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Ministry of Foreign Affairs unveils new Foreign Worker Program amid labour shortage, population decline
Propontis, 9 September 2019 | Vasileios Eipirotis

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The Main Building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Pelasgia in downtown Propontis

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Pelasgia has unveiled a new Foreign Worker Program titled "Europa". The Program is meant to respond to the labour shortage caused by the aging and gradual shrinking of Pelasgia's population. The shortage in question has particularly affected unskilled and low-wage fields of employment, given the high degree of education of the Pelasgian populace. The "Europa" Program was enacted following the passage of the "Foreign Residency Reform Act" (Act no. 403 of 2019) by the Common Parliament, at the behest of the Constitutional Democratic Party government headed by Themistoklis Notaras. The "Europa" Program could allow as many as 300,000 foreign workers to remain and work in Pelasgia for up to five years. Following this period, all the visas would have to be reconsidered, allowing some to stay in case of a renewal and obliging others to return to their home countries. The Government would favour the latter, to allow new workers to get a chance to work in Pelasgia, though past membership will be considered as a positive factor for new applications.

The main sectors being targeted would be manual labour, such as construction and stevedore work, janitorial work, elderly and house care, and other low skill professions. However, some higher skill professions, such as foreign market analysts and foreign language teachers would also be included, the latter favouring Pelasgia as a safe, wealthy and culturally rich destination to practice during the early years of their careers. The requirements for higher skill positions are not to be relaxed, according to the Government, given that there is no shortage for those segments of the labour market right now. Nevertheless, many thousands of skilled foreign workers choose to apply to live and work in Pelasgia every year. Currently, the Government has chosen to only extend the "Europa" Program to a handful to culturally, economically or diplomatically proximate countries, such as Eiffelland-Retalia, the Engell Republics (including Clarenthia), the Scanian states, the Holy Germanian Empire, and Natal. The Government has also integrated a special process for Burgundian refugees in those countries.

Applicants will have to meet rigorous criteria, such as language tests, cultural integration courses and reviews of their skills, experience, financial and family status and recommendations. Criminal background checks and other such security and immigration inquiries will also be made. All applications will have to be submitted abroad, and the applicant will need their permit to be approved before traveling to Pelasgia. Nevertheless, the initiative has been opposed by some of the more hard-line conservative elements both within and without the government coalition, as well as by some leftist parties which decry the move as an attempt to undercut Pelasgia's own unionised workers. At the same time, most members of the Boule of Representatives applauded the measure as "necessary and timely", in the words of Mr. Nikolaos Papadiamantiou, a Moderate Democratic Representative from Sindos. The Pelasgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PELSEV) also expressed its support for the initiative.

In other news
☞ (Education) – A week before the Pelasgian school year starts, the Ministry of National Education and Research has published a strict new dress code for schools, in response to some of last year's "excesses". The plan comes on top of other reforms unveiled by the Ministry, such as new textbook, smaller classes mandated to a maximum of twenty students, and the introduction of practical skills classes such as personal finance and two more years of home economics. So far, the Ministry has declined any reform of the National Examination system.
☞ (International) – Pelasgian whaling ships in the Southern Thaumatic Ocean attacked face harassment and even attacks and sabotage by Clarenthian activists, according to reports by the Pelasgian Chamber of Shipping. The Government of Pelasgia has denounced the attacks and has called on the activists to cease their "reckless actions", citing the fact that repeated violations could lead to prosecution for piracy under admiralty law and that "Pelasgian sailors and whalers have a right to earn their living safely, and they thus have a right to defend themselves".
☞ (Entertainment) – 64th Propontis International Festival to open its doors to theatrical pieces, films and other kinds of art from across Europe with the patronage of Pegasus Heavy Industries S.A. the Imperial Family of Pelasgia. The Festival is to be hosted at the National Opera House and the Propontis State Theatre and to be attended by over six hundred prominent artists, intellectuals, journalists, critics and other notable personalities from across the globe. This year's proceeds will partly go towards helping refugees from the war-torn areas of Gallo-Germania and eastern Himyar.

