Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his post on the weekly review of the government's work refers, among other things, to the upgrade of the Greek economy, to the discussion that took place in Parliament on the Constitutional Revision and the stance of the opposition, and to the issue of high prices and specifically to the measures that the government will announce for heating oil and an increase in the heating allowance.
“In the coming days we will announce an important intervention by the government and the refineries for heating oil, so that the starting price is set below 1.75 euros per liter, lower than the level at which last year's period closed. At the same time, we are proceeding with a horizontal increase in the heating allowance, not only for those who use oil, but also for households heated with other forms of energy” the prime minister states.
“We are also extending the subsidy on diesel for the whole of October. Of course, even if a government has fiscal reserves, the scale of the problem makes a European intervention necessary, and I insist on this. If the European Union allows extraordinary national interventions, without these being counted within spending limits, we could also consider the temporary reduction of fuel taxation” he adds.
Referring to the stance of the opposition on the Constitutional Revision he notes: “And yet, we saw forces that define themselves as serious and responsible not supporting even changes with which, in essence, they agree or which they have included in their program.”
“The opposition obviously has every right to submit its own proposals. This is democracy. But when you declare that Article 16 must change, that the responsibility of ministers needs to be treated differently and that Justice must be further shielded, you cannot at the same time choose ‘present’ and make every change more difficult. This is exactly what happened. It is a logic beneath the circumstances” the prime minister adds.
Following is the prime minister's full post
“Now that you are reading the review, in Greece it is 10 in the morning. In San Francisco the day has just changed. So, technically, you already know more about Sunday than I do. Good morning then, or good night, depending on which side of the Atlantic one sees it from. I am here where, among other things, I will have contacts with leading high-tech companies, before going to New York for the UN General Assembly. But let's get to the news of the week!
I will start with two good pieces of news for the Greek economy. In just one twenty-four-hour period, Moody's upgraded our country's outlook, while Scope upgraded its credit rating. I wrote yesterday as well that these two upgrades are yet another confirmation of the progress our economy has made in recent years. And above all of the distance we have covered since the time when Greece was outside investment grade and borrowed on much more unfavorable terms. I understand that all this may sound somewhat technical, but it matters because the more reliable the country is considered, the more cheaply it can borrow, the more easily it attracts investments and the greater the economy's possibilities to grow. And this, at the end of the road, means more jobs, better wages and more resources for Health, Education and the welfare state.
The country has changed and continues to change and this is not something that concerns only the economy. One of the next major steps is the Constitutional Revision, which we discussed in Parliament this week. An issue that, normally, should unite us more than it divides us, because it does not concern a government or an opposition, but the rules by which the country will operate for many years. And yet, we saw forces that define themselves as serious and responsible not supporting even changes with which, in essence, they agree or which they have included in their program. The opposition obviously has every right to submit its own proposals. This is democracy. But when you declare that Article 16 must change, that the responsibility of ministers needs to be treated differently and that Justice must be further shielded, you cannot at the same time choose ‘present’ and make every change more difficult. This is exactly what happened. It is a logic beneath the circumstances. Citizens, however, see and judge. And I hope that in the next Parliament this opportunity will not be lost, but will oblige everyone to stand with greater responsibility toward the country.
I now turn to the issue of high prices. In the coming days we will announce an important intervention by the government and the refineries for heating oil, so that the starting price is set below 1.75 euros per liter, lower than the level at which last year's period closed. At the same time, we are proceeding with a horizontal increase in the heating allowance, not only for those who use oil, but also for households heated with other forms of energy. The greater support is permanently directed to the areas where needs are increased due to climatic conditions. We are also extending the subsidy on diesel for the whole of October. Of course, even if a government has fiscal reserves, the scale of the problem makes a European intervention necessary, and I insist on this. If the European Union allows extraordinary national interventions, without these being counted within spending limits, we could also consider the temporary reduction of fuel taxation.
Besides, it is not the first time that Greece has raised in Europe an issue that goes beyond its national borders. We already see it in the effort to protect children from the dangers of digital addiction and social media. Our country took the lead in this discussion. With KidsWallet we created a functional age verification mechanism and raised early on the need for a common European “digital age of majority.” It is important that the European Commission's proposal now adopts this basic principle: autonomous social media accounts from age 15 onward, with stricter restrictions for younger ages, but also with greater corporate responsibility on the part of the platforms. It is a very important message at a time when warnings about the capabilities of artificial intelligence have multiplied.
