Kyriakos Mitsotakis was the keynote speaker at event at a high level, in Brussels, titled “Greece’s National Social Agreement: A European Model for Social Dialogue.”
Listing the labor reforms, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that “we wanted better protection of workers’ rights, and one of the important reforms was the digital work card. But there was a gap regarding collective bargaining agreements. I was skeptical at first. The social partners sat down together and reached a landmark agreement that was signed by the social partners.”
“I am pleased that employers realize that their success is linked to the happiness of their employees,” Mr. Mitsotakis added.
As he noted, “the progress we’ve seen since then is interesting, because the sectors that have signed such agreements have seen better wages.”
“No one would have expected this agreement to be signed by a center-right government. We have reached an agreement that benefits employers but, above all, workers,” the prime minister added.
He also emphasized that “trust is built by keeping commitments and delivering results.”
Greece as a Model to Emulate
This is an event that highlights the Greek example as a model to emulate and as a model for social dialogue at the European level.
Also speaking at the event were the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, the Executive Vice President of the European Commission Roxana Minzatu, responsible for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs and Resilience, and Seamus Boland, President of the European Economic and Social Committee.
As noted by the think tank “Friends of Europe” which is organizing the event, “at a time when Europe is seeking to reconcile competitiveness with social justice, Greece has taken a significant and widely recognized historic step forward. In November 2025, the Greek government and all national social partners signed the National Social Agreement, a historic tripartite agreement aimed at strengthening Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and revitalizing social dialogue in practice. The Agreement marks a decisive opportunity to strengthen labor protection in Greece, where, following the public debt crisis, labor conditions had been shaped by the constraints of the crisis era.”
Karamios: “What are our chances of success?”
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Labor referred to the significant reforms of the past seven years regarding labor issues, such as the 10% reduction in unemployment and the rise in wages, noting that “we had a gap in covering as many workers as possible with collective bargaining agreements.”
She also highlighted the conversation she had with Kyriakos Mitsotakis before the start of negotiations on collective bargaining agreements, during which the prime minister asked her “‘What are our chances of success?’” and she replied that “Logically speaking, it’s close to 0%, but I had a feeling that the conditions were right”
- “We went through seven months of extensive discussions. I made it a condition that everything be conducted in strict confidence. I think there were three factors that led to the agreement:
- – there was trust
- – everyone wanted a solution and to reach a consensus
- – we didn’t start with preconditions” added Niki Kerameos
