Starting Monday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be back at his Maximos Mansion office following his return from New York, where he completed an intensive round of international meetings. The soaring cost of fuel is now front and center on the government’s agenda, as rising prices continue to squeeze household budgets and present an increasingly serious challenge for the administration.
Read also: Energy crisis: Alarm over fuel and heating costs — the two key dates and interventions on the table
Mitsotakis on fuel prices: Calling for greater fiscal flexibility from the EU
In this context, Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an interview to Bloomberg yesterday, highlighting the urgent need for greater fiscal flexibility from the European Union, so that member states can better protect households from the mounting pressure of rising energy costs.
September 30: First package of fuel measures — October 14: New announcements on heating oil support
The government’s support timeline is set to unfold in two stages. The first wave of announcements, focused on measures to contain fuel costs, is scheduled for September 30, coinciding with a planned Cabinet meeting. These measures are expected to include an extension of the existing diesel fuel subsidy. The second wave, planned for October 14 — one day before the start of the heating oil distribution season — will address a broader across-the-board increase in the heating allowance, along with direct support at the pump. The later date reflects the volatile and rapidly shifting international energy landscape.
Excise tax cut on the table
One of the key issues still under discussion is a potential reduction in the Special Consumption Tax (excise duty) on fuels. The government has expressed support for such a cut, but has made clear that it can only be implemented if the European Union grants a special exemption — without it, there is simply no fiscal room to maneuver. As government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis explained, reducing the excise tax on fuels would require EU authorization to ensure it does not count against the government’s spending ceiling.
Crisis meetings at Maximos Mansion — Mitsotakis to visit Athens and Pieria
Against this challenging backdrop, the Prime Minister has been convening meetings with the relevant ministers and his economic team since the start of the week, aiming to finalize the government’s response to the energy cost crisis.
At the same time, planning is underway for the Prime Minister’s upcoming regional tours. Mitsotakis is expected to visit western Athens for a Ministry of Health event, and, according to sources, is also set to travel to Pieria next Friday on the occasion of Mount Olympus being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
New Democracy’s 52nd anniversary event on October 5
On Monday, October 5 — one day after the anniversary of New Democracy’s founding — Kyriakos Mitsotakis will deliver a speech at the party’s 52nd birthday celebration, to be held at the former OSY bus depot. Addressing senior party members and officials, the Prime Minister is expected to lay out the strategic direction of the party’s headquarters for the period ahead, as the party machinery is already operating in pre-election mode. Preparations for the anniversary event are being coordinated by New Democracy’s secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis, party director general Yannis Smyrlis, and Thanasis Nezis. A notable highlight of the event’s communications strategy is the revival of New Democracy’s historic emblem — the torch.
