Kyriakos Mitsotakis made pointed — though unnamed — jabs at Alexis Tsipras during his visit to Leros, where he toured key infrastructure projects improving residents’ quality of life, healthcare services, port facilities, and cultural spaces. “Here on the islands of the eastern Aegean, you had suffered under the policy of another government that believed the sea has no borders and that our islands could serve as reception centers for anyone who thought they could enter the country unchecked. That has changed. Greece is now actively protecting its borders, migration flows have dropped significantly, and instead of the scenes we saw in 2019 with large numbers of refugees and migrants, we now see many tourists,” Mitsotakis said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis meets with the mayor of Leros
The Prime Minister visited the island’s Town Hall, where he received a briefing on the significant infrastructure projects completed to date and on the progress made in managing migration flows, which have fallen sharply.
“It is always a great satisfaction for me to visit a place and see completed and ongoing projects that genuinely improve the quality of life for both residents and visitors. Leros is an island that has firmly established itself on the tourism map, with very strong investment interest,” the Prime Minister said in conversation with Leros Mayor Timotheos Kottakis.
“None of this would have been possible, Mr. Mayor, had we not tackled the critical problem — the scourge of uncontrolled migration. You remember the situation we inherited in 2019. I remember my first visits to the islands of the Dodecanese and the northeastern Aegean, which were then being flooded with migrants and refugees in a process that was completely out of control. Today, instead of migrants and refugees, we see Turkish visitors who are happily spending their holidays here, on the islands of our homeland. That is perhaps the most important legacy, because without security and stability there can be no economic development,” Mitsotakis continued.
“The first duty of any state — and my own as Prime Minister — is to keep the country safe. I am glad that we have achieved this, and that it is recognized above all by those who stand on the front line of our borders,” the Prime Minister stressed.
“You are the first sitting Prime Minister to come to the municipality and inspect completed projects worth €8 million. There has never been a municipal term in which the Greek government has delivered €45 million worth of infrastructure projects in just two and a half years — and infrastructure is the most democratic and equitable investment of all, because everyone benefits from it,” said Mayor Kottakis.
“But the most important thing you have given us — and I believe all of Greek society — is stability. We, as Aegean islanders, feel for the first time that we have secure borders. Security and stability are what matter most, and you have delivered both. Thank you very much for that,” he added.
Mitsotakis: We are completing the largest intervention in NHS infrastructure since its founding
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited the State Hospital and Health Center of Leros, where extensive renovation and modernization works have been completed using Recovery Fund resources, as part of a broad investment program being implemented across Greece’s National Health System (NHS).
“Within the coming months, with the closure of the Recovery Fund, the government is completing the largest intervention in National Health System infrastructure since its founding. And it is truly gratifying that wherever I go across Greece, I see interventions in hospitals, emergency departments, and health centers — proof that the Recovery Fund resources, particularly those allocated to healthcare, have made a real difference,” the Prime Minister said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, the Administrator of the 2nd Regional Health Authority Christos Roilos, South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Chatzimarkos, and Mayor Timotheos Kottakis, was given a tour of the facilities by hospital administrator Stamatis Kardasis and had the opportunity to speak with members of the reinforced medical and nursing staff.
“We are committed to delivering an NHS that is far better than the one we inherited, with a focus on infrastructure, preventive care, and staffing. Much has been done, and much remains to be done — but there is no doubt that the National Health System is moving in the right direction,” the Prime Minister added.
The works at Leros Hospital have resulted in a significant upgrade of the Emergency Department, as well as the cardiology, pathology, gynecology, and pediatric wards, the operating theaters, the radiology laboratory, and a 10-station artificial kidney unit, along with shared common areas. An energy efficiency upgrade of the building is also underway.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcomed the Prime Minister to Leros Hospital to show him firsthand the tremendous progress we have made with Recovery and Resilience Facility funding — completing the largest reconstruction of the Emergency Department and hospital wards in many years. And in these very days, the inclusion of the major energy upgrade project in the YMEPERAA program is being signed, meaning that in one year from today the entire hospital will be literally brand new,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis.
“We would like to thank you for your support in our efforts. The project you just toured is one of the most significant works that began in the previous term and was completed in ours. The development effort continues,” noted hospital administrator S. Kardasis.
