Events in the year

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

Incumbents

Events

Ongoing – COVID-19 pandemic in Greece

January

* January 3 – The country made official protest along with other countries against Turkey's plans to deploy troops to Libya. * January 5 – Greece and Israel signed an agreement to build the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world. * January 15 –

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Kyriakos Mitsotakis Kyriakos Mitsotakis ( el, Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης, ; born 4 March 1968) is a Greek politician serving as the prime minister of Greece since 8 July 2019. A member of the New Democracy (Greece), New Democracy, he has been its presi ...

nominated Council of State president

Katerina Sakellaropoulou Katerina Sakellaropoulou ( el, Κατερίνα Σακελλαροπούλου, Latn, el, Katerína Sakellaropoúlou, ; born 30 May 1956) is a Greek judge who has been the president of Greece since 13 March 2020. She was elected by the Hellenic ...

to be

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

February

* February 3 –

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

on the island of Lesbos fired

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

to disperse migrants and refugees protesting about conditions in the camps and the slow pace of processing asylum requests. * February 26 – The country confirmed its first COVID-19 case in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

. * February 27 – The country confirmed its second and third cases and cancels all

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

-related events. * February 28 – Nearly 300 migrants including

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

ns arrived in

Edirne province Edirne Province ( tr, ) is a Turkish province located in East Thrace. Part of European Turkey, it is one of only three provinces located entirely within continental Europe. Edirne Province is bordered by Tekirdağ Province and Kırklareli Pr ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, on the country's border in a bid to go to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Another group of migrants arrived on the coast of Ayvacik in

Çanakkale Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate). Çanakkale is ...

, western Turkey, and wanted to go to Lesbos by boats. Turkish officials announced that the security forces will not intervene to prevent the crossing of any migrants, including those from Syria and other countries like

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. * February 29 – Eighty migrants crossed to Aegean Islands Lesbos and

Samos Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...

overnight after Turkey opens its border with the country.

March

* March 1 – The country deployed its

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

on the border with

to prevent thousands of migrants from entering the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

, and suspends all asylum applications for a month while also vowing to deport any migrants who enter the country illegally. * March 2 –

Hellenic Police The Hellenic Police ( el, Ελληνική Αστυνομία, ''Ellinikí Astynomía'', abbreviated ) is the national police service and one of the three security forces of the Hellenic Republic. It is a large agency with responsibilities ra ...

border guard A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Federal Police (Germany), Germany, Guardia di Finanza, Italy or State Border Gua ...

s opened fire on migrants attempting to illegally enter the country by crossing the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

from

, killing a

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

man. In addition, the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

's IV Army Corps announced a 24-hour snap

military drill A drill is a tool or machine for cutting holes in a material. Drill may also refer to: Animals * Drill (animal), a type of African primate * Oyster drill, a type of snail Military * Military exercise * Foot drill, the movements performed on a p ...

on the border with Turkey, and warns

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...

s to stay away from the area. * March 3 – The Turkish interior minister announced that over 130,000 refugees had crossed into the country in the past four days. * March 10 – Minister of Health

Vasilis Kikilias Vasilis Kikilias ( el, Βασίλης Κικίλιας; born 15 May 1974 in Athens) is a Greek politician who currently serves as Minister for Tourism in the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He is a member of the Hellenic Parliament for New Democ ...

announces that the country's schools and universities will remain closed for two weeks. * March 12 ** Authorities reported the country's first COVID-19 death, a 66-year-old pilgrim who visited

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

and

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

last month. ** The Olympic torch relay began in

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

without public attendance. A week later on March 19 the Olympic flame was handed over to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. * March 13 –

was sworn in as

in the

Hellenic Parliament The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule (ancient Greece), Boule of the Greeks, Hellenes, label=none), also kno ...

and became the first woman to hold the office, succeeding

Prokopis Pavlopoulos Prokopios Pavlopoulos ( el, Προκόπιος Παυλόπουλος, ; born 10 July 1950), commonly shortened to Prokopis (Προκόπης), is a Greek lawyer, university professor and politician who served as the president of Greece from 2015 ...

. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, she suspended the protocol ceremony for the inauguration scheduled for Saturday 14 and no handshakes were allowed. * March 22 –

ordered a nationwide lockdown starting March 23.

April

* April 26 – Two separate fires at a

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peo ...

left around 100 migrants without shelter, with some moved to Vathy. * April 29 – A

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

CH-148 Cyclone The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role shipboard helicopter developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Armed Forces. A military variant of the Sikorsky S-92, the CH-148 is designed for shipboard operation ...

helicopter went missing while flying over the

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...

during a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

mission. One body was recovered, while the five other persons on board remained missing.

May

* May 14 –

Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. A member of the Norwegian Labour Party, he previously served as the 34th prime minister of Norway from 2000 to ...

said the military alliance is "ready to support" the UN-recognized

Government of National Accord The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...

resulting in strong criticism from the country, which said his recognition of the "

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...

government" does not reflect the positions of the military alliance.

