The Annual Ordinary General Assembly of the Hellenic Association of Entrepreneurs (EENE) was held on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the residence of the Honorary President of EENE, Mr. Vasilis Apostolopoulos, in the presence of the members of the Association, representatives of the government, the business community, and distinguished personalities from Greece and abroad.
During the Assembly, the Administrative and Financial Report of the Association was approved, the progress of the previous year's actions was presented, and the strategic goals of EENE for the next period were developed, with the main focus on strengthening the competitiveness of the Greek economy and creating a stable, friendly, and productive business environment.
The Assembly was opened by the President of EENE, Mr. Kritsian Chatziminas, who thanked the members for their continued trust and participation, emphasizing that EENE remains an independent, well-documented, and reliable institutional interlocutor of the State, with the sole aim of strengthening the Greek productive economy.
Statement of the President
In his speech, the President of EENE, Mr. Kritsian Chatziminas, emphasized that Greece is at a critical turning point, where maintaining high growth rates requires a new productive model, based on investments, innovation, technology, and the enhancement of productivity.
As he mentioned, EENE continues to submit well-documented policy proposals that create incentives for growth, without fiscal burdens, contributing to the formation of a more competitive business environment.
In this context, he mentioned the five main positions of the Association, which concern:
• the reduction of marginal taxation on the increase of business profits,
• the zero marginal wage cost for acquiring certified digital skills (upskilling),
• the gradual abolition of tax prepayment for businesses,
• the acceleration of investments in innovation, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation,
• as well as the substantial connection of education with the needs of the labor market through closer cooperation between the State, businesses, and the academic community.
Mr. Chatziminas noted that these positions will form the main axis of the 10th Economic Conference of EENE, which will be held in Berlin, with the participation of representatives of the Greek and European business community, academics, and distinguished economists. The aim of the Conference is to open a substantial dialogue on the reforms required for the Greek economy to strengthen its competitiveness and shape a sustainable development model for the next decade.
The General Assembly was honored by the presence of the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Ms. Niki Kerameos, who referred to the challenges and opportunities of the Greek labor market, placing particular emphasis on the need for continuous upgrading of the skills of human resources, the connection of education with the real needs of businesses, and the importance of close cooperation between the State and the productive bodies of the country.
Statement of the Minister
During her address, the Minister emphasized the close and productive cooperation developed in recent years with EENE, specifically stating:
“I believe that the country has a lot to gain from EENE, and I say this directly. Its proposals have helped both the labor market and the business environment. In particular, I view with great interest the proposal regarding reskilling and upskilling, especially in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Advisor to the Prime Minister of Italy & leading geopolitical analyst
Marco Vicenzino, Global Strategy Expert & Advisor to Italian PM, Georgia Meloni, had a lively dialogue with Pavlos Efthymiou, where he focused particularly on the relations and cooperation of the two countries within the EU framework, as well as the role they play in the Mediterranean. He also spoke about the geopolitical challenges affecting modern economies on a global scale and that in this context, the interventions of institutional bodies such as EENE are important.
The General Director of EENE, Mr. Pavlos Efthymiou and the General Secretary of EENE Thomas Apostolidis, presented the main points of the annual report, highlighting the continuous strengthening of the Association's extroversion, the development of new collaborations, and its active contribution to the formulation of well-documented public policy proposals.
In the context of the General Assembly, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between EENE, represented by its Honorary President Vasilis Apostolopoulos, and CSR HELLAS, represented by the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Ms. Alexandra Palli.
EENE confirmed its commitment to continue to act as a bridge of cooperation between the business community and the State, promoting policies that enhance productivity, competitiveness, and the sustainable development of the Greek economy.