Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the perpetrators of the ruthless attack in Thessaloniki will be found and will be held accountable to justice. He emphasized that "we will not back down, nor will we allow the country to return to the years of division."
What happened in Thessaloniki shows, in the harshest way, that no ideological pretext can justify a murderous attack," wrote Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his Sunday social media post, against the backdrop of the arson attacks that resulted in the death of Vaya Nestora in Thessaloniki.
"The perpetrators of this ruthless attack against members of New Democracy will be found and will be held accountable before justice," he said.
Furthermore, Mitsotakis noted that "as in life, so in politics, there are moments when everything else takes a back seat" and continued, saying that the tragic loss of a human life overshadowed every other development this week.
The Prime Minister also stressed that "our country has paid a very heavy price, with blood and pain, for blind violence. What happened in Thessaloniki shows, in the harshest way, that no ideological pretext can justify a murderous attack."
In his view, "it is obvious that our steady decision since 2019 to confront lawlessness and impose the law everywhere bothers some. Know then, and from here, that we will not back down, nor will we allow the country to return to the years of division. Just as 17 November was dismantled and Golden Dawn was dissolved, so it will happen with these brazen cowards who pretend to be revolutionaries."
The Prime Minister's full post:
As in life, so in politics, there are moments when everything else takes a back seat. The tragic loss of a human life after the arson attack in Thessaloniki overshadowed every other development this week. Our country has paid a very heavy price, with blood and pain, for blind violence. What happened in Thessaloniki shows, in the harshest way, that no ideological pretext can justify a murderous attack. The perpetrators of this ruthless attack against members of New Democracy will be found and will be held accountable before justice. It is obvious that our steady decision since 2019 to confront lawlessness and impose the law everywhere bothers some. Know then, and from here, that we will not back down, nor will we allow the country to return to the years of division. Just as 17 November was dismantled and Golden Dawn was dissolved, so it will happen with these brazen cowards who pretend to be revolutionaries.
And, of course, it is not enough to simply condemn violence after the harm is done. All of us, parties and politicians, must reflect on our responsibilities. When political discourse becomes toxic and divisive, when we treat the opponent as an enemy to be destroyed, then we essentially pave the way for those who wish to commit crimes. We experienced this very painfully during the crisis years and we must not allow it again. We will fight this battle against the mindsets that hold us back until the end. Because memory is the daily struggle that every Democracy that does not want and must not repeat the mistakes of the past must wage. This is especially important today as we mark 11 years since the sad anniversary of the 2015 referendum that almost took us out of the euro. The forces that caused it "learned nothing but forgot nothing." And today they appear with the exact same political views and without sincere remorse to seek the citizens' vote again. Greece will move forward, even if some refuse to learn from the mistakes of the past.
To be absolutely honest, there are times when I find it difficult to continue this review as if it were an ordinary week. But I must do so, because reality out there does not stop.
I begin, then, with the most pressing front, that of high prices. On our initiative, we had a commitment from the business community that in July and August, on the one hand, there will be no price increases, the reduced prices due to the cap on 2,000 product codes will remain for these two months, and preparations will be made so that from the beginning of September there will also be a significant reduction in prices for basic products widely used by the average Greek household.
In the same spirit of supporting the family, we fulfilled another commitment. This week, the emergency allowance of 150 euros per child was paid to approximately 950,000 families, without requiring any application from beneficiaries. The allowance concerns 1,525,188 children, while for children born after January 1, 2025, who do not yet have a tax identification number, we have provided for a second payment by the end of August.
We were also fully consistent towards farmers, with the completion of the first payment cycle of the first half of the year. The transfer of OPEKEPE to AADE, a difficult but necessary reform, is already starting to pay off. More than 617 million euros were paid to approximately 530,000 actual beneficiaries, while since the beginning of the year, agricultural subsidies have exceeded 1.1 billion euros. Most importantly, payments were made with greater reliability and transparency, which is recognized by the farmers themselves. Thus, we now have the ability to redistribute resources that until now went to those who did not deserve them, and actual producers were strengthened by +15% this year, and will be strengthened even more in the next payment cycle in the autumn.
I want to highlight the next intervention, as I consider it particularly important. I wrote to you about it on Friday as well. Through a legislative regulation, we are definitively correcting an injustice in widow's pensions, abolishing the cut provided by the Katrougalos law after three years. Beneficiaries will continue to receive 70% of the deceased's pension, without the reduction to 35%, without having to return a single euro retroactively, and in case they receive two national pensions, they will receive them normally. This is a decision of social justice that is implemented without endangering the fiscal stability of the insurance system, as the increase in employment and the implementation of the digital work card steadily strengthen the revenues of insurance funds.
This past week, a particularly important report was also presented by the OECD, confirming that Greece has turned a page, closing another painful chapter of the crisis of the previous decade, that of brain drain. With the stamp of an international organization, it is recognized that since 2023, for the first time in many years, more Greeks are returning to our homeland than leaving. In total, in the two-year period 2023-2024, 98,000 Greeks returned and 69,000 left. Brain drain is now turning into brain gain. This did not happen by chance. It is the result of the stability we achieved, the development we created, and the policies we implemented since 2019: more jobs, better prospects, tax incentives for repatriation, support for innovation, digital state, and reforms that make Greece more attractive to live and create. I know that not all problems have been solved. Much remains to be done so that our young people find even more opportunities here, better wages, and a state that rewards effort. However, the data show that we are on the right track. We continue consistently, so that Greece definitively becomes a country of return, prospect, and optimism for all Greeks.
