With the prime minister’s decision now seemingly final to hold the elections in the spring of 2027 — and specifically toward the end of that season — one question comes to the fore: Why did Kyriakos Mitsotakis reject all recommendations — even from senior ministers and close advisors — to call a snap election this autumn, especially when polls show New Democracy polling at nearly 30%, with a commanding double-digit lead over the second party? The central political narrative rests on the prime minister’s personal credibility: he has repeatedly spoken about serving out the full four-year term, a stance that aligns with his rhetoric on institutional stability and fixed four-year electoral cycles.
The government’s five cards
Beyond that, however, there are five “cards” the government intends to lay on the table next spring — cards it does not yet hold, and will not hold come autumn. These are initiatives that, if successfully implemented, could on their own provide significant political momentum and propel the ruling party toward a strong electoral result.
The first of these cards relates to hydrocarbon exploration in Greece — an issue that has been debated openly or behind closed doors for decades. This coming February, Greece’s first deep offshore exploratory drilling operation, named “Asopos 1,” will take place off the coast of Corfu, near the maritime boundary between Greece and Italy. “For the first time in nearly half a century, an offshore exploratory well will be drilled in the Ionian Sea. The ExxonMobil consortium estimates the deposit at 270 billion cubic meters, while our national needs stand at just 6 billion cubic meters,” Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou has stated. The first reliable conclusions are expected approximately two months after drilling begins — potentially just days before the national election.
The new minimum wage increase
That same month — April, and specifically April 1st — a new minimum wage increase will take effect. The minimum wage was raised this year to €920. The government’s pre-election commitment was to gradually raise it from €650, the level inherited from the SYRIZA government, to €950 by the end of the second four-year term. However, if unemployment continues to fall in the coming months (it stood at 8% in June) and the economy maintains satisfactory growth rates above 2%, it is entirely plausible that Labour Minister Niki Kerameus could announce a new minimum wage of as much as €1,000 — an amount beneficiaries would see in their bank accounts just weeks before the election. It is worth noting that the minimum wage increase directly benefits approximately 1.5 million citizens: nearly 700,000 private-sector jobs, all public servants, and those receiving benefits and allowances calculated on the basis of the minimum wage (such as maternity pay, parental leave, and unemployment benefits) — while seniority bonuses are also positively affected.
Full restoration of the country’s main railway line
The third card — one that requires several more months before the government can present it — is the full overhaul of the country’s main Athens–Thessaloniki railway line, featuring a double electrified track with remote control systems and a new fleet of trains. The first of Hellenic Train’s hybrid locomotives has already arrived in Thessaloniki, and the Greece–Ferrovie dello Stato agreement provides for the fleet renewal with a total of 25 modern next-generation hybrid trains equipped with advanced traffic management systems. If this landmark investment — described by the Prime Minister’s Office as the largest ever made in land transport in Greece — is completed on time, the Athens–Thessaloniki journey by train could be reduced to just three and a half hours next spring. To achieve this, however, the European Train Control System (ETCS) — the automatic train protection system that continuously monitors the speed and trajectory of every train — must be installed across all trains and at all required points along the track. Additionally, railway restoration works in Thessaly, which began in April 2025 following the devastation caused by Storm Daniel, must be completed. These works include reinforced structures, modern signalling systems, ETCS Level 1, remote control and electrification upgrades, as well as critical interventions that increase capacity along the main Athens–Thessaloniki corridor. Key works are being carried out on the double track between Domokos and Krannona, and on the sections between Palaiofarsalos–Kalambaka and Larissa–Volos.
A race against the clock to deliver the Flyover
Another major project for northern Greece is the delivery of the Thessaloniki Flyover — a race against the clock to open it to traffic by spring 2027. This is a new elevated highway stretching 13 kilometres, comprising nine grade-separated interchanges, eight new bridges, and three new tunnels. It runs from the Papageorgiou Hospital to the Thessaloniki–Moudania national road and is expected to significantly improve traffic conditions in the city, while also serving as a tangible demonstration of the government’s commitment to Thessaloniki — a city where, for decades, there has been a pervasive sense of being left behind in terms of infrastructure.
The return of the Parthenon Sculptures
The fifth hidden ace the government is holding for spring 2027 — though its outcome remains uncertain — is a potential agreement on the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. “I have noted that the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has in the past openly supported the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. We shall see how consistent he is and whether he will honour that commitment. I intend to raise the issue with him immediately upon our first meeting,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated shortly after Andy Burnham succeeded Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister. Complex negotiations over the return of the Sculptures have been ongoing for the past five years with the British Museum — roughly since former Chancellor George Osborne took over as its director. The clock is now ticking toward what appears to be an ideal window of opportunity: the major renovation of the British Museum’s west wing is expected to begin in 2027, which will result in the closure of the gallery currently housing the Parthenon Sculptures. Also in 2027, the upgrade and expansion of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens could begin. For the first time, there may be a “golden” opportunity both to transfer the Parthenon Sculptures — without creating a temporary gap in the gallery — and to offer select pieces from the National Archaeological Museum’s outstanding collections on loan as part of a reciprocal arrangement for their return.
*Originally published in Parapolitika newspaper
