Briefing of political editors by the government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis.

Criticism of Alexis Tsipras for the package of uncosted proposals he put forward, the government spokesperson noted, pointing out that “he has returned exactly as he was, when in 2012–2015 he promised everything to everyone and then did the opposite.” “Mr. Tsipras did not rebrand himself, but has been consigned to the dustbin of history,” he said characteristically.

He emphasized that the government will not respond to unfounded measures, which “if implemented, will lead the country from memorandum to memorandum”, as he put it. “If you do the math, you’ll see that the numbers don’t add up,” the government spokesperson added.

Athens “praises dialogue and diplomacy”

The government spokesperson welcomed the U.S.-Iran agreement, noting that Athens “praises dialogue and diplomacy” and will wait “first for the official details and the implications for our country.”

He emphasized that unimpeded navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is an absolute priority, as it directly affects the international energy market and, by extension, the Greek economy. As he said, “it appears there is a clear de-escalation” following the agreement, while the government expects “this development to be reflected for consumers”, particularly in the prices of fuel.

The introductory remarks

Pavlos Marinakis began the briefing by referring to the program “I Renovate,” as the platform for submitting applications opens today, with the aim of returning thousands of vacant homes to the long-term rental market. “The goal of the initiative is to utilize as many vacant homes as possible to help address the housing crisis,” he said.

“Home Renovation”

In detail, the introductory statement is as follows:

The first phase of the NSRF initiative “Home Renovation”, worth approximately 480 million euros, begins today. Interested parties can check their eligibility by entering their Taxisnet codes on the specially designed platform.

The program applies to either closed-market homes for owner-occupancy or long-term lease, or open-market homes that are owner-occupied but require renovation due to their age. In any case, the home to be renovated must have been built by 1990 and be intended as a primary residence.

The program provides funding of up to 300 euros per square meter and up to 36,000 euros per home. In addition, 100% coverage is provided for up to 2,500 euros of the costs of studies, permits, and inspections.

The work is not limited to energy upgrades but may include, among other things, window replacement, kitchen renovation, and flooring replacement.

Depending on income bracket and specific conditions, a grant of 70% to 95% is provided.

At this stage of the program, interested parties can obtain a Certificate of Eligibility through the anakainisi.gov.gr platform by submitting an application from today until August 24, 2026.
In the next phase, in September, eligible applicants will be able to submit a funding application.

The goal of the initiative is to utilize thousands of vacant homes that remain unused, helping to address the housing crisis. It is estimated that approximately 25,000 vacant homes could be made available through this program alone.

Extension for the cleaning and declaration of plots

Until Monday, June 22 the deadline for cleaning and declaring plots of land has been extended. The decision was made following the opinion of the Risk Assessment Committee.

By the evening of June 11, 373,000 cleanup declarations had been submitted, while last year approximately 730,000 declarations had been recorded by the deadline.

As emphasized by Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, clearing plots of land is a civic obligation and a critical preventive measure, as the removal of combustible material plays a decisive role in protecting human lives, property, and settlements.

After the new deadline expires, strict inspections will be carried out by municipalities and the relevant authorities, both in response to complaints and on their own initiative.

It is worth noting that through the forest protection program “Antinero”, more than 660 million euros have been allocated over the past five years for prevention projects across the country, with funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

New Pact on Migration and Asylum

As of June 12, 2026, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum came into full effect in allof the European Union, introducing a single European framework for the management of migration, the examination of asylum claims, the protection of external borders, and the strengthening of returns.

The new Pact provides for stricter controls at external borders, faster asylum and return procedures, as well as a mandatory European solidarity mechanism to support frontline states, such as Greece.

Greece has thus secured institutionalized European support through relocations, funding, and operational assistance, so that it does not have to face increased migratory pressures alone.

62,600 out-of-court settlements

Public confidence in the out-of-court mechanism is steadily increasing. Since the platform’s launch, 62,600 settlements have been successfully completed, corresponding to initial debts totaling 19.21 billion euros.

Last May alone, 2,205 new settlements were finalized, corresponding to initial debts totaling 564 million euros. This represents a 65% increase compared to the arrangements made in May 2025.

There was also a significant monthly increase in the number of applications initiated and final submissions, which reached 5,967 and 3,128, respectively.

This remarkable rise is primarily attributed to the new legislative framework and the expansion of eligibility criteria for the out-of-court settlement mechanism. Following these changes, more debtors can settle their outstanding debts and protect their assets.

The number of Social Tourism beneficiaries has increased

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Public Employment Service have increased the number of Social Tourism beneficiaries by 33,000, taking into account the high demand for the program, as the number of applications submitted exceeded 800,000.

The number of beneficiaries has now reached 333,000, following the allocation of an additional 5.5 million euros from the DYPA budget.

The Social Tourism program runs from June 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It applies to employees with a private-law employment relationship, insured with e-EFKA and contributing to the DYPA unemployment fund, the unemployed and their families, while the stay is limited to up to 12 nights, subject to certain conditions.”