PM’s weekly review avoids Parliament and flotilla detention controversy

The focus of the post was the decision to extend the ‘My Home II’ programme until the end of August for applications that have already been approved but are facing delays due to bureaucratic procedures. As the prime minister announced, the extension will be financed through national resources via the Hellenic Development Bank, rather than from the Recovery Fund.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also presented a series of government interventions in social policy and public health, referring to the expansion of the ‘Personal Assistant’ programme, renovated emergency departments and health centres, as well as what he described as the largest announcement of permanent medical staff positions in the history of the National Health System.

The prime minister’s post in full:

‘Good morning! One Sunday without a review was enough for many developments and several important issues to accumulate. So today I will try to say as much as I can and as quickly as possible.

‘I start with the “My Home II” programme. As I told you two reviews ago, 2 June 2026 has been set as the deadline for the signing of loan contracts, so that not a single euro of Recovery Fund resources is lost. However, we have heard the concerns of citizens who have already been approved for the programme but are facing delays in contracts, inspections or property transfers. That is why we are now giving already approved applications the opportunity to be completed by the end of August, with financing from national resources through the Hellenic Development Bank. Simply put, those who have already entered the programme will not lose the opportunity to acquire their home because of procedural delays. In addition to the housing issue, I should say that the first eight DYPA properties in Paiania, Larissa, Pyrgos and Kalamata have also been “locked in” and will be utilised through social compensation. It is estimated that approximately 400 new apartments will be created from these properties, of which around 130 will be allocated to our vulnerable fellow citizens.

‘Another social support programme, the “Personal Assistant”, is being strengthened ahead of its expansion from June, with total resources of €55m, €50m per year and an additional €5m for support projects. The pilot phase of the programme showed in practice how important this service is for people with disabilities and their families, both at home and in everyday social and professional life. For many of our fellow citizens, the “Personal Assistant” means greater autonomy, more freedom of movement and more meaningful participation in society. And this is exactly what is sought.

‘I now come to public health, where we have already received 28 renovated emergency departments and 55 health centres to date, with the latest this week being the two upgraded emergency departments in hospitals outside Attica, at G Gennimatas in Thessaloniki and at the General Hospital of Naoussa. Of course, the strengthening of the National Health System is not limited only to building infrastructure and equipment, but also concerns personnel. Some of what we have done: a few days ago, the largest call for permanent medical staff positions in the history of the National Health System was issued, with 1,131 positions in one day. In addition, National Health System doctors saw in their payslips the difference resulting from the independent taxation of on-call shifts voted for by our government, with the average annual tax relief reaching approximately €7,000. This is a substantial increase in their disposable income, perhaps the largest in recent years. And very soon we will also submit the provision for the inclusion of National Health System nursing staff and Emergency Medical Service staff in the heavy and unhealthy occupations category, satisfying their fair and longstanding demand.

‘Our decision to extend for another year the DYPA programme through which 500 ambulance workers were hired in National Health System hospitals last year is also very important. Their contribution was essential in reducing delays in patient transfers and in improving the functioning of emergency departments, especially in hospitals under increased pressure. At the same time, this means that 500 unemployed fellow citizens have jobs, both young people and many over the age of 50 who face difficulties re-entering the labour market.

‘One issue leads me to another, and that is how I come to the labour market and the expansion of collective agreements in the food service and confectionery sectors, which affects more than 400,000 employees. The two new agreements cover the three-year period 2026–28 and, for those employed in the country’s tourist and food service establishments, who are the majority, wages increase by up to almost 20% compared with the statutory minimum wage, with increases in benefits, while around 23,000 workers are beneficiaries in the confectionery sector and will also receive wage increases of 9% over the three-year period, with all benefits adjusted upwards.

‘Also important for the labour market is its connection with education. One way to build this connection is the “Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class”, where, for 2026–27, the submission of positions by businesses and private-sector bodies began earlier than in any other year. Our goal is for more and more vocational high school graduates to gain real work experience and substantial professional prospects in specialisms that the economy and production need.

‘Public transport is the next topic for today. And here I can say that something is finally beginning to change in the image of Athens’ public transport. In 2023, we committed that more than 1,000 new buses would be on the streets of the capital by the end of the four-year term. Today, they have already reached 1,076. At the same time, the substantial upgrade of the old “Electric” railway is also beginning, and the first fully reconstructed train will enter service next month, while another 13 will be added within the next year. I am obviously not claiming that all the problems were solved overnight. However, it is the first time in many years that such a large and organised effort has been made to renew the fleet and Athens’ public transport as a whole.

‘I will change subject and come to the solution we provided to a problem that had plagued thousands of active farmers, mainly in Thessaly and Macedonia, but also in other regions. With an amendment submitted to Parliament, it is now possible for producers who cultivate land that appears in the Land Registry as initially owned by the state, and who until now were excluded from subsidies, to receive subsidies normally. This is a chronic distortion that we are correcting with objective criteria, so that people who actually cultivate the land do not lose the subsidies to which they are entitled because of decades of bureaucratic delays. In fact, the regulation also has retroactive effect for applications in 2025, provided that the relevant conditions are met. I clarify, however, that the regulation concerns exclusively the payment of subsidies and does not alter the property rights of the state or third parties.