These works contribute to further improving healthcare coverage across the Dodecanese, given that last year Leros Hospital received more than 33,500 patients, of whom 10,000 were treated at the Emergency Department.
Substantial investments in port and cultural infrastructure
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the port of Lakki, where significant maintenance works have been carried out with Recovery Fund financing and where the expansion of the main pier has been set in motion, aiming at a broader upgrade of the facility. The Prime Minister also visited the new recreational vessel anchorage, currently going through the licensing process, which will be able to accommodate up to 70 leisure craft, boosting the island’s capacity to welcome nautical tourism.
The Prime Minister’s next stop was the historic “Leros Hotel” in Lakki, which has been restored by the Ministry of Culture after approximately four decades of disuse and handed over to the municipality to be developed as a multipurpose cultural venue and an artists’ residence.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis toured the facilities, including the interior atrium, where an open-air summer cinema will operate.
Full statement by the Prime Minister during his visit to Leros Town Hall
I am glad, Mr. Mayor, that the island has made significant progress in recent years, with the support of the Regional Governor and of course the support of our colleagues and the Deputy Ministers for Island Policy.
And it is always a great satisfaction for me to visit a place and see completed and ongoing projects that genuinely improve the quality of life for both residents and visitors.
Leros is an island that has firmly established itself on the tourism map, with very strong investment interest, and we have an obligation to provide both residents and visitors with the right infrastructure and to preserve the unique cultural and natural wealth of this island.
But of course, none of this would have been possible, Mr. Mayor, had we not tackled the critical problem — the scourge of uncontrolled migration. You remember the situation we inherited in 2019.
I remember my first visits to the islands of the Dodecanese and the northeastern Aegean, which were then being flooded with migrants and refugees in a process that was completely out of control.
Today, instead of migrants and refugees, we see Turkish visitors who are happily spending their holidays here, on the islands of our homeland.
That is perhaps the most important legacy, because without security and stability there can be no economic development. This is something our island communities and border residents know very well.
The first duty of any state — and my own as Prime Minister — is to keep the country safe. I am glad that we have achieved this, and that it is recognized above all by those who stand on the front line of our borders.
I always say that here the flag flies a little bluer, the sea is a little bluer, and the sky is a little bluer.
And of course, politically too, Leros gave us a very strong blue result — something we do not forget.
Full statement by the Prime Minister during his visit to Leros Hospital
The Leros Hospital building, Minister, Administrator — as you know better than I do — was a worn and tired structure with many decades of service behind it. By leveraging Recovery Fund resources, a first and very significant intervention was made, essentially upgrading the Emergency Department and making initial improvements to the rest of the building.
Very soon, an additional €6 million will be disbursed to complete this important work on the building through a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade.
At the same time, beyond the buildings themselves, the Ministry’s primary concern is always staffing — especially for our island facilities — with adequate medical and nursing personnel. I know this has always been a difficult challenge that has caused us considerable difficulty as well.
I am pleased that in the recent recruitment drives, the response was significantly greater than in the past. This is a first encouraging sign that we have now established an incentive framework that allows us to attract doctors and nurses to our islands, so that hospitals and healthcare facilities are no longer understaffed.
Compared to 2019, approximately 20 more doctors will be serving here. Let us not forget that we are essentially talking about an island of 10,000 residents, which will ultimately have more than 50 doctors covering its basic healthcare needs.
I want to congratulate the administration and thank all the medical, nursing, administrative, and support staff of the hospital for the tremendous effort you put in. I know that especially in summer the workload increases significantly. But I want you to know that you have our full support so that Leros Hospital can continue to improve.
Within the coming months, with the closure of the Recovery Fund, the government is completing the largest intervention in National Health System infrastructure since its founding. And it is truly gratifying that wherever I go across Greece, I see interventions in hospitals, emergency departments, and health centers — proof that the Recovery Fund resources, particularly those allocated to healthcare, have made a real difference.
We are committed to delivering an NHS that is far better than the one we inherited, with a focus on infrastructure, preventive care, and staffing of the National Health System.
Much has been done, and much remains to be done — but there is no doubt that the National Health System is moving in the right direction.
See images from the Prime Minister’s visit to Leros:
