After a month and a half where agricultural protests almost completely dominated the news agenda, the government is gradually attempting to shift the public discourse agenda and emphasize reforms, as well as the new generation. Private universities, public sector evaluation, changes in the selection process for judicial leadership, conditional lifting of civil servant tenure, and other bold proposals are included in New Democracy’s plan for constitutional revision, which began unfolding on Monday.
Meanwhile, with a press conference that Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki will give today at 12:30, the dialogue for the New High School and the National Diploma will begin – an issue that addresses the “heart” of the new generation. The process will start next week in Parliament, in the Education Committee, and is scheduled to continue until November, followed immediately by the relevant legislation.
The national dialogue will revolve around five thematic pillars: The first concerns educational content, including the curriculum; the second focuses on school life; the third on teacher training and professional development; the fourth on building, digital, and laboratory infrastructure; and the fifth on governance.
Mitsotakis’ message on startups and innovation
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had the new generation under the “microscope” on Wednesday with another initiative related to the startup and innovation ecosystem. Kyriakos Mitsotakis participated in a discussion with founders of Greek artificial intelligence startups about “The Greek AI Accelerator” program, during an event organized by Endeavor Greece at the Athens Conservatory. The event presented 21 Greek startups selected to participate in the program, within the framework of strategic cooperation between the government, OpenAI, and Endeavor Greece.
The message the prime minister chose to send from this platform to young or aspiring entrepreneurs was not coincidental: “Come to us with ideas, tell us how we can be useful to you, and from there I believe that as we look to the future and observe the progress being made, we will be able to attract more young people to do what you are doing.”
It was also no coincidence that a few hours later, on the sidelines of New Democracy’s first pre-conference in Ioannina, Mitsotakis chose to visit the Epirus Innovation Center. “I’m pleased that we’re really given the opportunity to offer children completely different experiences. Using technology to make lessons more interactive and interesting,” he emphasized during his visit.
In the innovation sector, which intensely concerns younger generations, the prime minister will persist today, speaking at 12:00 at the presentation of innovative Hellenic Heritage services, aimed at upgrading visitor experiences at archaeological sites and museums and better promoting Greece’s cultural heritage, during an event organized by the Ministry of Culture at the National Gallery.
Mitsotakis also highlighted government interventions that help the new generation during his Wednesday remarks in a discussion about the welfare state at the ND pre-conference in Ioannina. “Six and a half years ago, the main issue for young people was ‘find us a job.’ Today we have the opposite problem. A pleasant one. It’s still a problem though. Employers come to us saying ‘we often can’t find workers.’ And this, to put it simply, is ultimately how wages increase in the country. Because wage increases, increased disposable income – nominal wages rise, taxation decreases, ultimately more money in citizens’ pockets,” he noted among other things.