 

[Pelasgia]

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Pelasgia has only accepted 60 Burgundian refugees, according to Justice Ministry report
Propontis, 14 September 2019 | Theodosios Karaflos

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Officers of the Imperial Pelasgian Border Guard check the documents of a foreign tourist at Propontis Selymbria International Airport

The Ministry of Justice of the Empire of Pelasgia has released a report indicating that Pelasgia has only accepted 60 Burgundian Refugees since the conflict started. Despite being a relatively safe and geographically proximate country to Gallia, Pelasgia has taken less than a hundred refugees from Bourgogne. Many applicants have seen their claims rejected, and many would-be applicants have chosen to avoid Pelasgia for another destination, given the country's well-known skepticism towards foreign asylum-seekers and the almost certain detention-followed-by-deportation a 'weak' claim (by the Pelasgian Government's standards) would entail. According the Ministry of Justice's report, the Government of Pelasgia has received a total of 16,331 applicants this year, rejecting the vast majority thereof, amounting to a figure of about 1 in 250 applicants being accepted. The number of applications drastically dropped by 47 percent since last year, according to the same Ministry report. Most applicants came from Bourgogne, eastern Himyar and socialist Germanian countries. The reduction, as well as the extremely high rejection rate, is attributed by many asylum advocates to Pelasgia's staunch immigration and asylum laws, which were only hardened last year by the passage of Act 36 of 2019 "With pertinence to asylum and immigration".

According to Pelasgian immigration and asylum laws, persons filing a claim from a designated safe country (i.e. a country that is not in the conflict zone or is not directly involved in the conflict, in the case of wars such as the Burgundian War) are facing a presumption of not needing asylum, which they need to overcome beyond a reasonable doubt in order to be granted asylum. This essentially obliges refugees to claim asylum from within the territory of a country engulfed in the conflict, or to immediately claim asylum at the closest Pelasgian diplomatic mission upon entry to a safe country. Even when those conditions are met, Pelasgian law considers that refugees should show why they did not choose a more geographically and/or culturally proximate nation, before crossing the Long Sea. "A failure to have a specific and convincing reason could prove fatal to one's application," according to Professor Anastasios Damianos, Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law at the Imperial University of Propontis Faculty of Law. "Essentially, the Government of Pelasgia has made it so that only people who have no other more immediate and more safe place to fleet than Pelasgia can claim asylum here. This is often hard to establish for someone who is fleeing a conflict, since they have no real way of knowing which countries will accept them and which not; Pelasgia seems determined to put it across that it will probably be in the latter category."

Despite such criticism, which has been echoed by many asylum and human rights activists, included the Pelasgian Association for Human Rights (POAD) and the Pelasgian Society for Asylum and Immigration Law (PEDAM), the Government of Pelasgia has defended its policy. "Pelasgia does not wish to encourage what many specialists in the field have term 'country-shopping'. Those who come to our country and claim asylum here should only do so because no other avenue is available in a more proximate and culturally closer to them location; not because they would have liked to move here out of personal preference," stated Mr. Gregorios Alkavaris, Vice-Minister of Justice of the Empire of Pelasgia. However, many experts on both sides of the debate note that Pelasgia's asylum and immigration laws are unlikely to change anytime soon; "The Pelasgian public is known to be hospitable but also rather xenophobic across Europe. Pelasgians are welcoming to visitors, on the condition that these visitors go home sooner rather than later," commented Dr. Periandros Adamidis, of the Pelasgian Institute for International Studies and Relations. Indeed, according to a report by the Institute, rising fears of radical Catholic and radical Socialist terrorism across the Long Sea are a 'major immigration policy concern' for 53% of Pelasgians polled, with another 22% classing it as a 'notable concern'. With elections coming next year, the governing Constitutional Democratic Party (SDK) has no reason to oppose itself to the voters wishes as well as to decades of Pelasgian immigration and asylum policy; and neither do any of its major opponents, for that matter.

In other news
☞ (International) – Pelasgia begins repatriation process for Engellexian and Clarenthian sailors rescued by the Imperial Pelasgian Coast Guard from the shipwrecked freighter Gloriana III. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects the process to be over by the end of next week, citing good coordination and cooperation with the two countries' legations. Unconfirmed reports of potential judicial troubles with some of the rescued persons have not been commented upon by Government sources. However, according to reports, the Pelasgian Coalition for Civil Rights (PSPD) has made unsuccessful public information inquiries to the Eastern Archipelago Asylum and Immigration Commission regarding the issue.
☞ (Innovation) – Pelasgian Automobile Giant Pegasus to unveil new cutting-edge humanoid robot styled "Argyris 3" at the 81st Thermi International Εxposition, among other technological innovations. The Expo, which has been going since 1938, is an annual chance for Pelasgia's biggest businesses to show off their innovations, services and products to the world, and for foreign delegations to do the same. Increasingly, it has been regarded as a Mecca for the demonstration of new technologies, given Pelasgia's enormous technology, IT and electronics industries. Pegasus has also discussed plans of using such robots
☞ (Environment) – Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Alexios Platanias, vows to improve Pelasgia's recycling system following report on the misuse of plastic waste and the failure to properly implement recycling procedures in 29 demes (municipalities) across the country. "Pelasgians are conscious of the need to protect our precious and irreplaceable planet and natural wealth, and this is an important part of our Government's mandate," the Minister stated to reporters during a press session on the Government's new 'Environmental Protection Plan'. The Plan aims to introduce more rigid recycling guidelines and enforcement procedures, to boost funding for recycling and garbage management nationally, and to severely limit the use of non-recyclable plastics.

 

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Human Commidities System Convict from Clarenthia claims Asylum in Pelasgia to avoid Deportation
Propontis, 23 September 2019 | Tiverios Lambrinos

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The building of the Eastern Archipelago Prefecture Government, which houses the local Regional Office of the Pelasgian Immigration and Asylum Service (YMA), that is set to process the Clarenthian man's claim

The Ministry of Justice of the Empire of Pelasgia formally confirmed reports of an alleged asylum claim by a Clarenthian national in Pelasgia early this morning. The man, who has been only designated as G.W. by the Pelasgian authorities, pursuant to information disclosure restrictions enshrined in the Pelasgian Immigration and Asylum Act, is reported to be a member of the crew of the Clarenthian freighter Gloriana III, which shipwrecked off the island of Chelonis during a storm. The man was rescued alongside 29 other persons by the Imperial Pelasgian Coast Guard and was housed on the island of Chelonis for processing to be repatriated. During this screening, Pelasgian authorities came across evidence of a failure to truthfully and fully disclose his identity and status, suspecting concealment of past criminal activities. A formal request for information was made to the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Clarenthia, following which the Pelasgian Ministry of Justice ordered that G.W. be deported to the Clarenthian state of San Isidria. There, G.W. was wanted, as he has been sentenced to multiple years in the Engell Human Commodity System for a series of past offences, according to the Deportation Order.

Upon receiving the Order, G.W. applied for asylum in the Empire of Pelasgia, claiming that if he were to return to his native country, he would be subject to "cruel and unusual punishment, in the form of slavery". As per the Immigration and Asylum Act, the deportation process was paused to give the Immigration and Asylum Service (YMA) time to process the asylum request. Whatever the decision of the YMA's Eastern Archipelago Regional Office, the matter is almost certainly going to be referred to the Pelasgian judiciary for judicial review of administrative action. That is to say, the Pelasgian Civil Liberties Coalition (PESPE) has vowed to file a suit in G.W.'s favour if his claim is rejected, and the Ministry of Justice has openly stated its intent to challenge an approval of the asylum claim. The matter will thus almost certainly reach the Kyparissos Administrative Court of First Instance; given Pelasgia's system of near-automatic appeals, the dispute would then climb up the ladder of appeals to the Kyparissos Administrative Court of the Appeal, and then to the Council of State, Pelasgia's highest administrative court. Given the publicity surrounding the dispute, and the human rights at stake, an appeal to the Supreme Court of Pelasgia, the country's constitutional court, would be attempted, but whether leave to appeal would be granted by the Court is uncertain.

In the event of a judicial battle, Clarenthia itself would be able to participate in the case as an intervener (through its Embassy), to present arguments in favour of the Human Commodity System and to distinguish it from "slavery". Equally, Pelasgian human rights groups, which have long criticised the System, would be able to intervene to adduce evidence against it. Arguments will likely focus on the interpretation of articles 4 and 7 of the Constitution of Pelasgia. Article 4 guarantees the equality of all Pelasgian citizens, and prohibits forced labour except as a limited punishment for crimes, and article 7 prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and enshrines the legal principle of nulla poena sine lege (no penalty without a law). Based on the interpretation of these articles of Section II of the Constitution of Pelasgia (the Pelasgian Bill of Individual and Social Rights), the Courts will determine whether the Human Commodity System constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment".

