<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
The entire introductory statement of Kyriakos Mitsotakis<\/h3>\n
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, this session is also taking place in the shadow of the Iranian crisis, with consequences that continue to affect everything: energy markets, free navigation, trade, international inflation.<\/p>\n
It is an environment full of all kinds of uncertainties which, unfortunately for the economic staff, do not allow for many safe predictions, but it is an environment in which our country continues, at least compared to many other European countries, to remain a pole of certainty and progress.<\/p>\n
Because, as much as some people may not like it, two recent events attest to this. On the one hand, the visit of French President Macron: we had the opportunity to renew our strategic, economic, economic, defence, political, cultural and educational cooperation with France, while at the same time signalling the alignment of Athens and Paris in the face of a series of key decisions that Europe will have to take, mainly around its future and the way it will finance the new ambitious goals it has set.<\/p>\n
To this, I would add the presence today of the Emir of Qatar, the discussions we had this morning, a development that confirms that our country is recognised as a stable “bridge” between the European Union and the Gulf countries, but also as a dynamic partner of the latter.<\/p>\n
It is something that has a very important geopolitical footprint, but obviously it also has great economic importance, as Qatar is an important investor in our country and I believe that it will significantly increase its footprint, its investment footprint, in Greece.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, we had the developments in the positive course of the Greek economy, the high primary surplus for 2025, which allowed us a few days ago to direct another 500 million euros in permanent and extraordinary aid to important portions of our fellow citizens: 1 million families with children, all tenants, 85% of pensioners over 65 years old, 250.000 farmers and to many, tens of thousands of citizens with outstanding debts, which can now be settled in 72 instalments.<\/p>\n
And all this as a social dividend of a growth that was the product of a prudent policy – and despite, obviously, the many obstacles caused by the international turmoil.<\/p>\n
There are only five countries in Europe, if I am not mistaken, Minister, that had a primary surplus last year. In most of the countries, the European countries, the debate is about how to take extraordinary measures to bring those countries into compliance with European fiscal rules.<\/p>\n
We here are happy to discuss how to fairly distribute that surplus, which has come from the growth of the economy.<\/p>\n
I would like to emphasize one more thing, because I think it is worth, I would urge you to remind us of it constantly in the public debate: I am referring to the rapid way in which the public debt in our country is decelerating. If you see a chart, I have already posted it, although I don’t usually post pictures and photos, in my weekly report, Greece has the fastest public debt decay of any developed economy in the last 40 years.<\/p>\n
I think this has a special significance because public debt has been a drag on our country for 40 years. It was essentially the root cause of the great economic crisis of the last decade. And the fact that this government can now simultaneously achieve high rates of growth, a surplus that is returned to the citizens, reduce unemployment, attract investment and decelerate the debt, so that we can fuel growth organically and not by borrowing, is a great success of our economic policy as a whole over these seven years.<\/p>\n
But I think also a legacy and an intergenerational contract that we are signing with the new generation, who would have ultimately suffered the consequences of a country that would still, under other circumstances, have maintained an extremely high debt.<\/p>\n
I estimate that possibly even at the end of this year-what I will tell you would have seemed unprecedented a few years ago-Greece will no longer be the country that will have the highest debt in Europe as a percentage of GDP.<\/p>\n
I would say, therefore, that this is the Greece of 2026 and not the miserable place that the opposition insists on presenting, without any argument, without any alternative proposals, but sliding, unfortunately, into extreme slogans, into an abhorrent rhetoric that is probably borrowed from the Internet underworld and certainly does not honour parties that are parliamentary.<\/p>\n
I will leave aside what I have personally heard, how many times I have been called a “murderer” and a “minority”, but I will dwell on what they say about our party and our party, which is presented as a “mafia”, a “gang”, a “criminal organization” and all the rest.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately it is a downward spiral, which sows poison and hatred throughout society. We have a duty to stop this downhill slide.<\/p>\n
And, unfortunately, I will say again, even “institutional” parties, with great, I would say, momentum, are joining this dance of toxicity. I will say it again, it is irresponsible, it is sad.<\/p>\n
Obviously we will not go down that route, but we will emphasize that in circumstances that make security and normalcy a national priority, the last thing the country needs is to be dragged into a quagmire and instead of political debate, mud will prevail. So what we can do is respond with our work.<\/p>\n
