– Hello, where should I start today, from SYRIZA, where passions have flared up again, from PASOK, which if you see a debate, let me know, or from the contacts of Queen Anna D., who saw “the little kids because they asked me to,” meaning Nikos and Haris? So, in SYRIZA, Kasselakis’s opponents are wavering and are probably split in two about whether they should even “antagonistically,” as they say, give him a kick and throw him out, or not, because if they did, “they would make him a hero and a victim.” According to my source, they can’t do it through the Ethics Committee because they don’t control it (the 87), so the only thing that happens is that they go to the Central Committee on Saturday and with a nice communist manifesto tell him, “the law is the right of the worker” and send him off to the Hamptons or Spetses. So, my hardcore former green source (who is now in SYRIZA) says: “What can you do, these kids (the 87, that is) are from the Interior KKE, and instead of expelling him, with all the things he said with the hoods, and the legal notices in his own party, they just sit there and look at him.”

He’ll vanish into thin air… Another highly experienced political source (but not from the Left) told me, “I wonder why they don’t just expel him now and get it over with. You (the media) will call them Stalinists for about two weeks, and then Kasselakis will disappear into oblivion. No way is he forming a party. By the time Mitsotakis holds elections in 2027, who knows who will be alive or dead? He doesn’t have the money or the stamina.” That’s what I’ve learned and that’s what I’m writing, though, of course, I can’t swear to the outcome. Intuitively, I think that if Kasselakis doesn’t give another reason, he won’t be expelled because even in his confusion, he understands that without SYRIZA’s seal and funds, surviving politically is tough.

PASOK Now, with Anna, the picture I have is as follows: She says “off the record” about Androulakis and Doukas, “I saw the kids yesterday; they asked to see me, which is why they came to my office.” As we know, Diamantopoulou made a “neutral statement” regarding Sunday’s election (“I’m not giving any direction to voters”), but the report says otherwise. Anna’s camp claims, “We didn’t really understand what Nikos said when we asked how we could rejoin PASOK” (note: I’m not sure if the plural refers to Mrs. Diamantopoulou herself or her team). According to the same source, “Anna requested that a congress be held after the elections to focus on organizational changes but mainly on the party’s ideological repositioning, moving closer to modernization.” The response she received (again, according to the same source) was a vague “Yes, but let’s first focus on the local elections, etc., etc.” Now, when Androulakis is asked how his meeting with Diamantopoulou went, he reportedly responds with something like “Oh, well, what else is new?” while insisting that “in any case, Anna’s voters don’t like Doukas; they’re closer to us,” and adds that “Anna didn’t ask for anything.” Because, let me inform you, rumors have been flying since the other day that Diamantopoulou asked Androulakis to put her at the top of PASOK’s state list in the elections. I don’t know if that’s true, but I assure you that in the end, this whole Anna-Nikos affair will send people who can’t stomach Doukas into his camp by Sunday.
P.S.: I die laughing at Anna’s obsession with modernization!

Kikilias Now at Maximos Mansion, they’ve been dealing since the day before yesterday with the case of Kikilias, specifically with his purchase of a 120-square-meter house on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue. Maximos Mansion asked for explanations, and Kikilias submitted the relevant documents, showing that he sold a plot of land in Panorama Voula for about 1 million euros, which he had bought ten years ago, and with that money, he bought the house, adding about 100,000 euros from his income, which is justified in his asset declaration. My source at Maximos Mansion responded when asked, “We cannot accuse anyone, even a minister, of buying or selling property as long as their asset declaration is fully transparent and clear.” From what I know, this is also the prime minister’s view.

The Agapidaki-Ieronymos understanding The Church will make an important move on Sunday: after the priests’ sermon during the service, a circular will be read about preventive medical tests citizens should undergo, especially vulnerable groups (which is also the Church’s audience). The arrangement was made with Archbishop Ieronymos by Deputy Minister of Health Irini Agapidaki, who sent him the relevant text that will be read. Additionally, starting Saturday, an SMS campaign will begin offering free preventive tests for colorectal and cervical cancer, with cardiovascular screenings to follow soon.

The successor to Boura I asked my reliable diplomatic source why Greece’s permanent representative to NATO, Miltos Nikolaidis, is being chosen to succeed Anna Maria Boura as the diplomatic advisor to the PM in a few weeks. I remind you that Nikolaidis was preferred over our consul in Istanbul, Konstantinos Koutras, who was recommended by some and was “a strong contender.” The answer I got was that he was present at all six recent Mitsotakis-Erdogan meetings (as a translator) and thus knows not only the substance but also the “psychology” of the discussions. So, he’ll easily get into the required mindset. I should remind you that Nikolaidis is a native of Constantinople and the brother of Vyron Nikolaidis from PeopleCert.

Attica Bank takes the baton Today, Cenergy’s capital increase concludes, and the baton immediately passes to Attica Bank, as starting tomorrow, Friday, the process begins for the 735-million-euro capital increase, 672.2 million in cash with a preferential right for existing shareholders, and 62.9 million through the issuance of warrants.

Attica Group’s placement postponed to January Optimism prevails in Piraeus Bank’s management regarding its performance and the achievement of profits of 1 billion euros by 2025. The bank decided to postpone Attica Group’s placement to January, so the performance of the ferry company’s third quarter, seasonally the best, will be reflected. This is not an easy project; there are complexities regarding the share price and the percentage, but there’s no rush, and everything needs to be done right.

Only 3 sessions out of 144 Nevertheless, Piraeus Bank’s stock has been undervalued since the 4-euro placement for the sale of 27%, a price that raised concerns (sic). Eight months have passed since the placement, and in that time, out of 144 sessions, the stock closed above 4 euros only three times and at the placement price in four more. Intraday, the highest price it reached in these eight months was 4.08 euros. Yesterday, during the session, it fell to 3.66 euros (the lowest level in two months), eventually closing at 3.70 euros. Meanwhile, one report after another gives much higher target prices, reaching up to 6 euros, with analysts emphasizing that the stock is one of the cheapest in emerging markets and even in Europe. It’s very likely that in the near future, with the bank’s results as a catalyst, we’ll see a re-rating of the stock.

Aspis Pronoia properties on Kifisias (15 years later) A few days ago marked 15 years since the license of Aspis Pronoia was revoked. The closure of the second-largest insurance company in the country at the time left huge losses, and to this day, there are policyholders who haven’t received a single euro in compensation. The company’s liquidation is still ongoing, and recently a tender was announced for the sale of several Aspis properties, including offices on Kifisias Avenue. Specifically, three office spaces are for sale: the first, 1,100 square meters at 62 Kifisias Avenue, starting at 2.8 million euros; the second, 547 square meters at 62 Kifisias Avenue, starting at 1.7 million euros; and another 903 square meters at 32 Kifisias Avenue, starting at 2.5 million euros. The prices seem reasonable for the area, and all three offices have parking spaces.

Discussion on competition in the petroleum sector The Competition Commission, under both the previous and current leadership, conducted a major investigation and finally published a significant report on the state of the petroleum sector. This report has been put out for public consultation, with the goal of regulatory intervention in the sector after September 30. The Commission’s first observation is that, despite various claims, there is competition in the production and distribution of unleaded gasoline, diesel, and heating oil. The competition is so intense that many oil trading companies are experiencing negative or marginal profitability, while the profit cap imposed during the Covid era still applies. In wholesale trading, there is a moderate to low level of concentration, with limited bargaining power for fuel stations, coupled with import limitations. The Commission’s findings cover the entire petroleum production spectrum, noting that there is a strong duopoly in the refining sector. Since the public consultation period ended on September