Jeroen Dijsselbloem was welcomed on Wednesday morning (29/04) at the Ministry of National Economy and Finance by Kyriakos Pierrakakis. The former and current presidents of the Eurogroup discussed the impressive progress made by the Greek economy in recent years, a fact that -as noted- is reflected in Greece’s assumption of the Eurogroup Presidency.
Read: Kyriakos Pierrakakis: Greece can innovate and export knowledge, technology and goods
Pierrakakis meets with Dijsselbloem: What was discussed
The following is the dialogue between Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Jeroen Dijsselbloem:
Kyriakos Pierrakakis: Today I had the opportunity to welcome Jeroen Dijsselbloem to Greece and to the Ministry of Finance. The former President of the Eurogroup, former Finance Minister of the Netherlands and Mayor of Eindhoven – a city that stands out for its capabilities in technology and innovation.
Needless to say, Jeroen Dijsselbloem is no stranger to Greece, but I had the opportunity to welcome him today in a completely different environment from what prevailed ten years ago. The country that was once synonymous with the word “crisis” has now entered a new era of sustainable economic development, with primary surpluses, overall fiscal surpluses, declining debt and positive growth rates – higher than the European Union average.
I would say that this constitutes proof of the will of an entire generation of Europeans – and certainly a generation of Greeks – to leave the past behind and move into this new era of growth and innovation.
And, of course, it also constitutes proof of the will of a generation of Greeks not to pass the bill to the next generation. Again, welcome today to the Ministry of National Economy and Finance. It was my particular pleasure to discuss with you the priorities of the Eurogroup among other things.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem: Thank you very much. I’m happy to meet the Minister again and to return to Greece. And of course, it makes me particularly proud that the Greek Finance Minister now chairs the Eurogroup, because this is an excellent example of the journey we have traveled and the progress that has been achieved – both in the eurozone as a whole and especially in Greece, where the prospects are very positive.
The economy is developing dynamically, at rates higher than the European average, and the current government deserves congratulations for this.
I am very happy that Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis now leads the Eurogroup, because the European economy needs to become much stronger. We need more investment and a more leading role in cutting-edge technologies, and for all of this, financing is of crucial importance. The Eurogroup remains a very important group in Europe and I am particularly pleased that the Minister leads this effort.
Kyriakos Pierrakakis: Thank you very much for the visit.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem: Thank you.
Υποδέχτηκα τον Jeroen Dijsselbloem στο @MinEcoFinGR. Η Ελλάδα έχει έχει αφήσει πίσω της το παρελθόν και άλλαξε σελίδα, ανοίγοντας ένα νέο κεφάλαιο ανάπτυξης, προόδου και καινοτομίας. pic.twitter.com/ze3ffeK9CA
— Kyriakos Pierrakakis (@Pierrakakis) April 29, 2026
