Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-23 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] France should not be seduced by populism, says ND official [02] Twelve Syrian refugees in Moria enter third day of hunger strike over asylum delays --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] France should not be seduced by populism, says ND official It is important for France not to be seduced by populism and succumb to extreme forces, New Democracy's shadow foreign minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said in a statement on Sunday, as France began voting for a new president. "Today, the heart of Europe beats in France. France must resist. It should not be seduced by populism or succumb to the extremes. It owes it to its history, its cultural heritage, to democracy, to Europe," he said. [02] Twelve Syrian refugees in Moria enter third day of hunger strike over asylum delays Twelve Syrian refugees living in Moria's identification center on Lesvos were on a hunger strike for the third day on Sunday, protesting the slow pace of the asylum procedure. The men, of Kurdish descent, were sitting outside the asylum service's offices, wrapped in blankets. They said each of them has been stuck in Lesvos between three to eight months and are still waiting for months on the decisions of the appeals committees. Asylum committees were recently strengthened and are issuing their decisions faster, particularly for Syrians of Kurdish descent. The committees are waiting for a Council of State ruling on the legality of the procedure, whether Turkey is considered a safe third country, and therefore if refugees can be send back as part of the EU-Turkey agreement. The court convened at the start of March.