The Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, outlined the government’s overall strategy for tackling the unprecedented international energy crisis, supporting Greek households and enhancing Greece’s geopolitical and energy standing in an interview on Open TV today.
Mr Papastavrou described the scale of the international turmoil, citing the head of the International Energy Agency, who said the energy crisis we are experiencing today is unprecedented.
“It is far bigger than the crises of 1973, 1979 or 2022. We are in the biggest energy crisis we have ever faced. In this storm, no one can remain isolated”, the minister said.
On measures to ease the burden on consumers, the minister stressed that the government was using every available bit of fiscal headroom without putting the country’s stability at risk.
“This 40-cent reduction in the price of heating oil is the greatest assistance provided to citizens so far. No comparable measure has been introduced in any other European country, and Greece ranks third in Europe in terms of the scale of support”, he said.
Since the start of the crisis, he said, €1.4 billion has been made available, including €862 million for emergency energy measures.
The support package for fuel subsidies in the second half of October amounts to €46 million, with a further €52 million for a 30% increase in the heating allowance for winter 2026-27.
“Kyriakos Mitsotakis is safeguarding the country’s economic and political stability. We are moving forward prudently and in a coordinated manner, leaving no one behind”, he said.
Turning to Greece’s fiscal credibility, the minister stressed the need to abide by the rules, citing the country’s low borrowing costs (3.8% on its five-year bond) compared with those of other major European economies.
“The markets trust Greece far more than countries that lectured us ten years ago. We will not put our country through turmoil again”, he said, among other things.
Responding to opposition criticism over the progress of major energy infrastructure projects, Mr Papastavrou presented operational data for the Vertical Corridor, which, he said, “is here and up and running”.
He said, “if we compare September 2026 with September 2025, natural gas exports from Greece have increased by 169%, the overwhelming majority of which goes north via the Vertical Corridor. Greece’s energy infrastructure is being used to the full. So what are we talking about?
There are countries that want to receive natural gas, and they will — the figures confirm it. The question is this: do we want them to receive it via Greece or via Turkey? We need to take a position on this. As a minister in the Greek government, I am working precisely to ensure they receive it from Greece”.
The minister also placed particular emphasis on the energy escape clause, noting that Greece is leading the European debate on tackling the crisis and seeking greater flexibility.
“Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was the first in Europe to raise the issue of activating the escape clause. Greece is the first country for which the escape clause has been approved. We are now seeking further flexibility so that these funds can be targeted at providing immediate support for the consumption needs of vulnerable households”, he said, among other things.
The minister also addressed foreign policy and energy infrastructure, making clear that Greece would not seek Turkey’s permission for the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnector.
“Full stop. Absolutely. We are proceeding as planned, in line with our roadmap, with the involvement of international giants such as France’s Meridiam and the full support of the US”, he said. On exploration south of Crete and the reactions from Libya, he said “we exercise our sovereign rights on the ground, with a plan and confidence, and they are not subject to anyone’s scrutiny or approval”.
Finally, on Greek-US relations, following the departure of Kimberly Guilfoyle, until recently the US ambassador to Greece, Mr Papastavrou said “the decision of any government to choose who will represent it or to recall them is entirely its own, and clearly I cannot comment. It has to do with how each elected government decides on its representatives”. He reiterated that relations between Greece and the US are at their strongest point in history.
“They are strategic, strong relations, grounded in the deep-rooted ties between the two peoples in defence and energy”, he concluded.