I turn to the agenda of today’s Cabinet meeting. One issue that we have been very concerned about, and which many of you are responsible for, I refer to the National Strategy for Local and Regional Development.<\/p>\n
I think it is a very clear road map. For the first time, I think, such a detailed job has been done, at the regional unit level, to identify projects, sources of funding, distribution of responsibilities between local government, regional government, central government. It is a policy that is the result of extensive consultation.<\/p>\n
I think the purpose of this is to send a message here from Athens – we are often accused of being a country that puts too much emphasis on the development of the capital city – that no citizen should be considered forgotten and that every region has the right to development, to prosperity and to exploit its own comparative advantages.<\/p>\n
I will open a parenthesis: yesterday I was with the Minister of Health in Tripoli; it is very impressive what has been achieved there. Consider a region which some years ago was “searching” to find a development direction, which was also affected, to a certain extent, by the de-lignification of Arcadia, and which has suddenly become a centre of pharmaceutical production with very significant investments by the Greek pharmaceutical industry, with thousands of jobs that will be created, if you consider that 30% of the penicillin medicines in all of Europe will be produced in Tripoli.<\/p>\n
And a great effort has been made by the Ministry of Education to bring technical and vocational training and education closer to the needs of the labour market, with the first Vocational Training Academy, the programme of which was designed together with the association of Greek pharmaceutical companies, so with skills that we know will be necessary in order for these young people to be absorbed by the labour market.<\/p>\n
I say this because it is just one example of the work that we need to do in every region, in every region, in every country, in every country, in every country. We have the Insularity Commission, and I want to point out in this that our members have been actively involved in this consultation.<\/p>\n
I think that this is also a response to the way in which we perceive the upgrading of the role of the elected representative of each region. It’s exactly where we want the member to be involved: in how he or she can fight for the growth and prosperity of their region.<\/p>\n
Don’t forget, we often talk about the executive state. The executive state is about us; it’s about the executive, not the legislature. The obligations of the government are one thing, the obligations of the parliament are another. These are laid down very clearly in the Constitution.<\/p>\n
But in this case, the close cooperation between our MPs and the central government in the preparation of these plans assumes a special significance.<\/p>\n
We will also discuss in Cabinet new Ministry of Justice regulations under which journalists, activists, citizens, will now be protected from unfounded abusive lawsuits, known as SLAPPs.<\/p>\n
I am opening a parenthesis here, outside of Cabinet business. It is good at some point that we, as politicians, see how we are protected from the anonymous vulgar toxicity of the internet when we seek to potentially take criminal action, should we see fit, against websites or alleged accounts and run into a wall because no one can trace who is really behind those accounts. That is something, Minister, that we need to look at.<\/p>\n
I think it is the natural counterweight to what we are proposing and legislating today. Because our goal is to shield the good of free expression, while, of course, continuing to strengthen, as I said, the legal counterbalances against the vilification of anybody. But anyone who moves in Greece knows very well that in our country, par excellence, freedom of expression is fully protected and guaranteed.<\/p>\n
Two initiatives of the Ministry of Culture, dear Lina, which are of particular importance. They have an artistic but, I would say, also an economic dimension.<\/p>\n
The first concerns the establishment of the Professional School of Cinema and Audiovisual Creation. It is a continuation of the recent establishment of the Higher School of Performing Arts, a project that we had been working on for many years. It was with great pleasure that I met with the representatives of the performing arts and saw their satisfaction, because we are finally taking this step.<\/p>\n
And of course, we have a second five-year action plan, entitled “Greece on Screen”. I think it’s an ambitious strategy for cinema and it has a significant multiplier effect on the economy itself. I went back to the figures: in seven years we have 350 productions that have generated 3,000 full-time jobs.<\/p>\n
And of course the direction we have given is to support both domestic productions and productions from abroad, which offer the country a huge opportunity for, essentially, free advertising.<\/p>\n
I think there is still considerable scope there to attract other productions – this is also linked to the promotion of our tourism product – from countries such as China, India possibly, who will express interest in shooting film productions in our country.<\/p>\n
I stand here to get into the agenda and also to wish the new members of the Cabinet good luck. Mr. Schinas, Mr. Tourna, good luck.<\/p>\n
.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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