Mitsotakis Sets Four Priorities After Re-election in Greece

Newly re-elected Kyriakos Mitsotakis set out his government’s top priorities for Greece during the first cabinet meeting after the elections held on Wednesday.

The newly-formed cabinet, following the general election on June 25 and the subsequent swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Mansion on Tuesday, gathered in full composition.

“We are proud and grateful for the choice made by the Greek people,” Mitsotakis said at the beginning of his speech. “Greeks have unequivocally rejected false promises and have shown remarkable maturity by endorsing behaviors that prioritize honesty,” he added.

After his triumph in the Sunday vote, he told his ministers that the second term in government will be one of “efficiency and big steps forward.”

“We have no right to disappoint the citizens who placed their trust in us,” the prime minister said, while recommending “few words and much work” and stressing that “our government’s work must not be sacrificed on the altar of communication.”

“Our only opponents are the problems and possible mistakes,” he said, noting that “society has handed us the baton of its future” and that “we are starting responsibly but also optimistically.”

Mitsotakis reiterated that the government’s first bill will concern the state and how it will become more efficient and the second will reflect central financial commitments of the entire four-year period, such as the return of Athens and Thessaloniki water companies, EYDAP and EYATH, respectively, to public control.

Mitsotakis outlines “4 pillars” as priorities for Greece

Setting the tone for the next four years, Mitsotakis outlined the government blueprint, which revolves around four key pillars: “improved wages, enhanced public health, a better-functioning state, and a better quality of life in a strong Greece.”

During the cabinet meeting, the new ministers received the so-called “blue folders,” which provide a comprehensive overview of priorities for each ministry along with their respective timelines for implementation.

Particular emphasis is placed on the field of the economy, and in this regard, Mitsotakis will commence a series of visits to key ministries starting Wednesday afternoon.

The conservative leader mentioned that if it weren’t for the negative experiment of simple proportional representation – an electoral system introduced by the previous SYRIZA government that was ditched by the subsequent conservative administration – Greece would have already had a single-party government in May.

Regarding the composition of the new parliament, which includes a significant representation of far-right parties, he remarked, “The political system has the ability to safeguard itself, and parliamentary democracy exposes false idols.”