Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis stressed the need for Greece to continue on a path of economic growth and political stability, with a programme combining realism and new ideas. He was speaking in a special interview at the 9th Athens Investment Forum, co-organised by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) and Vertical Solutions at the Athens Concert Hall.
During the discussion, Mr Hatzidakis spoke about the next election and New Democracy’s programme, the rise in private investment in Greece in recent years, and the need to sustain growth momentum even after the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
He also set out priorities for raising wages, highlighting major infrastructure projects, including the redevelopment of Elaionas, measures to ease congestion on the Kifissos and extensions to the rail network.
He also highlighted the priorities of Greece’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2027.
“New Democracy will seek a third term, recognising that voter fatigue after two terms in government is a reality.
I believe, then, that Greeks will decide based on the progress of their country, but also that of their household — on how their family can move forward safely.
So, in the end, the choice is not between stability and uncertainty for us. It is between hope — realistic hope with New Democracy — and the uncertainty of a lack of government on the other side.”.
Mr Hatzidakis insisted on the need for fiscal responsibility, saying the country could not return to making promises it could not keep.
“The goal is a competitive and productive economy, with more jobs and better wages.”
Investment, wages and economic resilience, with private investment up 95% in the past seven years
On high prices and international economic pressures, he said support for households and businesses would continue in line with the country’s fiscal capacity.
He said raising the minimum and average wages remained a firm goal, while further increases depended on growth in the national economy.
Mr Hatzidakis highlighted a 95% rise in investment over the past seven years and a near tripling of foreign direct investment compared with 2019.
He said new investment was not confined to tourism and real estate, but was also flowing into new technologies, data centres and pharmaceuticals.
On the period after the Recovery and Resilience Facility, he made clear there would be no fiscal gap and announced a substantial increase in national funding for the Public Investment Programme.
He nevertheless stressed the need to further boost private investment, which is estimated to rise from 10%-11% of GDP in 2019 to around 18% in 2026.
He also recalled the target set by the prime minister of increasing it from €45bn to €65bn over the coming years.
“The key is to have private investment. That is why our goal is to increase it further, so we can keep the engine running, with investment and new jobs.
After all, trust is clearly the foundation of all this effort and discussion. For someone to come and invest, they need to feel that their money will be put to good use.”.
Major projects in Attica and the infrastructure of the future
Among the projects set to change the face of Attica, Mr Hatzidakis singled out the comprehensive redevelopment of Elaionas, which will include not only Panathinaikos’s stadium, but also the relocation of the KTEL bus station and the establishment of logistics companies.
To ease congestion on the Kifissos, he said a new bypass road was needed from Eleusis to Oinoi, and also identified the Hymettus tunnel as a major project.
He also spoke about extensions of the Metro to Ilion and western Athens, as well as to the southern suburbs.
On rail, he announced that more than 25 new trains would be added to the Athens–Thessaloniki network in 2027, along with extensions to the network in northern Greece and the Peloponnese.
He also referred to the redevelopment of the Thessaloniki International Fair and the Metro and Flyover projects in Thessaloniki.
“We are trying to speak through our work. I think results-driven policies are the best hope we can offer Greek citizens.”.
Priorities for Greece’s EU presidency
Finally, on the main priorities for Greece’s presidency of the EU, the deputy prime minister put the competitiveness of the European economy high on the agenda, saying Europe needed to strengthen its position against the US and China.
Other priorities included defence and security, migration, social resilience, the effects of artificial intelligence, as well as shipping and maritime security, given their impact on fuel movements and prices.