The lessons, however, from this negative experience remain. Not only for more effective and fairer support of our farmers. But also as a new starting point for a more dynamic confrontation of the State with the ‘Deep State’. I will, however, address these issues in much more detail tomorrow», stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding the OPEKEPE case in his Sunday morning post.
As he specifically mentioned, “after seven years of governance, the easiest thing would be to talk only about achievements. However, true responsibility is judged in moments when we confront the chronic and cross-party pathologies of the country, as well as our own failures. Two elements that unfortunately converged in the OPEKEPE case”.
Detailed post by Kyriakos Mitsotakis
After seven years of governance, the easiest thing would be to talk only about achievements. However, true responsibility is judged in moments when we confront the chronic and cross-party pathologies of the country, as well as our own failures. Two elements that unfortunately converged in the OPEKEPE case. I speak, moreover, in the past tense, as what currently occupies the headlines has already been overcome after the absorption of this dysfunctional organization by AADE. Today, for example, compensations are determined digitally without human intervention. While relevant measurements are no longer made by actors susceptible to pressure. But by satellites that monitor crops and modern means that count livestock.
The lessons, however, from this negative experience remain. Not only for more effective and fairer support of our farmers. But also as a new starting point for a more dynamic confrontation of the State with the “Deep State”. I will, however, address these issues in much more detail tomorrow.
I put a full stop to this issue and move on to the rest of the week. I know well that the major concern of every household, especially now before Easter, is inflation, with the effects of the international crisis in the Middle East pressuring even more. Already since Wednesday, diesel is subsidized by 20 cents per liter, while from tomorrow the fuel pass for gasoline also opens. We want support to reach you quickly, which is why money will be credited just 48 hours after the application. At the same time, controls against profiteering in fuels and supermarkets are intensifying, with the new Independent Authority already checking over 100 major food companies for their profit margins, to keep prices at reasonable levels, while we also support production with retroactive subsidies for farmers’ fertilizers.
Now, as we are one week away from Easter, regarding the Holy Fire: the war in the region makes this year’s transport much more complex. However, the State will ensure it comes safely from Jerusalem, knowing how important this is for the faithful.
Two things that happened on April 1st and were not lies: first, the new minimum wage of 920 euros came into effect, increased by 4.55% benefiting 1.5 million workers. Second, the digital work card was extended to another 8 sectors, from private healthcare and telecommunications to hair salons and cleaning services, where 200,000 workers are employed. The application starts as a pilot for three months, so small businesses can adapt smoothly, and will become mandatory from autumn. Data shows the card is effective: in 2025, 2.7 million more overtime hours were declared and paid compared to 2024. Our goal is for the digital card to cover all private and public sectors by 2026, putting a definitive end to undeclared work.
The day before yesterday, Parliament voted on 14 important interventions that contribute to addressing public administration problems regarding citizen service. For example, long-standing property disputes are now ending, as the State withdraws from claims against citizens. Most importantly, however, the State stops pursuing legal remedies in cases with great social weight, such as Mandra, Mati and Tempi. It’s an obvious gesture of respect towards society. Another intervention provides for simplification in property transfers and lifting of seizures by AADE, while we give everyone a new digital tool: you will be able to track online exactly where your case stands in the public sector and who is the official handling it, while all circulars must be posted on the internet, otherwise they won’t be valid.
Something else voted in Parliament last week is the establishment of the Higher School of Performing Arts. I’m particularly pleased that this reform was supported by the opposition, PASOK and Course of Freedom. With the first public university for theater, dance and music, a decades-old pending issue is closed. Now, artistic studies gain clear progression and professional prospects, with the goal of the first students entering the School in the 2027-2028 academic year.
A useful reminder for younger readers: the vouchers.gov.gr platform has opened. Young people who turned 18 or 19 by the end of 2025 can apply for the 150-euro Youth Pass. This is an amount intended exclusively for purchases in culture, tourism and transport, and we’re happy to see that every year more and more young people take advantage of it.
