In his Sunday review, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlights Greece’s transformation into an energy hub, the Crete security plan, the digital work card expansion, reforms in justice, and local development projects worth €748 million.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his weekly Sunday review, referred to a “historic two-day period” marking Greece’s establishment as an energy hub. He emphasized three key points: the strategic role of Greece in the “Vertical Corridor” energy route connecting Southeastern Europe, the start of exploratory drilling for natural gas northwest of Corfu with ExxonMobil, and the continued commitment to the green transition through renewable energy expansion.
Mitsotakis also addressed recent tragic events in Crete, announcing a 12-point government plan to combat illegal gun possession and youth violence. Measures include stricter penalties, enhanced policing, and new educational initiatives from the next school year.
On labor issues, he announced the expansion of the digital work card to four additional sectors, now covering 1.85 million employees in 280,000 businesses. The reform has already led to the declaration and proper payment of over 3.5 million overtime hours.
Regarding agriculture, Greece submitted to the European Commission an action plan to modernize the management of OPEKEPE subsidies, introducing a new digital geospatial map and cross-checking systems to combat fraud.
In the justice sector, an emergency competition will fill 80 positions at the Piraeus Court of First Instance, while a €600 million program for new and renovated court buildings is underway in Attica and across Greece.
Finally, the Prime Minister presented a €748 million local development plan in Drama, including infrastructure projects, business support, and healthcare upgrades. He concluded with optimism, emphasizing Greece’s resilience and continuous progress.
The entire post of Kyriakos Mitsotakis:
Some weeks I feel that they pass faster than others, you almost don’t manage to realize how many things happened. This week I dare say had everything. Moments of pride, but also moments that remind us that the responsibility of governance is never an easy matter.
I will start positive. Many things were said and many more will be said about this historic two day period which fit inside 48 hours efforts of years to turn our homeland into an energy hub for the wider region. I would like you to keep 3 basic conclusions:
First: what we lived in Athens was a loud confirmation of the central role of our homeland on the international energy scene. Greece, thanks to political stability, the mutual trust with the USA, our significant energy infrastructures but also the strength of Greek shipping, undertakes to transfer American energy to our continent in cooperation with the USA.
The “Vertical Corridor”, an energy corridor that connects Greece-Bulgaria-Romania-Moldova-Ukraine and also Slovakia-Hungary starting from Alexandroupolis, is going to become the central energy artery of Eastern Europe and a basic tool for the energy disengagement of the continent from Russian gas.
Thus we ensure energy and geopolitical security for our homeland for many years. Our consistent position against the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the energy dependency of Europe on Russia is rewarded.
Second: for the first time after 40 years exploratory drillings begin for the utilization of possible offshore natural gas deposits northwest of Corfu, in cooperation with the American energy colossus Exxon Mobil. If the forecasts for significant deposits are confirmed, Greece can cover its needs in natural gas for many years. An agreement that would not have become reality if we had not secured our sovereign rights in the context of the EEZ agreement Greece-Italy in 2020.
In our regional news now, for shaping local development plans: this week the government was in Drama, where the local development plan was presented, a complete plan of 748 million euros with infrastructure projects, support policies and loans for businesses. Stand out the vertical axis Drama-Amphipolis, where the 250 million euro PPP competition runs, and the Urban Solid Waste Treatment Unit of Kavala, of 44 million euros, which will also serve Drama.
In the sector of Health, works proceed for the new Dialysis Unit in Drama Hospital and the upgrade of the Primary Health Centres of Paranesti, Kato Nevrokopi and Prosotsani is completed. At the same time we set in motion the reopening of the Kallithea camps with the cooperation of the Metropolis and the Municipality of Prosotsani, while in the city of Drama, which every September hosts the international short film festival, we are creating a hub for audiovisual arts in the former Andrıkakis camp. We keep our cities and villages alive, because strong region means strong Greece.
I close this review with realism, but also optimism. There are difficulties, yes. However there is also the will to overcome them, all together. Without forgetting, at the same time, the positives we accomplish. In this Greece, after all, I believe: in a country that is not afraid to change, and does not stop moving forward. Good morning!
Third: these developments enhance the energy sovereignty and security of our country, investing in diversifying energy sources. In no case do they lead to suspension of our plan for the green transition. After all also there, in the field of RES, Greece remains pioneer at global level with the exponential increase of the share of photovoltaics and wind investments in the national energy mix.
All these developments and investments are not numbers on paper. They translate into thousands of new, well paid jobs for our fellow citizens, into better salaries, into development for local societies, into better energy prices for households and businesses. Into a new national wealth which will support the younger generations. This is the modern and responsible patriotism.
Reality, however, does not allow us to complacent. Because at the same time we move forward, there are wounds that open and remind us how much work we still have to do as a society. The week was stained, unfortunately, with blood in my homeland, Crete, wounding all of Greece and its culture. Because we know well that in our days illegal gun possession constitutes falsification, distortion and insult of our tradition. “Manliness / bravery” in my place is pride and the fight for good. Not revenge. And weapons the Cretans always kept them to defend against the invader on the island. Not to turn them against their fellow local.