June

* June 2 – U.S. Secretary of State

Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...

announced sanctions on four shipping firms, including one based in the country, for transporting oil from Venezuela.

July

* July 21 ** The country accused

of encroaching on its territorial waters after a

NAVTEX NAVTEX (NAVigational TEleX), sometimes styled Navtex or NavTex, is an international automated medium frequency direct-printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as urgent maritime safety inf ...

was issued by the

Turkish Naval Forces The Turkish Naval Forces ( tr, ), or Turkish Navy ( tr, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was establis ...

for "seismic surveys" off

Greek islands Greece has many islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. The largest Greek island by a ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

between

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

and

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

from July 21 to August 2. ** The government placed the Hellenic Armed Forces on high alert after Turkish Air Force fighter jets entered Greek airspace over

Strongyli Megistis Strongyli Megistis ( el, Στρογγυλή Μεγίστης), also called plainly ''Strongyli'' or ''Ypsili'', is a Greek islet which lies in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, about four kilometers south-east of the island of Kastellorizo. The islan ...

August

* August 6 – The country signed a bilateral agreement with Egypt which established a new exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the

Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

between the two countries. The agreement prompted anger from

, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry describing the deal as "null and void". * August 7 –

Turkish President The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national govern ...

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...

announces

his country His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...

will resume energy exploration activities in the eastern

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, saying the country had repeatedly violated their agreement on the matter. * August 9 ** Eight people are dead after

floods A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

caused by thunderstorms and torrential rains affected Evia,

. Dozens of people have been evacuated from the area. ** The National Public Health Organization reported 203 new COVID-19 cases in the country in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single day for the country since the pandemic began. * August 11 – The country imposed a curfew on bars, restaurants, and cafes in several regions following an increase in COVID-19 cases. The curfew lasts from midnight until 7 am local time. * August 13 –

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

deployed two Dassault Rafale fighter jets and the frigate ''La Fayette'' to the eastern Mediterranean because of tensions between the country and Turkey over oil and gas exploration in disputed waters. French President

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...

says the French military will monitor the situation. * August 14 – The country announced that they would limit public gatherings to 50 people and impose a midnight curfew on bars and restaurants in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and other areas. This measure is to last until August 24 in parts of the country where infection numbers have risen. * August 25 –

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

captain and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

international

Harry Maguire Jacob Harry Maguire (born 5 March 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the England national football team, England national team. ...

was given a

suspended sentence A suspended sentence is a sentence on conviction for a criminal offence, the serving of which the court orders to be deferred in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that ...

of 21 months and 10 days in prison by a court in the country for repeated bodily harm, attempted

bribery Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...

of police, violence against public employees and insult, following his arrest on the island of

Mykonos Mykonos (, ; el, Μύκονος ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants according to the ...

. * August 26 ** The country confirmed 293 new cases in the last 24 hours which is the highest daily spike since the outbreak began in the country. According to National Public Health Organization, 22 of the new cases were reported at the country's entry points. ** The Turkish Ministry of National Defense revealed that a ''Barbaros''-class frigate of the Turkish Navy and the TCG ''Burgazada'' have conducted joint military exercises with the USS ''Winston S. Churchill'' of the U.S. Navy in the

, hours after the country conducted similar exercises with

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, and

in the disputed region. * August 27 – The

formally ratified a maritime agreement with Egypt, that defines maritime boundaries and an exclusive economic zone between the two countries in the

. * August 28 ** The

Ministry of Citizen Protection The Ministry of Citizen Protection ( el, Υπουργείο Προστασίας του Πολίτη) is the government department responsible for Greece's public security services, i.e. the Hellenic Police, the Hellenic Fire Service, Hellenic (C ...

announced changes to the country's travel restrictions, effective August 31 until at least September 19, due to a rise in cases in recent weeks. Changes include requiring visitors from a list of countries to show a negative

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

result to enter and a suspension of flights to and from

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, but lifting restrictions on

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. ** Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell threatens

with sanctions unless it and the country reconcile their differences over maritime borders and gas drilling rights near

. * August 30 **

demands that the country withdraws its

troops A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...

from the Aegean island of

Kastellorizo Kastellorizo or Castellorizo (; el, Καστελλόριζο, Kastellórizo), officially Megisti ( ''Megísti''), is a Greece, Greek island and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality of the Dodecanese in the Eastern Mediterranean ...

, saying it had violated the 1947 peace treaty, which called for the formerly Italian-occupied Kastellorizo to be demilitarized, with a recent troop deployment. The

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

says the event was a "routine troop rotation". ** The number of COVID-19 cases in the country reached 10,000. * August 31 – French

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Jean-Yves Le Drian called for a "coordinated European response" to recent Turkish aggression towards the country and

in the

, saying "Europe needs to leave the age of innocence behind and shape its own destiny."

