“Greek energy proposals have been approved by European leaders,” stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his regular Sunday post. In his customary weekly review, the Prime Minister addressed measures to tackle the energy crisis, support for households, businesses and fishermen, as well as Greek initiatives discussed at the European Union Summit.
The Prime Minister outlined government interventions aimed at reducing fuel and heating costs, while also highlighting the proposal to introduce stricter age limits for children’s access to social media — a bill currently under parliamentary review.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ full weekly review:
“The majority of your comments on the previous review were in favor of the new format. So we’ll keep it, and as you’ll see, I’ve incorporated some of the ideas you shared with me.
I’ll start with the EU Summit, which concluded on Friday and had a strong Greek dimension — three major Greek initiatives were extensively discussed and received the green light from European leaders for further development. I’m referring to our proposal for an emergency adjustment of European fiscal rules due to the energy crisis, allowing countries with surpluses, like Greece, to provide targeted support to households and businesses for the duration of the crisis. The Summit asked the Commission to come forward with proposals on this matter immediately. I’m also referring to the European mechanism to counter hybrid threats in the area of migration — like what we experienced at the Evros border in 2020 and more recently in Ceuta, Spain — and of course to the establishment of a stricter age-limit framework for children’s access to social media. All of these are Greek proposals that are becoming European policies. Europe needs to move faster on all three fronts, and we are here to keep pushing in that direction. Greece now has a strong voice in Europe and is using it in the interest of the Greek people and, of course, European citizens.
On the domestic front, this week we moved forward with new measures to limit the impact of the energy crisis on households and businesses. First and foremost, on heating: we are subsidizing heating oil by 40 cents per liter, with the cost shared between the state and refineries, and we are increasing the heating allowance by 30%, regardless of the heating method used. As a result, heating oil will be available at €1.55 instead of €1.95, while for those who also receive the heating allowance, the cost drops to approximately €1.35 per liter. In total, this support covers nearly 1.2 million households.
We are also intervening on motor fuels, with a reduction at the pump of 20 cents per liter for diesel and 10 cents for unleaded petrol, valid until October 31st — no application required, no income criteria. The reduction is passed directly to the price paid by drivers. I know the pressures remain significant and no single measure alone is enough to eliminate them. That’s why we will continue to monitor international developments and adjust our interventions accordingly, keeping resources in reserve for the difficult months ahead.
In addition to these measures, we are also supporting fishermen. Beyond what was announced last week, we are increasing the subsidy on fishing fuel from 16 to 40 cents per liter for September and October, and we are allocating €15 million to compensate coastal fishermen for damage caused to their nets by protected marine species — resolving a problem that has affected them for years.
Beyond energy, this week:
1. SMS notifications have begun going out for free preventive breast cancer screenings, as part of the “Prolamvano” (I Prevent) initiative, which is now a permanent national health policy. I believe one of the most significant changes we have made to the NHS is placing prevention at the heart of everyday life and beginning to build a new health culture. I urge you again — if you receive the message, don’t ignore it!
2. We inaugurated the new Chronic Disease Treatment Center in Kilkis, a project that had been left unfinished for years. It is a modern, fully public facility with 50 beds, already housing 38 of our fellow citizens. The contribution of the Union of Greek Shipowners and the Region of Central Macedonia was decisive, and we extend our sincere thanks to both.
3. We are opening more places in nurseries and daycare centers, through two changes advanced by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family. First, the transition from nursery to daycare will now occur at age 2 instead of 2.5, freeing up spaces primarily for infants, with no compromise on safety. Second, in Attica and Thessaloniki, nurseries and daycare centers will be permitted to accommodate up to 15% more children, up from the previous 10%.
4. The distribution of school meals has also begun, this year reaching approximately 2,000 primary schools across 160 municipalities, with up to 250,000 meals per day — 18,000 more than last year. Since 2019, coverage has nearly doubled, now reaching almost 1 in 2 children. I should note that OPEKA and EFET systematically monitor the preparation and delivery of meals to ensure their quality and safety.
5. Our significant initiative to protect children from the dangers of social media is also in its final stretch. The bill establishing a minimum age of 15 for access to social media platforms (effective January 1, 2027, for children born in 2013 or later) is now being debated in Parliament, with a vote scheduled for next Thursday. We cannot ask parents alone to protect their children when they are up against platforms with algorithms designed to keep children glued to a screen. Under the new framework, responsibility for age verification shifts to the platforms themselves, with the support of the Kids Wallet system and full personal data protection.
6. The first of 14 fully refurbished trains on the Athens Electric Railway (Metro Line 1) is now a reality, and I had the opportunity this week to ride it and see the transformation firsthand. The refurbishment of an additional 10 trains will follow, while on Lines 2 and 3 we are upgrading 12 trains by adding air conditioning and proceeding with the procurement of 19 new trains, 7 of which are designated for the airport line.
7. In Nees Karies, Thessaly, we inaugurated the largest autonomous battery energy storage unit in Greece — one of the largest in Europe — a project by Metlen and the Karatzis Group. In simple terms, it stores surplus energy generated by solar and wind power, making it available to the grid whenever needed.
8. We signed the agreement with LAMDA Development for the creation of the “House of Gymnastics” at Ellinikon. Hangar B of the former airport will be given a new lease of life, transformed into one of the most modern training facilities in Europe and leased for 30 years to the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, allowing our national teams and thousands of athletes to train there. It is, after all, the least we owe them.
9. In the field of culture, we welcomed back from Israel twenty-two antiquities that had been illegally removed from our country. This is the first time a repatriation has taken place from that particular country, and it is certainly a significant step in our cooperation on the protection of cultural heritage and the fight against the illicit trafficking of antiquities — a repatriation marathon we are, of course, continuing.
I saved an important development in the field of healthcare for last — one concerning organ transplants. Since the beginning of the year, 251 transplants have been performed, thanks to 114 organ donors. It is encouraging that organ transplantation in Greece is progressing and that more patients are able to find the treatment they need. But I want to pay special tribute to the families of the donors — people who, while experiencing such a profound loss, made a decision that saved other lives. We owe them an enormous thank you. As we do to the doctors, nurses, and all those who work to make these transplants possible. There is also another significant development: the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center is now performing kidney transplants from living donors, even in very low-weight children. Eight children have already been treated here, in Greece, without having to be separated from their families.
That’s all for this week. I look forward to your comments and suggestions once again. Have a wonderful Sunday!”