But on migration too, our positions are being vindicated and heard. At the European level, I was pleased to hear the President of the European Commission announce that she will propose a European emergency response mechanism in cases of massive and instrumentalized migratory flows, as happened in 2021 in Evros and recently in Ceuta. It is a proposal that I had already formulated at the beginning of August, with an article of mine in Politico. Because when a member state receives such pressure at its borders, it is not defending only its own borders. It is defending the European borders. And Europe must have a ready, common response. Let me also say that the Council of State judged constitutional the mandatory registration of NGOs in the Registry of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, as well as the audit of their financial data. It is an important victory for transparency, oversight and accountability. Whoever is active in such a sensitive field cannot operate without rules and without oversight.
I am changing the subject completely and moving, mentally this time, to Kastellorizo, the easternmost edge of Greece and the European Union, where last Sunday we presented a comprehensive plan of 37 projects of strategic importance. Of these, I single out the permanent annual income incentive of 5,000 euros for all residents and public employees, the security forces and the Armed Forces. I believe that it is a practical way to support those who choose to live and serve in a place with great difficulties but also great importance for the country. The effort to strengthen the Region concerns all the islands, the mountainous areas, the small towns and the villages that need better infrastructure, services and more opportunities. This means, in practice, giving people the possibility to stay, return or choose to build their lives there, feeling safe. In Psara, for example, the new Multi-Purpose Regional Clinic, worth 2.1 million euros, comes to respond to the self-evident need that no one, wherever they live, should feel deprived of quality health and care services.
In Porto Germeno, which was severely tested by the great fire of August, anti-erosion and anti-flood works worth 2 million euros have already begun, with Piraeus Bank as contractor. The goal is for the critical interventions to be completed before the intense autumn and winter rainfall. The works concern 4,189 stremmas and 10 streams, with the cooperation of the State, local government and the Forestry Service. At the same time, we are giving a breathing space for twelve months to citizens and businesses affected by the fires of July and August, suspending every act of compulsory execution on their movable or immovable property, with the exception of maintenance claims, for those who have been certified as affected and have been included in state aid or in housing assistance and household compensation programs.
At the core of our strategy, however, is also the big picture of the country's digital and productive transformation. Greece is entering more dynamically than ever the global map of Data Centers, thanks to the agreement of PPC with Amazon Web Services for the creation of one of the largest Data Processing Centers in Western Macedonia, in Agios Dimitrios. An important investment that will bring new and well-paid jobs, keeping young scientists in their homeland. Here let me also say, since I am referring to investments, that our homeland is achieving the best performance in the European Union as regards the evaluation times of investment plans, now completing them within 45 to 90 days. Through the new development law, we have already approved 928 investment plans with a total budget of 3.1 billion euros, with public support reaching 1.5 billion euros, creating the conditions to secure at least 15,000 high-productivity jobs.
On Thursday we also had the pleasure of inaugurating officially the country's most modern Sports Park, the “Ellinikon Sports Park”, which will be enjoyed not only by the residents of the municipalities neighboring Elliniko, but by all of Attica. In an area of 200 stremmas, with football, basketball, track and tennis facilities, athletes and clubs can exercise, but also families with children, people of every age who want to work out, walk or spend time outdoors. It is the first major project of the Elliniko redevelopment to be delivered to the daily life of citizens and we are very proud of it.
We are also proud of our athletes, men and women, for their impressive presence at the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto. Greece won 71 medals, 26 gold, 26 silver and 19 bronze, and, for the first time, came third in the overall standings among 27 countries. Many congratulations to them, their coaches and the Federations. And since we are talking about sports, the “Sports for All” programs are continuing this year as well, for children, adults, elderly people, people with disabilities and socially vulnerable groups. Already 115 Municipalities responded, with 829 Physical Education graduates undertaking 6,584 approved programs, in which it is estimated that about 150,000 participants will take part.
I close with something beautiful for Athens. The great archaeological site of Kerameikos was returned once again to the residents and visitors of the city, fully upgraded and accessible to people with mobility and visual disabilities. New routes were created, ancient remains were highlighted, 1,000 trees and shrubs were planted, while from the new exit on Agion Asomaton the sarcophagus of Philotera, one of the most important funerary monuments of Roman-era Kerameikos, is being exhibited for the first time. A project that had been pending for years was completed with resources from the Recovery Fund. Together with the Pnyx, the Ancient Agora, the Acropolis and the National Garden, Kerameikos makes Athens a little more open, more accessible and more beautiful. If you have time, include it in your walk today. Have a good day!”