Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his customary Sunday post, addressed the arrests made in connection with the Marfin bank fire case and the murder of Vagia Nestora, international developments, the economy, and a series of government initiatives. The Prime Minister described the arrests of the alleged perpetrators behind the Marfin killings and the Vagia Nestora case as particularly significant, emphasizing that they represent a decisive step toward the delivery of justice. He also stressed that when it comes to terrorism, “there is no room for trade-offs — only unity and trust in our institutions.”
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The Prime Minister described the arrests in the Marfin case as “a democratic state’s answer to violence,” noting that the fight against terrorism is waged through legality, institutions, and the effective action of the competent authorities.
He also made specific reference to the NATO Summit and Greek-Turkish relations, underlining that “we cannot ignore Turkey’s longstanding casus belli — a historic anomaly that has no place in relations between two neighboring countries. We want dialogue, but peace and cooperation cannot coexist with threats of war.”
He further announced new measures to contain fuel prices, revealing that an intervention will be announced providing for a reduction in the price of petrol by 10 cents per liter.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s full post:
Good morning. Before I talk to you about what happened this week, I feel it is essential to start with a development of particular significance for democracy and the rule of law.
On Friday, the alleged perpetrators behind four murders that have deeply wounded our society were arrested. I am referring to the recent murder of Vagia Nestora, and to the murders committed 16 years ago of pregnant Angeliki Papathanasopoulou, Epaminondas Tsakalis, and Paraskevi Zoulia.
One day after Vagia Nestora’s funeral, the state made good on its commitment not to let these cases fade into darkness. The arrests represent a decisive step toward justice and fulfill an obligation to the victims of the Marfin arson, their families, and their colleagues. This is the answer a democratic state always gives in the face of violence: not through revenge, but through institutions, legality, and the effective action of the authorities.
Now it is justice’s turn to speak. I also consider it important that, in such a difficult moment, voices of consensus and unity were heard. When it comes to terrorism, there is no room for asterisks or trade-offs. Only a united front that will deny those who choose violence any trace of tolerance or political alibi. This is the very least we owe to the memory of every victim of political violence — and to future generations.
Moving on to the “main part” of this week’s review, I will begin with the NATO Summit, where all the critical geopolitical challenges of our time were discussed. In an environment of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, Greece remains a steadfast and reliable ally without retreating from its national positions. At the NATO Summit, I reiterated that our country is a consistent ally that has always honored its commitments and contributes meaningfully to collective security.
Meeting our defense spending target ahead of schedule — reaching 3.5% of GDP by 2026 — and launching the largest modernization program for our Armed Forces in decades, totaling €28 billion, is concrete proof that we are investing in our country’s security so that Greece remains strong and safe in an exceptionally demanding geopolitical environment. In my interventions, I made it clear that the strength of a defense alliance is not measured only in equipment, but also in respect for the principles upon which it was built. And its cohesion is also judged by good neighborly relations — relations that our country consistently pursues with all nations in the region. However, this does not mean we can ignore Turkey’s longstanding casus belli, a historic anomaly that has no place in relations between two neighboring countries. We want dialogue, but peace and cooperation cannot coexist with threats of war. This is a matter of principle that we articulate consistently to all our allies.
Finally, at a time when international crises are directly affecting the economy and citizens’ daily lives, I underscored the need for diplomacy to prevail in Iran and the Middle East. Stability in the broader region is not only a security issue — it is also a fundamental prerequisite for protecting households from new hikes in energy costs and the overall cost of living.
However, the developments in the Middle East and the conflict with Iran have already triggered a new surge in global oil prices, directly impacting fuel costs. As we have done in every previous crisis, we are not standing on the sidelines while external price increases squeeze people’s incomes. In cooperation with Greece’s two domestic refineries, we are moving forward with a new initiative: by the end of August, the price of petrol will be reduced by 10 cents per liter and diesel by 5 cents.
The implementation details will be announced in the coming days. This is yet another intervention that complements the measures we have already taken, such as the Fuel Pass and diesel support — all with one consistent goal: to absorb as much of the international price increases as possible, protecting citizens’ purchasing power without jeopardizing the country’s fiscal stability.
Within this complex geopolitical environment, a significant development is that our country is becoming a founding member of the Defence and Security Resilience Bank (DSRB) — a new international financial institution that will operate in a complementary capacity alongside European funds and programs. Its primary objective is to mobilize additional resources, mainly from the private sector, to finance critical projects in the fields of defense, advanced technology, and infrastructure resilience. What do we gain from this? Our participation — and specifically as a founding member — creates substantial prospects for the domestic defense industry and for our economy as a whole. New financing avenues are opening up for Greek small and medium-sized enterprises participating in the defense supply chain, translating into new investments and the creation of highly skilled jobs in our country.
From this past week, I highlight the delivery of the first of 25 new-generation modern hybrid trains, as part of our agreement with Italy. These new trains are equipped with the most advanced traffic management systems and will enter service as soon as the necessary testing is completed and official certification is granted by the Railway Regulatory Authority. This is yet another piece in the larger effort underway to give our country a modern railway — with new rolling stock, improved infrastructure, and contemporary operating systems.
From rail travel, I turn to road safety, where data from the first half of the year shows that fatalities on our roads continue to decline compared to previous years — 213 this year, down from 313 in 2019. There is, of course, no room for complacency, especially now during the summer months, which are associated with a kind of seasonal relaxation that is absolutely unacceptable behind the wheel. For this reason, traffic police checks continue at full intensity. Going forward, traffic violations will be recorded via smartphones, thanks to the new digital citation devices received by the Ministry of Citizen Protection. Of the 390 smartphones, 250 were assigned to the Attica Traffic Police, 60 to the Thessaloniki Traffic Police, and the rest to the Immediate Response units. The era of pink paper tickets is over.
