From the Thessaloniki International Fair to the next general election, there are approximately 7-8 months ahead — a road paved with new measures, commitments, and difficult choices. This is the key takeaway — and a clearly defined roadmap — emerging from Kyriakos Mitsotakis‘ address yesterday to the Parliamentary Group of New Democracy, which convened this deep into summer for the first time without a preceding election.
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The Prime Minister repeatedly stressed that polls will be held in the spring of 2027 and that there is only one electoral process: “There are no trial protest votes, no dress rehearsals with supposed messages, and no room for catastrophic risks. Both the international and domestic situation point to a single choice: a strong government of certainty, care, and results — a one-party government, though not necessarily a single-colour one,” he said emphatically.
Mitsotakis signals support for the middle class, with a focus on freelancers and small business owners
On the evening of September 5th, at the Thessaloniki International Fair, the Prime Minister will unveil his vision for Greece in 2030, presenting specific measures, initiatives, and reforms. In the roughly seven weeks between now and then, he is also expecting input from MPs across all areas of government policy — proposals he invited them to submit to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis. This represents yet another gesture of openness from the Prime Minister toward the New Democracy parliamentary group, making them active participants in shaping what is known as the “Thessaloniki package.”
As he previewed yesterday, the announcements from Thessaloniki will focus primarily on supporting the middle class — with particular emphasis this time on freelancers (who have been frustrated by the minimum imputed income rules) and small and medium-sized business owners (who felt largely left out of last year’s package).
“On the other hand, don’t expect a mere wish list of announcements. What you should expect is a roadmap for the years ahead — a description of how collective growth will increasingly translate into individual prosperity for all. In other words, the presentation of a journey that will realistically lead to a Greece that, despite its difficulties and despite unprecedented geopolitical shifts, will continue to progress and look to the future with optimism,” said Mr. Mitsotakis, setting out the framework within which the announcements will be made.
His outlook for the coming months is cautious, particularly in light of the escalating tensions between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. “This tension — and we don’t know how long it will last, nor at this moment whether it will escalate further, nor can we in any way believe that Greece can control these developments or somehow magically remain unaffected by the international economic consequences of this flare-up — will inevitably lead to rising oil and energy prices. And those increases will, yes, be passed on as higher costs for fuel, transport, and in a chain reaction, across all products,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned, adding that the government will do its utmost to manage this reality and continuously build “buffers” against imported inflation.
The Prime Minister did not limit himself to outlining the government’s upcoming measures — he also took direct aim at the opposition over its own proposals. “There, we will respond with the truth of the numbers to the hollow promises being circulated. There, those who claim they will tax the wealthiest 1% will be put to the test. These are, of course, the same people who taxed 99% of Greeks while only cutting taxes for casinos,” he said, in a clear reference to Alexis Tsipras’ new party ELAS. He also remarked that “these are the same people — as we learned from a very interesting recent documentary about the 2015 period — who rejected Jean-Claude Juncker’s proposal at the time to impose an emergency tax on shipowners, choosing instead to crush the middle class with taxes.” He also addressed the formation of ELAS directly for the first time, noting that “some honoured him, elevated him to party leader. Now he’s gone and set up a new party — supposedly new — whose antechamber is crowded with desperate figures from the previous dark decade.”
He was equally sharp regarding PASOK and its leader Nikos Androulakis, stressing that “at the Thessaloniki International Fair, the opposition’s empty handouts will also be put to the test — as will those who want to appear serious while stubbornly refusing to cost their own policy announcements.” He concluded by underlining that “Thessaloniki this year will be the mirror of truth for everyone and everything.”
As for the long pre-election period now opening up, Mr. Mitsotakis highlighted — with sporting analogies — New Democracy’s stamina and team spirit as a comparative advantage: “We are certainly in good shape — we’ve proven that — so we can endure this marathon until the spring 2027 elections. And of course, we have the resilience for tough play and the composure to handle provocation. At the same time, we are first and foremost a team. A team. Teams win — not self-styled solo stars.”