Moving to public healthcare and initially to the Personal Pediatrician, a free service covering all children up to 16 years old, insured and uninsured. Although the institution has been in effect since summer 2025, the truth is that not as many families use it as could, despite the fact that available NHS pediatricians and those contracted with EOPYY can cover over 880,000 children. That’s why the Ministry of Health sent informational SMS to parents with electronic prescriptions, reminding them they have this option. And the response was immediate, with 24,000 new registrations within a month. I should mention that registration is very easy, either at prosopikos.gov.gr or through the pediatrician himself, and ensures free visits and vaccinations. I call on families to take advantage of this opportunity.
Another of our public hospitals, Konstantopouleia “Agia Olga”, now has fully renovated Emergency Departments with modern infrastructure and medical equipment. This is a complete renovation of infrastructure and equipment through the Recovery Fund, in a hospital serving over 500 patients in each 24-hour shift. We know the pressure on the NHS and that’s why proper utilization of European resources must result in such tangible projects. It’s another step in the effort for a more functional and reliable healthcare system in practice.
Continuing with urban transport and the “Clean Line” program for the Electric Railway. With passenger traffic steadily increasing, reaching 70 million boardings last year, the need to upgrade trains on Line 1 is a priority. Cleaning and installation of anti-graffiti membranes has already begun – 5 of ISAP’s 30 cars are already ready, but the essence lies in the reconstruction of 14 trains that will gradually enter service during 2026. Our goal is for service intervals to drop to 5.2 minutes, while the return of decommissioned cars after necessary maintenance is also planned.
Something else concerning transport safety. Numerous violations – 1,213 to be exact – were recorded within a few days by the 8 Artificial Intelligence cameras operating on a pilot basis at high-risk points in Attica, while another 19 violations were recorded within two days by cameras installed on 10 OSY buses to monitor bus lanes. The 130 administrative fines imposed were sent electronically to the Citizen Portal at https://www.gov.gr/ and Gov.grWallet. As I’ve said before, fines are not an end in themselves. Our goal is compliance with rules and, above all, prevention of traffic accidents and the safety of every human life.
This week we also had the launch of another five Greek microsatellites from the National Microsatellite Program, which will “test” new space technologies developed in Greece aiming to strengthen domestic industry. They belong to a constellation of 11 experimental cubesats and the data they will collect is very important for critical sectors, such as communications, mapping, navigation, precision agriculture, spatial planning and natural disaster management.
I close with important news for Greek sports. The commitment of 5.25 million euros was signed for the institutionalized reward of athletes and their coaches who placed in the top three positions in 2024 at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as for Olympians who placed 4th, 5th and 6th from 2012 to today. Compared to the past, the time distance from achievements to rewarding our athletes has been reduced to the minimum possible. This, after all, is what they deserve.
The next review will be after Easter passes, always with government actions that improve citizens’ daily lives. I wish you a good Sunday and Happy Resurrection, but we’ll talk during the week too!
The lessons, however, from this negative experience remain. Not only for more effective and fairer support of our farmers. But also as a new starting point for a more dynamic confrontation of the State with the “Deep State”. I will, however, address these issues in much more detail tomorrow.
I put a full stop to this issue and move on to the rest of the week. I know well that the major concern of every household, especially now before Easter, is inflation, with the effects of the international crisis in the Middle East pressuring even more. Already since Wednesday, diesel is subsidized by 20 cents per liter, while from tomorrow the fuel pass for gasoline also opens. We want support to reach you quickly, which is why money will be credited just 48 hours after the application. At the same time, controls against profiteering in fuels and supermarkets are intensifying, with the new Independent Authority already checking over 100 major food companies for their profit margins, to keep prices at reasonable levels, while we also support production with retroactive subsidies for farmers’ fertilizers.
Now, as we are one week away from Easter, regarding the Holy Fire: the war in the region makes this year’s transport much more complex. However, the State will ensure it comes safely from Jerusalem, knowing how important this is for the faithful.
