Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he is setting his sights on a third term after he announced a set of welfare policies to help Greeks deal with the housing crisis.
Drawing confidence from Greece’s economic performance, he told daily Proto Thema that Greeks can expect better days ahead.
“As long as the economy continues performing well, without fiscal instability, and as long as foreign rating agencies continue to defy global trends by upgrading Greece, citizens can look forward to better days ahead,” Mitsotakis said.
Greece reported a mammoth 2024 primary budget surplus, thanks to higher tax revenues and a growing economy, according to newly released data by Eurostat and the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Tuesday.
The conservative New Democracy government aims to announce tax cuts for middle-class relief at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair in September, the prime minister said.
These tax cuts will be funded by increased revenues driven not by higher taxes, but “economic growth and a sharp reduction in tax and social security evasion,” he said.
Mitsotakis to seek this term in Greece
Commenting on his political aspirations, Mitsotakis noted: “I am determined to lead New Democracy and seek – as long as the Greek people place their trust in us once again – a third term as Prime Minister. If you ask the reasonable question, ‘Why?’—it’s because I believe in the great effort that began in earnest six years ago.”
The next parliamentary elections are scheduled in 2027.
Mitsotakis outlined plans for housing benefits for young renters, including annual rent rebates to encourage full lease declarations. “Let’s not kid ourselves,” he said, “there is still a lot of shadow economy in the rental market.”
Moreover, about 1.5 million low-income pensioners, uninsured elders and individuals with disabilities will be supported with a yearly 250-euro ($287) assistance bonus, while Greece’s Public Investments Program will be boosted with an additional 500 million euros ($574 million) in order to speed up public projects and social programs, which in turn will create additional jobs.
Opposition slams Mitsotakis’ “charity handouts”
However, opposition parties slammed Mitsotakis’s welfare pledges, accusing the government of using “charity handouts” for political gain.
Socialist PASOK, leftist SYRIZA, the Communist Party (KKE), and other opposition voices each presented counterproposals focused on structural reforms in housing, social inclusion, and regional development.
SYRIZA’s Katerina Notopoulou called the welfare plans a bid for political survival, while PASOK emphasized the need for systemic social policy.
Other parties issued blistering remarks, with some branding the announcements as “communication spectacles” or condemning the government as protectors of oligarchs.
As parliamentary debate looms, opposition parties are expected to introduce amendments and proposals to reshape or counter the government’s agenda, continuing a pattern of heightened polarization.
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