acquisition in the U.S., following Instant Win Gaming (IWG). Importantly, PrizePicks not only complements Allwyn’s portfolio but has major growth potential, as fantasy sports are considered “games of skill” under many U.S. regulatory frameworks, whereas sports betting is treated differently and remains unlicensed in several states.
The PrizePicks transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026. As for the Allwyn–OPAP merger, it’s proceeding via a spin-off of OPAP’s gaming division into a new company, a process expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

When you manage 107 hotels (in Greece)
– HotelBrain, founded by Panos Paleologos, has become the largest hotel management company in Greece, with a portfolio of over 107 properties across 38 destinations in Greece and Cyprus — and it’s now moving to the next stage. The company is grouping all its Cycladic hotels — 33 properties under management — into a new, separate entity.
According to the valuation, the net asset value of this Cyclades division was estimated at €6.6 million. Last year, HotelBrain exceeded €120 million in revenue and achieved EBITDA of €6.5 million, while projections for 2025 foresee revenue surpassing €145 million.

Aegean heading for a strong finish
– Analysts were seeing the glass half-empty for Aegean before the third-quarter announcement — but the airline’s financial results and performance turned out much better, dispelling concerns about specific balance sheet lines. Riding the wave of an excellent tourism season, Aegean achieved higher operating profitability over the nine months, with pre-tax profits up 14% and post-tax profits up 12%, while carrying 5% more passengers than in the same period last year.
In the third quarter, despite improved operating performance, profits were affected by the partial rebound of the U.S. dollar, which impacted the valuation of future lease liabilities on the group’s balance sheet. The airline’s cash reserves now exceed €1 billion.
All this comes as the company continues to face higher costs due to precautionary inspections on its new aircraft’s GTF engines — an issue that’s been ongoing for two years. According to a recent update from Pratt & Whitney, the inspection cycle will continue for another 30 months before completion. Still, the situation seems to be easing, with fewer aircraft grounded since fall 2026. As the year closes, Aegean is heading for a strong finish, increasing flight frequency and capacity on domestic and international routes and adding new ones, particularly in the Middle East.

AustriaCard’s sudden wake-up call
– AustriaCard will announce its nine-month results tomorrow, and company sources suggest that management’s view will be confirmed — that the disappointing first-half results are now behind it, and the upward trend has returned.
Recall that the stock market got a cold shower earlier this year when first-quarter results showed net profits down by 50.5% (from €5.2m to €2.6m) and turnover down by 10% (from €91.8m to €82.6m), without any prior warning from management. The drop was attributed to a slowdown in Turkey’s payment card market due to normalization of previously high inventory levels in bank cards.
That seems to be over now, as in recent days the stock has been edging upward to €5.11 (+2.2%), with a market cap of €184.3 million. Tomorrow’s results will show whether this rise is due to a low P/E ratio or merely a technical rebound from oversold levels.

Titan’s momentum, GEK’s record, and Aktor’s sights on €10
– The industrial sector took center stage in yesterday’s Athens Stock Exchange session, keeping the market on an upward track. Titan gained momentum from the growth plan presented by its management during Investor Day, significantly raising the bar for its financial targets through 2029. Its stock climbed back above €42 for the first time in seven months, with trading volume exceeding €12.5 million and 300,000 shares exchanged.
GEK TERNA also showed resilience, holding near multi-year highs despite recent market losses. On Tuesday, it closed at €23.46 — a 26-year record — after touching €23.56 intraday. The next milestone is €24, a level not seen since December 1999, while analysts see the stock potentially exceeding €30.
Aktor, meanwhile, consolidated above €9 and extended its 22-year record. Yesterday it closed at €9.27, reached €9.39 intraday, and now has its sights set on €10 for the first time since January 2004.
Among the session’s standouts was Cenergy Holdings, which regained most of the ground lost in the previous two days. It climbed back above €15, closing near its all-time high, fueled by its inclusion in the MSCI Greece Small Cap index.