Two things that happened on April 1st and were not lies: first, the new minimum wage of 920 euros came into effect, increased by 4.55% benefiting 1.5 million workers. Second, the digital work card was extended to another 8 sectors, from private healthcare and telecommunications to hair salons and cleaning services, where 200,000 workers are employed. The application starts as a pilot for three months, so small businesses can adapt smoothly, and will become mandatory from autumn. Data shows the card is effective: in 2025, 2.7 million more overtime hours were declared and paid compared to 2024. Our goal is for the digital card to cover all private and public sectors by 2026, putting a definitive end to undeclared work.
The day before yesterday, Parliament voted on 14 important interventions that contribute to addressing public administration problems regarding citizen service. For example, long-standing property disputes are now ending, as the State withdraws from claims against citizens. Most importantly, however, the State stops pursuing legal remedies in cases with great social weight, such as Mandra, Mati and Tempi. It’s an obvious gesture of respect towards society. Another intervention provides for simplification in property transfers and lifting of seizures by AADE, while we give everyone a new digital tool: you will be able to track online exactly where your case stands in the public sector and who is the official handling it, while all circulars must be posted on the internet, otherwise they won’t be valid.
Something else voted in Parliament last week is the establishment of the Higher School of Performing Arts. I’m particularly pleased that this reform was supported by the opposition, PASOK and Course of Freedom. With the first public university for theater, dance and music, a decades-old pending issue is closed. Now, artistic studies gain clear progression and professional prospects, with the goal of the first students entering the School in the 2027-2028 academic year.
A useful reminder for younger readers: the vouchers.gov.gr platform has opened. Young people who turned 18 or 19 by the end of 2025 can apply for the 150-euro Youth Pass. This is an amount intended exclusively for purchases in culture, tourism and transport, and we’re happy to see that every year more and more young people take advantage of it.
Moving to public healthcare and initially to the Personal Pediatrician, a free service covering all children up to 16 years old, insured and uninsured. Although the institution has been in effect since summer 2025, the truth is that not as many families use it as could, despite the fact that available NHS pediatricians and those contracted with EOPYY can cover over 880,000 children. That’s why the Ministry of Health sent informational SMS to parents with electronic prescriptions, reminding them they have this option. And the response was immediate, with 24,000 new registrations within a month. I should mention that registration is very easy, either at prosopikos.gov.gr or through the pediatrician himself, and ensures free visits and vaccinations. I call on families to take advantage of this opportunity.
Another of our public hospitals, Konstantopouleia “Agia Olga”, now has fully renovated Emergency Departments with modern infrastructure and medical equipment. This is a complete renovation of infrastructure and equipment through the Recovery Fund, in a hospital serving over 500 patients in each 24-hour shift. We know the pressure on the NHS and that’s why proper utilization of European resources must result in such tangible projects. It’s another step in the effort for a more functional and reliable healthcare system in practice.
Continuing with urban transport and the “Clean Line” program for the Electric Railway. With passenger traffic steadily increasing, reaching 70 million boardings last year, the need to upgrade trains on Line 1 is a priority. Cleaning and installation of anti-graffiti membranes has already begun – 5 of ISAP’s 30 cars are already ready, but the essence lies in the reconstruction of 14 trains that will gradually enter service during 2026. Our goal is for service intervals to drop to 5.2 minutes, while the return of decommissioned cars after necessary maintenance is also planned.
Something else concerning transport safety. Numerous violations – 1,213 to be exact – were recorded within a few days by the 8 Artificial Intelligence cameras operating on a pilot basis at high-risk points in Attica, while another 19 violations were recorded within two days by cameras installed on 10 OSY buses to monitor bus lanes. The 130 administrative fines imposed were sent electronically to the Citizen Portal at https://www.gov.gr/ and Gov.grWallet. As I’ve said before, fines are not an end in themselves. Our goal is compliance with rules and, above all, prevention of traffic accidents and the safety of every human life.
This week we also had the launch of another five Greek microsatellites from the National Microsatellite Program, which will “test” new space technologies developed in Greece aiming to strengthen domestic industry. They belong to a constellation of 11 experimental cubesats and the data they will collect is very important for critical sectors, such as communications, mapping, navigation, precision agriculture, spatial planning