September

* September 1 – Due to some spikes in cases, authorities delayed the schools' reopening to September 14 in order to allow time for vacationers to return to big cities to limit the movement of asymptomatic people. Students and teachers are told to wear face masks, which will be handed out for free to both public and private schools. * September 2 – The country reported the first case in its largest

, located on the island of Lesbos. * September 9 – Multiple fires erupted in the Mória Reception & Identification Centre, the country's largest migrant camp, causing widespread destruction. The fires happen shortly after the entire camp was put under

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

due to the detection of positive

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

cases. * September 10 ** The country reports 372 new cases in the last 24 hours, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic in the country. From those new cases, 114 were due to an outbreak at a food processing plant in the northern part of the country, with 133 recorded in the greater

area. ** French President

and

German Chancellor The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ger ...

Angela Merkel agreed to accept into their respective borders around 400

unaccompanied minor An unaccompanied minor (sometimes "unaccompanied child" or "separated child") is a child without the presence of a legal guardian. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child defines unaccompanied minors and unaccompanied children as those "who ...

s from the Mória Reception & Identification Centre, which had been destroyed by a fire the previous day. * September 12 –

announced an arms deal with France for the purchase of Dassault Rafale

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

and

FREMM multipurpose frigate The FREMM (French: ''Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission''; Italian: ''Fregata Europea Multi-Missione''), which stands for "European multi-purpose frigate", is a Franco-Italian family of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincanti ...

s, as well as the recruitment of 15,000 additional troops, amid ongoing tension in the

eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

. * September 15 – Germany agreed to take 1,500 migrants from the country following a devastating fire at the

Moria Refugee Camp Mória Reception and Identification Centre ( el, Κέντρο Υποδοχής και Ταυτοποίησης Μόριας), better known as Mória Refugee Camp, or just "Mória", was the largest refugee camp in Europe until it was burned down in ...

on the island of Lesbos. * September 19 – A rare

Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, often referred to as medicanes (a portmanteau of Mediterranean hurricanes) but sometimes also as Mediterranean cyclones or as Mediterranean hurricanes, are meteorological phenomena occasionally observed over ...

(medicane), with winds up to 120 km/h (75 mph), killed three people as it passes over the country heading toward the island of

. About 5,000 homes in

Karditsa Karditsa ( el, Καρδίτσα ) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly. Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the ...

, Greece, were affected by flooding and heavy winds. One person is still reported missing.

October

* October 7 – A court ruled that

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Golden Dawn Golden Dawn or The Golden Dawn may refer to: Organizations * Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a nineteenth century magical order based in Britain ** The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc., a modern revival founded in 1977 ** Open Source ...

operated as a

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

organization in connection with the

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

rapper

Pavlos Fyssas Pavlos Fyssas ( gr, Παύλος Φύσσας; 10 April 1979 – 17 September 2013), also known by his stage name Killah P (meaning "Killer of the Past"), was a Greek rapper, notable for his participation and performance in musical projects, as ...

in 2013 and other crimes. * October 28 - In a parasailing accident 2 British teenagers were killed and another one got injured in Rhodes, Greece.

Deaths

January

*3 January –

Antonis Balomenakis Antonis Balomenakis ( el, Αντώνης Μπαλωμενάκης; 18 January 1954 – 3 January 2020), was a Greek politician and lawyer. He was born on 18 January 1954 in Chania and studied law at the University of Athens. He was member of the H ...

, lawyer and politician, former MP (b. 1954). *21 January –

Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke ( el, Κατερίνα Αγγελάκη-Ρουκ; 22 February 1939 – 21 January 2020) was a Greek poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as ...

, poet and academic (b. 1939). *29 January – Yannis Tseklenis, fashion designer (b. 1937).

February

*12 February –

Nikitas Venizelos Nikitas Venizelos ( el, Νικήτας Βενιζέλος; July 1930 – 12 February 2020) was a Greek shipping magnate and politician who ran Venezelos SA. He was involved also in politics. In the 1980s, he attempted a revival of the original l ...

, businessman (b. 1930). *14 February – Christophoros, Orthodox prelate (b. 1931).

March

*2 March –

Yannis Katsafados Yannis Katsafados ( el, Γιάννης Κατσαφάδος; 9 May 1935 – 2 March 2020) was a Greek lawyer and politician who served as both MP and MEP. References 1935 births 2020 deaths 20th-century Greek politicians Politicians from ...

, lawyer politician (b. 1935). *13 March –

Filippos Petsalnikos Filippos Petsalnikos ( el, Φίλιππος Πετσάλνικος; 1 December 1950 – 13 March 2020) was a Greek politician of Macedonian origin for the Movement of Democratic Socialists. From 2009 to 2012, he served as Speaker of the Hellenic P ...

, politician (b. 1950). *30 March –

Manolis Glezos Manolis Glezos ( el, Μανώλης Γλέζος; 9 September 1922 – 30 March 2020) was a Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and folk hero, best known for his participation in the World War II resistance. In Greece, he is best r ...

, resistance activist and politician (b. 1922).

April

*11 April – Periklis Korovesis, journalist and politician (b. 1941).

May

*1 May – Georgios Zaimis, Olympic sailor, gold medalist (b. 1937).

References

{{Year in Europe, 2020

Incumbents

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

See also

References