The voting of the bill for the Armed Forces on January 8, 2026, was announced from the parliament podium by the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias. Speaking during the budget discussion, Mr. Dendias emphasized that “Democracy as a political system cannot exist without the middle class.”
At the same time, he characterized the country’s defensive fortification as a constitutional obligation for both the government and each Defense Minister. Additionally, he spoke about the need to support Armed Forces personnel and announced that the bill to be voted on January 8 includes a special salary scale with significant increases.
“The EU is far from developing a defense culture and autonomy, and perceptions of what constitutes a threat differ significantly from member to member. All this means that Greece must be fortified against any threat with means that allow it to deter the threat and have the ability to do so alone if necessary. This is the constitutional obligation of every government and Defense Minister. Adapting to new challenges and new conditions is a matter of survival for Greece,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Minister of National Defense spoke about the need for a holistic approach to supporting the living standards of Armed Forces personnel and their families with a new mindset and philosophy that leaves behind the distorted practices and perceptions of state-owned enterprises, overcoming clientelist and guild establishments of an era overtaken by developments.
According to Nikos Dendias, the “2030 Agenda” serves the major transformation taking place in the Armed Forces and added that he does not treat it as a consumer of money but as an investment in Security. Additionally, Mr. Dendias said that “Agenda 2030” creates a new paradigm of financial management that respects fiscal rules while simultaneously making the Armed Forces a lever for the development of the Greek economy.