In the meantime, G.W. has been transferred to an undisclosed secure location, to be safely detained while his asylum claim is being processed. The Government of Pelasgia has stated that "all proper legal procedures will be followed", refusing to provide further comment. The repatriation of the other 29 crew members of the Gloriana III to Clarenthia and Engellex was completed without incident on Sunday. A small group of peaceful protesters gathered outside the Pelasgian Ministry of Justice and the Embassy of Clarenthia in Propontis upon the story's breaking, and though Imperial Pelasgian Police personnel were preemptively posted at both locations, no clashes or disorderly conduct occurred.

In other news
☞ (International) – Pelasgia formally closes its land border to Nzadiland and issues a return order for all Pelasgian citizens in the country, along with a prohibition of travel to the Smallander colony. The move comes as a security measure following wide unrest and a generalised breakdown of order in Nzadiland in the wake of the assassination of the King of the Small Countries by Nzadi separatist terror groups. Certain key routes, such as the Sea of Buto Coastal Highway will remain open, for Pelasgian and foreign citizens fleeing Nzadiland, and for authorised and pre-screened shipments. The Ministry of Justice has issued an order that all asylum claims from Nzadiland must (temporarily) be filed with the Pelasgian diplomatic missions in the colony, to avoid overwhelming the Pelasgian land border with asylum seekers. Given that Pelasgian diplomatic presence in Nzadiland has been reduced for security reasons, how that is to take place remains unclear.
☞ (Politics) – The highly influential political society "Ethnikos Syndesmos" is set to hold its 28th annual meeting in Propontis. The hard right-wing and nationalist interest group, sometimes termed "ultra-nationalist" by its critics, includes several prominent Pelasgian public figures, such as the current Prime Minister, Lord Themistoklis A. Notaras. Having drawn controversy in the past, Ethnikos Syndesmos (whose name means "National Association") styles itself as a conservative political action and civil society group, with the aim of "maintaining the Pelasgian Constitution and way of life". The group has lobbied for the revision of the controversial ss. 2 and 4(6) of the Constitution and the abandonment of the post-1957 pacifist and liberal democratic consensus, and is highly influential in Pelasgian politics, even taking part in the short-listing of the governing Constitutional Democratic Party's picks for the Supreme Court.
☞ (Athletics) – A derby between the two largest Pelasgian football teams, Propontis' Asteras Propontidos and Thermi's Panthermaïkos ended in a tie on Sunday, after a long 95 minutes full of penalties and delays. The match between the yellow and blue-shirted Propontines and the azure and white-shirted Thermians surprised both sides, with the Thermians expecting an easy victory after their humiliation of Evosmos' Apollon Evosmou and the Propontines expecting a defeat following a bad showing in this year's league. The captain of of the Propontine team thanked the yellow-and-blues' fans, who showed up to the stadium en masse to cheer the team on, while criticising the team's current owner, whom he accused of running the team as a business and not as a sports club. The Thermian team did not make comments, having drawn criticism from their own fans for an 'unjustifiably weak' showing. The Pelasgian National League, Division I continues with a game between Edessa's Anikitos Edessis and Neapolis' Aetos Neapoleos this week.

 

[Clarenthia]

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September 22, 2019

Official Statement from the Commission for Foreign Affairs​

The Clarenthian Embassy in Propontis has been alerted to the application of asylum and has made the determination to not release the identity of the individual in question.

The Commonwealth of Clarenthia will continue to work with Pelasgian authorities in accordance with the laws and customs of the Empire. However, the Commonwealth feels compelled to reiterate that the individual in question has been convicted by a jury of his peers of breaking Commonwealth Law. The Bureau for Behavioral and Socioeconomic Analysis (BuBSA) has, as in all cases, given the individual a complete evaluation and advised the judge on the proper sentence in order to attain the maximum potential for rehabilitation and reentry into society.

