Mitsotakis used his weekly review to launch a fresh attack on what he called the growing ‘toxicity’ of public life, accusing parts of the media, anonymous online accounts and opposition leaders of spreading baseless accusations, lies and character assassination. This was the political core of the post.
He also defended the government’s handling of the OPEKEPE scandal, arguing that New Democracy is trying to clean up a deeply dysfunctional system of agricultural subsidies. He said the 11 New Democracy MPs under scrutiny were right to accept the lifting of their immunity, framing this as the quickest way to prove their innocence. At the same time, he backed the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in principle, while also warning it against leaks and political involvement.
A major line of argument in the post was that only New Democracy has a real plan to dismantle clientelism and modernise the state. He presented this as part of a broader reform agenda, pointing to digital public services, pension processing, the land registry and proposed constitutional changes.
On the rule of law, he rejected opposition criticism by citing international indicators and rankings, claiming that Greece’s democratic and institutional performance is stronger than critics suggest. He argued that external assessments contradict the picture of decline painted by the opposition.
He also touched on international and economic matters, saying the government is monitoring tensions in the Gulf and possible economic fallout, especially inflation and energy prices. He said Greece remains relatively resilient and that European-level measures on energy are under discussion.
Another major point was energy exploration. He highlighted the signing of a contract for exploratory drilling in the north-western Ionian Sea, presenting it as a potentially historic development for Greece’s economy and energy independence if exploitable gas reserves are confirmed.
He announced that the government will move ahead with a ban on social media use for children under 15, with the regulation to come into force on 1 January 2027. He framed this as a response to mounting concern over the effects of addictive scrolling on children’s mental and physical health.
He also listed defence and investment developments, including the delivery of the 50th upgraded F-16 Viper, new large-scale investment plans worth €320m, and infrastructure projects such as the new bridge in Volos and the regeneration of Vasilissis Olgas Avenue in Athens.
The most politically notable omission was that he made no reference at all to the resignation of Makarios Lazaridis, despite the fact that it had taken place amid intense political pressure and was one of the most sensitive current developments.
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