Staying on the subject of technology, Greece’s new microsatellite “Hyperion GR-1” has now entered orbit around the Earth, bringing the total number of Greek microsatellites in orbit to 18. This is part of the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence’s strategy to strengthen the country’s space capabilities. Like the other six of its type, “Hyperion GR-1” was manufactured by the Greek company Open Cosmos Aegean, based in Pallini. It is yet another example that our country can produce high-value-added technology by investing in knowledge, innovation, and human capital — and it connects, of course, to what I mentioned earlier about the domestic defense industry.
I now want to address two legislative measures that resolve long-standing issues inherited from the past. First, the state will no longer contest ownership of agricultural land that it had itself granted to citizens — in some cases dating back to the era of Eleftherios Venizelos. Pending lawsuits will be dropped and ownership will be permanently confirmed for current holders, with corrections to the Land Registry made automatically. Second, we are modernizing the legal framework governing co-ownership and apartment buildings, a framework that is nearly a century old. The Ministry of Justice is preparing a new Code to be ready by year’s end, which will simplify decision-making on repairs, energy upgrades, and common areas. We will share more details when the time comes.
Since I mentioned the Ministry of Justice, a few months ago I presented the first results of the new Judicial Map reform. It is worth noting the latest figures from JustStat — the justice observatory we created to monitor the performance of every court. The picture is even better than before. The average time to issue a first-instance ruling has now dropped from 774 days to 357, and in the first quarter of 2026 it fell even further, to 309 days. At the same time, courts are now resolving more cases than are being filed. This shows that a difficult reform is beginning to deliver measurable results, with the goal of placing Greece among the top five countries in Europe for the speed of justice delivery by 2030.
I continue with the Greek regions and the strengthening of their core infrastructure. We have approved and are immediately launching a new round of funding worth €66.4 million from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, covering 31 municipalities on islands and the Greek mainland, for the implementation of 61 water supply, irrigation, and sewage projects. These are interventions that transform everyday life and protect public health in areas that, even today, face problems with water supply networks, outdated infrastructure, or water quality. These projects are in addition to 42 more that we put in motion at the end of 2025. In total, we are supporting 63 municipalities with nearly €142 million for 103 projects, with one clear objective: to ensure that citizens have cleaner, safer, and more affordable water.
I also want to focus on Western Macedonia and the regions entering the post-lignite era. I am well aware of the anxiety felt by people there about the future of their region. That is why we are turning a longstanding and legitimate demand from Just Transition areas into law, by establishing a special protection clause: from now on, every new piece of legislation or funding program will be required to include specific provisions for these regions. At the same time, we are launching 10 concrete initiatives in Western Macedonia — ranging from reabsorbing former PPC workers and energy efficiency projects, to supporting the fur industry, upgrading the Police Academy in Kastoria, and improving road infrastructure. A total of €3.7 billion has already been invested in the region for projects such as the E-65 highway in Grevena, district heating systems, and double weighting for local residency in public sector hiring. We are not leaving Western Macedonia behind — let that be clear.
Shifting topic but remaining in the regions, I turn to the famous “Zakynthos Shipwreck.” Two pieces of news on this front. First, responding to a long-standing and legitimate request from local residents, management of the site is now being transferred to the Municipality of Zakynthos. Second, in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens, a plan has been designed to restore the shoreline with absolute respect for the environment and with visitor safety as the top priority. In parallel, through the “Interreg” program, restoration work on the historic vessel “Panagiotis” itself is set to begin. Our goal is to preserve this unique landmark and return it to the public — fully reinforced and safe.
As I have said many times, all issues — including the protection of our cultural heritage — take on even greater importance when they reach our smallest and most remote islands. So, following last week’s handover in Argos, we delivered to Agathonisi the 33rd museum to be built or renovated since 2019. It may have just two floors, but it holds a history stretching back to the 3rd millennium BC. The state is consistently present alongside the guardians of the Aegean, supporting the identity and the future of their homeland.
I have saved the major economic news for last, because this week saw the release of several very important reports from international organizations. I know that economic indicators often seem far removed from our daily lives, but in reality they show whether the country is standing on solid ground. First and foremost, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) confirmed that Greece is among the countries that have most drastically reduced their debt and deficits since the pandemic. What does this mean in practical terms for the future? It means that over the next ten years, our country will require far less additional fiscal effort — far less strain — compared to major Eurozone economies that are currently struggling, such as France, Italy, or Spain. Something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
At the same time, according to the annual report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), foreign investment in Greece for 2025 reached $13 billion — a historic 35-year record. And this at a time when investment across the rest of Europe fell by 29%, while here it rose by nearly 69.4% in a single year. That is more than double the figure from 2021 and ten times the figure from 2015. I highlight this not to boast about capital flows, but because of what that money brings: new, better, and better-paying jobs. And that is the key to bringing our young people back from abroad. Already, as I noted in my previous weekly review, OECD data shows that since 2023, more Greeks are returning than leaving. That is the real gain. This entire investment engine is largely fueled by the Recovery Fund, which is running fully on schedule. We have already received €24.6 billion, having completed 256 milestones, and with the next tranche we will reach 82% of the total program. A total of €15.5 billion has been channeled into the economy over five years, while the entire loan component of €17.7 billion has been contracted and committed before the deadline. One criticism often heard is that this money goes “to a few big players.” But the numbers say otherwise: 6 out of 10 loan agreements involve small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises. With these funds, Greece has covered enormous ground in state digitalization and energy, surpassing the European average and now actually exporting clean electricity.
So, we hold on to the positive results, we are fully aware of the difficulties that still remain, and we continue our work without resting on our laurels. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