The next section of the review is the health sector. This week, we inaugurated the renovated Penteli Children's Hospital, a project that substantially changes the daily life of young patients, their families, and the people who work there. It is more than a renovation of a building, as it includes interventions in the outdoor area, infrastructure for people with disabilities, and many more facilities that contribute to a radical upgrade of the provided health services. This new renovation is part of the largest upgrade of ESY infrastructure since its establishment and is being implemented by our government, as we had committed to do in 2023. I want to thank the Kaizen Foundation for its significant sponsorship.
Regarding ESY staff, I should say that in the largest simultaneous call for positions in ESY history, the response from the medical community was significantly improved, as 962 of the 1,171 positions were filled. This is clear proof that the institutional and financial incentives we established are working. The remaining 209 positions that had no candidates are mainly in hospitals in underserved areas, although compared to the past, there was eventually a response in some of these areas. All these vacant positions will be re-advertised within the summer. I should note that this year, the largest annual increase in ESY staff has been planned, which includes 5,208 permanent positions (1,800 medical, 1,930 nursing, and 1,478 other staff) and 3,000 auxiliary positions, bringing the total potential increase to 8,208 people.
There was much discussion about the free afternoon surgeries, an initiative of ours aimed at reducing the waiting time for an operation to under 4 months. The goal was largely achieved. In the spring of 2024, 90,000 surgeries were pending, and the wait in some cases reached 2 years. Today, the number of surgeries waiting 4 to 6 months has "dropped" to 7,000! In this effort, this extraordinary program of the Recovery Fund acted as the great accelerator, offering free services to 26,000 of our fellow citizens. It may have ended on June 30, but if pressure rises again, a solution will be sought with state resources.
Another reform I want to highlight this week concerns Local Government. With the new Local Government Code, we are putting in order an institutional framework that had become complex and fragmented over the years. We modernize and simplify the way municipalities and regions operate, strengthen their autonomy, and give them more tools so that they can respond more effectively to the needs of local communities. Among other things, the election of mayors and regional governors in one round is established, the possibility of electronic voting is instituted, a new system for staffing positions through an electronic ASEP register is created, and the possibility of granting a birth allowance of up to 3,000 euros per child, by decision of the Municipal Council, and support for employees in mountainous and island municipalities by expanding social benefits is given. The ultimate goal of this reform is simple: less bureaucracy, more efficiency, and better service to the citizen.
And to move on to infrastructure projects, another important project is in its final stretch. The fourth and final phase of the electrical interconnection of the Cyclades with the mainland electrical system has been completed by ADMIE, with the inclusion of Santorini, Folegandros, Milos, and Serifos. In the coming period, necessary tests will be carried out so that the interconnection is gradually put into full operation in the coming months. It is a strategically important project that enhances the energy security of our islands, especially during the summer months, while at the same time reducing their dependence on polluting oil units and contributing to the green transition.
I remain on our islands, where, with funds from the National Strategic Reference Framework, we are proceeding with the creation of homes to house doctors, nurses, teachers, and members of the Security Forces serving in island municipalities. The first homes have already been secured in Lipsi, Astypalaia, Ithaca, Tinos, Amorgos, Patmos, and the Municipality of Agios Vasileios, while the program provides for the creation of 100 homes in total. In the same spirit, but not on an island, in Grevena, the first 40 concessions were handed over to the beneficiaries of the workers' housing in the Kyrakli settlement, closing a pending issue of almost 20 years. DYPA undertook in 2023 to complete the project, which will include a total of 80 homes and the necessary common infrastructure.
Another issue that concerns our daily lives and road safety is the rapid spread of electric scooters. This new reality on our roads needs rules, because we have already mourned young lives. That is why those under 17 will not be allowed to go on the road with an electric scooter, the fine for those exceeding 50 km/h rises to 350 euros, drivers must have legal identification documents and proof of insurance, which is mandatory. On the other hand, companies that sell, make available, or rent electric scooters to persons under 17 will be fined 1,000 euros. I ask everyone to be particularly careful when using electric scooters. They are not a toy.
I come to the field of Education, where the free Digital Tutoring will operate in July and August. The "live" lessons ended with the conclusion of the Panhellenic Examinations, but we decided that the platform should remain open and provide free access to thousands of hours of educational content, reviews, tests, and recorded lessons for children's preparation.
At the same time, from the new school year, we are proceeding with significant changes to the country's school network, so that it better responds to the needs of students and the demographic developments of each region. Thus, ten new secondary education school units are being created, while Special Education is significantly strengthened with the upgrade of 14 school units to Special Education and the establishment of five new ones in areas with increased needs, specifically in Sapes, Rhodope; Skopelos; Monolofton in Western Thessaloniki; Rethymno; and Leros. All new structures will operate from the 2026-2027 school year. Needs are changing and the school network must adapt so that every child has access to the education they need, as close as possible to where they live.
I close with news from the field of culture. After 12 years, the Archaeological Museum of Argos has reopened its doors, fully renovated and modernized. It now has more than double the exhibition space, hosting unique finds from the Mycenaean civilization, giving residents of the area and visitors the opportunity to better learn about the history of one of the most important archaeological sites in our country. And I want to note that since 2019, 32 new or fully renovated museums have been delivered to the public across Greece. The importance we place on culture is constant, and this is demonstrated in practice.
With this, I conclude today's review. Thank you for the time you spent reading it. Happy Sunday!