As has already been announced, the government will implement a 12 point plan which aims at prevention, with specific interventions in the education of our children in Crete, the strengthening of policing but also legislative provisions that toughen gun possession and the penal treatment of those who possess and use weapons illegally. The offense of illegal possession of revolver or pistol is transformed into felony. Police action on the island will be strengthened. It will also be allowed the voluntary surrender of undeclared weaponry, without penal sanctions. While all over Crete, from the new school year, there will be a special course against youth delinquency and violence with the contribution of psychologists, as well as special parent schools.
However, civil society must also be activated. With the first word belonging to the families themselves. The new generation of Cretans must be convinced that “vendettas” and vigilante justice are waste of bygone times which do not honor anyone. As well as feel that “machismo” is not to shoot, not even in the air in a celebration. But to prosper, reproducing today the good instead of the bad versions of yesterday.
I do not have illusions of course. It will be a difficult and long effort. Only thus however will we achieve someday that delinquent behaviors of minorities will not find place anymore in our daily life. I do not want anyone to think we are targeting Crete. But we cannot anymore bypass a phenomenon that costs lives and consider it “normal” because once “that’s how it was in Crete”. The Crete of today is much more than mindsets of yesterday.
I change completely subject now and continue with the digital work card which expanded since last Monday into another 4 basic sectors of the economy: energy, wholesale and retail commerce, financial and insurance activities and administrative and support services in tourism. With this expansion, more than 1,850,000 employees in 280,000 businesses are now covered.
The effectiveness of the reform is already visible: more than 3.5 million hours of overtime are declared and paid normally. And of course, where the digital card is not applied, there is a fine of 10,500 euros per employee.
The Action Plan for the full modernization of the management and control system of agricultural subsidies was submitted to the European Commission, a step that marks a new beginning for agricultural support. In cooperation with the community authorities we formed a reliable and transparent framework, which includes the creation of a new digital geospatial map of the country for clear separation of eligible and non eligible land, new way of recording sheep and goats with electronic “bolus”, more and more targeted controls from mixed teams and other tools for the determination of ownership of farmland via cross checks with the National Cadastre and other digital bases. At the same time ELAS and the Ministry for Citizen Protection announced that the number of charges for illegal subsidies has now reached 1,670 and the amount of money returned exceeds 33 million euros.
As we have said, we will take the knife to the bone so that our country is not disgraced again from such behaviors and agricultural support go exclusively to real and honest farmers.
I move to the sector of Justice and to the emergency competition which is announced for the coverage of 80 positions of judicial employees in the Court of First Instance of Piraeus. At the same time, with the new provision which was voted this year, for the first time the candidate judicial employees who choose to serve in areas with increased needs, such as islands, mountainous or small municipalities, will have increase in their final success grade. We know there are gaps, but efforts are made year by year for them to be covered.
Also very important is the program of construction and upgrading of court buildings for Attica which was presented a few days ago by the leadership of the Ministry. The projects in Attica, along with those we announced a few days ago for the rest of Greece, raise the economic size of all building interventions to about 600 million euros.
We are talking about renovation of existing buildings, such as the Court of First Instance of Athens at the former Evelpidon School, in Peristeri and in Koropi, and construction of new court buildings such as that in Piraeus, where the works proceed within timelines.
In January the Council of State moves into the new renovated building of Arsakeio and this is a huge contribution of the Ministry of Justice to the architectural heritage of our country.
Attica acquires infrastructures which can meet the modern needs of this big change which was made with the Judicial Map. Judges, employees, lawyers deserve to have very decent spaces, and Justice to be delivered in a manner worthy of its mission.
One of the most successful energy saving programs, “I change Heating System and Water Heater”, starts with even greater dynamics. Due to the very large participation – approximately 192,000 applications have already been submitted – we increased the budget of the program by 424 million euros, reaching in total 647 million. At the same time we also give extension to the voucher redemption timeline, until April 30, 2026. Our goal is every household to have the ability to reduce energy cost, contributing to a more green everyday life.
In our regional news now, for shaping local development plans: this week the government was in Drama, where the local development plan was presented, a complete plan of 748 million euros with infrastructure projects, support policies and loans for businesses. Stand out the vertical axis Drama-Amphipolis, where the 250 million euro PPP competition runs, and the Urban Solid Waste Treatment Unit of Kavala, of 44 million euros, which will also serve Drama.
In the sector of Health, works proceed for the new Dialysis Unit in Drama Hospital and the upgrade of the Primary Health Centres of Paranesti, Kato Nevrokopi and Prosotsani is completed. At the same time we set in motion the reopening of the Kallithea camps with the cooperation of the Metropolis and the Municipality of Prosotsani, while in the city of Drama, which every September hosts the international short film festival, we are creating a hub for audiovisual arts in the former Andrıkakis camp. We keep our cities and villages alive, because strong region means strong Greece.
I close this review with realism, but also optimism. There are difficulties, yes. However there is also the will to overcome them, all together. Without forgetting, at the same time, the positives we accomplish. In this Greece, after all, I believe: in a country that is not afraid to change, and does not stop moving forward. Good morning!