The accusation of slavery stems from ignorance of the law and customs and and antiquated perception on what is proper criminal justice. The individual in question has been payed for the services rendered; is owned by no individual, corporation, or entity; is guaranteed employment in a job with which his skillset is most adept for; and has entered the rehabilitation system after being convicted of criminal behavior associated with an upbringing distraught by domestic and socioeconomic strife.

It is our intention to dispel accusations to the contrary and ensure that proper laws are observed.

In mutual prosperity,

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ASTON NOTLEIGH

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To Breathe Free Forever​

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[Pelasgia]

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Prime Minister's Office airs idea of revising articles 2 and 4(6) of the Constitution
Propontis, 30 September 2019 | Markos Koukakos

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The Official Residence of the Prime Minister of Pelasgia, Marmarenio Megaro, located at the heart of Propontis' New City Centre

The Office of the Prime Minister of Pelasgia has aired the idea of revising articles 2 and 4(6) of the Constitution of Pelasgia, bringing a highly contentious topic back into the public spotlight one year before elections. The two articles of the 1957 Constitution have the combined effect of limiting the Pelasgian military to defensive operations and prohibiting peacetime conscription. The choice to include them was made by the Constitutional Assembly of the time with the explicit aim of shedding Pelasgia's militarist past in favour of a pacifist and diplomatic nation, following the fall of the Militarist Junta in 1956-7. However, the Pelasgian right wing has long taken issue with the provisions, seeing them as not reflecting Pelasgia's martial history and refusing the Pelasgian state the vital sovereign capability of preemptive strikes and forceful settlement of disputes. The generations of Pelasgians who lived through the country's militarist era of repeated expansionist conflicts with its neighbours, ending with Pelasgia's defeat in the Second Nzadi Border War and the Archipelago Crisis, have long opposed a move away from the post-1957 pacifist consensus of Pelasgian politics. But younger Pelasgians, many of whom regard Pelasgia's history in the early 20th century as long bygone and irrelevant are supportive of an increasingly assertive -and aggressive- Pelasgian foreign policy.

The governing Constitutional Democratic Party (SDK) has sought to take advantage of this influx of right-leaning voters to promote its agenda of constitutional reform along conservative and nationalistic lines, while also boosting its own appeal with younger generations. The highly influential right wing political influence group Ethnikos Syndesmos, which includes several prominent Pelasgian political figures including the current Prime Minister has repeatedly promoted the idea of revising articles 2 and 4(6) of the Pelasgian Constitution. Last year, Prime Minister Themistoklis A. Notaras' government added an interpretive statement to section 4(6), clarifying defence to include both Pelasgia's individual defence and the collective defence of Pelasgia and its allies. Defence, based on this interpretation, is broadly defined to include Pelasgian interests, assets and citizens abroad, not just the State and its sovereign territory. But the dominant Pelasgian centre-right and right-wing is not satisfied with this addition, and has kept pushing toward a complete rewriting of the pacifist clauses. The expansion of Pelasgia's defence budget in the wake of conflicts in Gallo-Germania and the rest of Himyar has given the Imperial Pelasgian Armed Forces the excuse to procure more offensive equipment, such new carrier-based aircraft produced based on an agreement with the Kingdom of @Eiffelland. As nearby regional conflicts turn increasingly violent, the Pelasian public has grown increasingly supportive of rearmament; the events in Nzadiland in particular have resonated with the Pelasgian urban middle class, which largely holds the role of kingmaker in elections.

Pursuant to a proposal by the Minister of Justice, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Reform has voted to discuss potential amendments to Part I of the Constitution of Pelasgia. Though the motion appears broad at face value, real debate on Part I of the Constitution has only ever centered on ss. 2 and 4(6) since 1957, with most other fundamental clauses being widely accepted and supported. Currently, ss. 2 and 4(6) read as follows:

Article 2: Fundamental obligations of the state
1. Respect for and protection of the value of the human being constitute the fundamental obligation of the State.
2. Pelasgia, following the generally accepted rules of international law, seeks the promotion of peace, justice, as well as the development of peaceful relations between peoples and states.
3. Pelasgia renounces the sovereign right of the state to the use of aggressive military force and shall not maintain military forces of any kind except for the purpose of national defence.

Interpretive statement: Defence within the meaning of paragraph 3 includes both (i) the individual defence of Pelasgia and its interests, citizens, property and territory both at home and abroad; and (ii) the collective defence of Pelasgia and its allies and their interests, citizens, property and territory both at home and abroad.