‘I continue with an important reform concerning how we spatially organise the overall development of our country: the simultaneous planning of new special spatial planning frameworks for tourism, renewable energy sources and industry, something that is being done for the first time in Greece. I start with the new spatial planning framework for tourism, which is already under consultation. The aim is to bring order and clear rules to tourism development, so as to protect the environment, local communities and the character of each region, without halting the development of a sector that is a key pillar of our economy. The second of the spatial planning frameworks, the one for renewable energy sources, has also entered consultation, with new rules and restrictions for Natura areas, forests, small islands and tourist zones, so that the energy transition can proceed with greater balance and social consensus. We will soon present the spatial planning framework for industry, the aim of which is for major development policies to operate in a coordinated and not fragmented manner, avoiding contradictions of the past: land-use conflicts, the absence of planning and uncertainty.

‘And since we are talking about industry and strategic investments, a particularly important investment by Metlen, amounting to €340m, was approved last week, giving our country the ability to produce gallium, a critical raw material for technologies such as semiconductors, defence systems, artificial intelligence and modern photovoltaics. And to understand its importance: Greece will now be able to cover all of the European Union’s needs for gallium.

‘Our philosophy around investments is to support interventions that do not concern only today, but strengthen the position of our country for the coming years. In this direction, therefore, we achieved a particularly important goal this week: the utilisation of 100% of the loan component of the Recovery Fund. Simply put, the €17.7bn we secured is now all being channelled into the real economy and invested in ways that create growth and new jobs. With the completion of contracts by credit institutions, total investments will exceed €30bn, with 60% of the participating enterprises being small and medium-sized enterprises, absorbing €5.6bn. At the same time, through InvestEU, more than 15,000 small and medium-sized enterprises received loans of €3bn. In total, therefore, SMEs have been supported with almost €10bn from the Recovery Fund, if we add the direct aid they have received. And we do not stop here: access to cheap loans for SMEs will continue after the completion of the Recovery Fund, with an additional €2bn through the Hellenic Development Bank, while for start-ups and fast-growing companies there are now 10 investment schemes that have already invested €220m and are continuing. Greece is the only country that has fully utilised the RRF loans, directing them to investments in the private economy, to create what we have been missing for years: investments.

‘Another review with something from the digital world, and this time the news is that yet another transaction with the state is being digitised: the issuing of criminal record certificates, which until recently required days and was done asynchronously. From now on, however, for 50% of citizens it is completed in just five minutes. Why not for everyone yet? Because in several cases additional data cross-checking or manual checking is required, when there are discrepancies or different entries in state registers. However, where identification is carried out with complete certainty, the certificate is issued automatically and immediately. It is another important step towards a faster state.

‘But let us not forget that the state is not only about services and daily transactions. It is also about protecting our history, identity and cultural heritage. With pleasure, we handed over to visitors the Palace of the Despots in the Castle City of Mystras, the only Byzantine palace complex in Europe and a world heritage site of special significance for Laconia and the Peloponnese as a whole. I saw first-hand the impressive work that has been done. The spaces were highlighted and made universally accessible, new technologies and digital tools were incorporated to upgrade the visitor experience, while the new fire-fighting system better protects the monumental site. It is the 30th museum and cultural site that has been handed over to the public from the summer of 2019 to date. The exhibition “In the Light of the Court: A Reflection of Glorious Garment” is also excellent, hosted in the throne room at the Palace of the Despots and made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Martinos couple. I recommend that you visit both!

‘I will mention two more pieces of news. The first concerns the reinforcement of Immediate Action with 45 new patrol cars and 45 new motorcycles through a donation from the PPC Group, which will be used in visible policing patrols in the neighbourhoods of Attica where there are greater needs.

‘The second concerns the further strengthening of our armed forces. The Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence approved the upgrade of the MEKO frigates and the acquisition of two Italian Bergamini (FREMM) frigates, which will significantly enhance the capabilities of the navy in the coming years. At the same time, we are proceeding with the purchase of new cryptographic devices to enhance the confidentiality of the armed forces’ communications.

‘The week, however, requires me to close with sport. For the first time in two decades, financial support for sports federations has reached €31.3m. This year alone, €4.2m more was allocated than last year, while total funding is almost double what we received in 2019. Amateur sport needs constant support, a plan and a perspective, and this is what we are trying to put into practice.

‘One of the two things you are probably going to do today, you have already done: you read the review. Now all that remains is the EuroLeague final, which this year brings the eyes of all of basketball Europe to our country. It is a great success for Greece that, after so many years, it is hosting this major event again, with Olympiacos “attending” the grand final. Good luck, then, to the red and whites. Have a nice Sunday!’

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