Article 4: Equality of the Pelasgians
[...]
6. Every Pelasgian who can bear arms is obligated to contribute the defence of the Fatherland in time of war, as required by law. For this purpose, conscription shall not take place except in times of war.
[...]

Interpretive statement: The provision of paragraph 6 does not preclude the mandatory provision, by law, of other services, within or without the armed forces (alternative conscription), from all those who have a valid and substantiated conscientious objection to armed service or military service in general.​

As matters currently stand, both major right wing parties, including the government Constitutional Democratic Party (SDK) and the opposition National Democratic Rally (EDS) support some degree of constitutional revision. Mild opposition and skepticism has been expressed by the SDK's government partner, the centre-right Moderate Democratic Party (KMD), while the smaller opposition parties have outright opposed any constitutional revision; opposition is led by the Internationalist Communist Party of Pelasgia (DKKP), along with the Liberal-Centrist Coalition (SFK) and the Social Solidarity Union (EKA). Civil society seems equally divided on the issue. On the one hand, the highly influential Ethnikos Syndesmos and several nationalist groups have come out in favour of the proposal. On the other hand, many unions, including the highly influential union of the public broadcaster's employees and the teachers' union, have promised to protest against constitutional revision. The Pelasgian Civil Liberties Coalition (PESPE) has also expressed criticism of a potential reintroduction of conscription. So far, the government seems set on its course of rearmament, having recently announced drills along Pelasgia's southern border, as the disintegration of order in neighbouring Nzadiland has led many to fear for the stability of Western Himyar.

In other news
☞ (International) – The Kyparissos Administrative Court of First Instance has granted an application for judicial review of the Pelasgian Immigration and Asylum Service's decision to reject G.W.'s asylum claim. G.W., a national of @Clarenthia claimed asylum in Pelasgia after shipwrecking there to avoid deportation to Clarenthia, where he has been sentenced to several years in the Human Commodity System for numerous crimes. Court is expected to hear the case early this week, the trial being conducted in camera and with an anonymity order having been issued at G.W.'s request (the motion was not opposed by the Ministry of Justice). The Pelasgian Civil Liberties Coalition (PESPE) has intervened in the case in G.W.'s favour after filing a successful application to do so. The Clarenthian Embassy would also be able to do so, though, so far, it has not.
☞ (National) – Environmentalist protesters unsuccessfully attempt to block State Electricity Company (KEI) convoy carrying reactor pieces to the Koroni Nuclear Power Plant site in the Elimeioton Prefecture. The road was reopened after the convoy's police escort intervened, detaining six protesters. Environmentalist groups have issued warnings about the projects alleged danger to the public due to the high seismic activity of the region. The Government of Pelasgia, however, has rejected such accusations, pointing out that, given Pelasgia's highly mountainous and seismic terrain, all Pelasgian nuclear power plants are required by law to be able to withstand severe earthquakes. In the past, environmentalist groups have even tried suing the Government to prevent the construction of new nuclear power plants, making it all the way to the Council of State and the Supreme Court of Pelasgia, albeit unsuccessfully.
☞ (Shipping) – The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Islands and Fisheries of the Empire of Pelasgia, Aristeidis P. Sophokleous, attended the 101st annual meeting of the Union of Pelasgian Shipowners (EPE). The Union's President, Aristotelis V. Lavrantis thanked Mr. Sophokleous for his support of Pelasgian shipping, awarding him the association's honorary title of Great Promoter of Pelasgian Shipping. The powerful EPE is the collective special interest body of the Pelasgian shipping magnates, who own the Pelasgian merchant marine, one of the largest if not the largest (depending on the estimate used) merchant fleets in Europe. The EPE is largely considered the bedrock of Pelasgian maritime and economic power, and its support has been one of the main contributors to the Constitutional Democratic Party's dominance of Pelasgia's post-1957 politics. In recent years, the EPE has moved beyond advocating for its own interests to making charitable contributions to the Pelasgian state, to ease public criticism of its the Pelasgian merchant marine's tax exemption. Among these was a 2018 purchase of several hundred brand new ambulances and emergency vehicles, and the construction of the new Propontis National Opera and Pelasgian National Library building, which were completed in May.