Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made his customary weekly review through a Facebook post. The Prime Minister referred to the Gaza issue, emphasizing that Hamas announcements “are an important step.” “Greece is ready to contribute to diplomatic efforts for ending the war and creating a new sustainable governance scheme for the Gaza Strip,” he noted, saying that “the prospect of creating two states in the region must be kept alive, with real security conditions, as the only solution for lasting peace benefiting the entire region.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to the major tax reform worth 1.7 billion euros announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair, mentioning the implementation of “Taxcalc,” where taxpayers can see what they gain. Among other things, he emphasized that announcements will be made for energy-intensive businesses, while regarding the armed forces, he noted that “we are promoting bold changes that reorganize the country’s defense function at the personnel level, eliminating many old distortions.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s post
Good morning! As you may have noticed, our day has already started from Amorgos where, as I had promised, I came to speak with the residents and the heads of the “Amorgos Program,” a very important initiative that provides for the cessation of fishing activity in April and May, the most important months for fish reproduction, coastal cleanup, gradual change of fishing equipment to more sustainable ones, and the creation of three Marine Protected Areas along the island’s coastline. As I said this morning, I welcome this initiative, which shows the way for a new relationship of respect with our environment and our sea.
I start with developments in our broader region, as the announcements made by Hamas are an important step. All hostages must be released immediately, hostilities must end and humanitarian aid must be intensified. We are in constant contact with allies and partners in the region. Greece is ready to contribute to diplomatic efforts for ending the war and creating a new sustainable governance scheme for the Gaza Strip.
The prospect of creating two states in the region must be kept alive, with real security conditions, as the only solution for lasting peace benefiting the entire region.
I come to government activity, starting with the decisions of the Cabinet, which approved the package of measures I had presented at the Thessaloniki International Fair. A major tax reform, worth 1.7 billion euros, affecting over four million citizens and particularly supporting young people, every family and especially large families, public and private sector employees, pensioners, uniformed personnel, farmers and professionals. Measures that mean real relief in daily life: tax reductions, housing support, abolition of property tax in thousands of villages, VAT reduction on remote islands, and for the first time zero taxation for young people up to 25 years old.
Many measures for many people, logical that it’s not easy to calculate the benefit to disposable income, but that’s why we created the digital application www.taxcalc2025.minfin.gr through which you can immediately see what you gain according to your income, family status and age. The application does not use citizens’ tax data, nor does it store data, while it doesn’t use cookies.
These interventions, together with permanent increases in wages and pensions, are the dividend from the good course of the economy and the creation of surplus that we return to society. They don’t eliminate, but create a “barrier” to the wave of high prices, without this meaning we don’t continue the battle to limit it, either with sweeping market controls or with measures that intensify competition and pressure food industries and retail chains to restrain prices on basic products. One such example is the commitment of supermarket chains to reduced prices on 1,000 codes announced this week and starting October 15.
Regarding energy, prices, after a period of very intense fluctuations, seem to be stabilizing for households and businesses. In October, electricity tariffs will remain unchanged at September levels which had already been significantly reduced for most consumers. For energy-intensive businesses, we will soon be able to make some announcements.
I continue with another equally important initiative of ours that constitutes a breakthrough and concerns the Armed Forces: it’s the “roadmap” for their transition to the new era. We are promoting bold changes that reorganize the country’s defense function at the personnel level, eliminating many old distortions. Some characteristic examples that illuminate the necessity of this major breakthrough: the “inflation” of high-ranking officers. We have 1,878 Colonels in the Army for 539 organic positions. Colonels and equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force are multiple times more than Corporals, Majors are six times more than Sergeants and five times more than Corporals. An inverted pyramid that doesn’t serve the needs of the Armed Forces facing urgent and imperative challenges arising in the international field. We are therefore establishing a new ranking system and new salary scale that we decouple from rank, a new career advancement system, upgrading military schools, giving the possibility of voluntary enlistment for women and making stricter the conditions for deferrals, exemptions and transfers. Our goal is for recruits to receive real training and for military service to become an asset instead of wasted time.
The reorganization of the military at the personnel level together with the robust armament program, salary increases and the large housing program for military residences, constitute our patriotic response to those within borders who appear concerned and to those outside borders who question our determination. I remind you that apart from the procurement of the fourth Belharra frigate and the modernization of the previous three, we are in discussions with Italy for acquiring another 2+2 FREMM frigates that are in excellent condition. Despite those who want to present a different picture of how strong our homeland really is.
I move to regulations for legal migration, which constitute the other side of our strict but fair migration policy. Here I note that for the second consecutive month, new measures to prevent illegal migration flows are bringing positive results with significantly reduced flows at our maritime borders. The new legal migration framework has three axes. First, we simplify many procedures for receiving workers from other countries, in sectors such as agricultural production, tourism and construction where the greatest labor shortages are recorded. The second axis concerns attracting highly skilled personnel (students, university students and recipients of medical services) with a series of “smart” national visas such as tech and talent visa, while the third axis seeks to utilize asylum beneficiaries as human resources in the domestic labor market (there are about 20,000 with refugee profile at this time). Strengthening legal migration routes ensures that we and not trafficking networks decide who will come, under what terms and for how long, with the basic goal of covering gaps that exist in specific sectors of the labor market and maintaining our economy’s growth rates at the same and why not higher levels.
In news from the employment sector, unemployment in August fell to 8.1%. According to ELSTAT, the unemployed this year were 72,352 fewer compared to August 2024 and by 11,542 people compared to July 2025 (-2.9%). The unemployment rate amounts to 6.1% for men and 10.6% for women, with the long-term trend indicating convergence of rates between the two genders. Also, the unemployment rate amounts to 19.0% for the 15-24 age group and 7.5% for the 25-74 group, with the gap between them also decreasing over time. Overall, unemployment continues its long-term downward course, with convergence of rates both between the two genders and between younger and older workers. Active employment policies of course continue for all age groups, giving special emphasis to those facing greater difficulty entering the labor market. Thus, the new program of the Ministry of Labor and DYPA concerns the hiring of 5,000 unemployed people, aged over 50 years in private sector companies for 18 months. Beneficiaries of the program are companies and generally employers who exercise regular economic activity and operate throughout the territory. The total budget of the action amounts to 73,746,000 euros and the subsidy of employment positions reaches up to 80% of workers’ compensation depending on gender or the period they remained unemployed.
The efforts to improve daily life are complemented by almost 20,000 hirings approved for 2026. Doctors and nurses in the National Health System, new firefighters, personnel in the Armed Forces and Security Corps will strengthen critical services, so citizens have better care and greater security. Additionally, the Transport Minister signed the first 80 hirings of air traffic controllers through ASEP to staff the Civil Aviation Service from the total of 97 controllers provided by the annual planning for 2025. In the coming days their swearing-in will take place and their training will begin. For 2026, the hiring of another 72 controllers and 115 specialized staff for critical positions is planned. At the same time, the administrative transformation of the Civil Aviation Service into a Legal Entity of Public Law proceeds, based on the Action Plan for the aviation sector, in cooperation with European organizations.
I now come to the health sector, where from October 1st, appointments at external clinics of National Health System hospitals enter the unified electronic appointment system. This means citizens can now, without hassle, book their appointment either with a phone call to 1566, through the MyHealth application, or via the finddoctors.gov.gr platform, even from their mobile phone. Thus, together with the 3 million free appointments with private EOPYY doctors, another 7 million hospital appointments are added, making access to healthcare easier and more immediate for everyone.
I change subject to focus on an important facilitation for Greeks of the diaspora. Through the new AADE platform, those who decide to return to their homeland and become Greek tax residents can now submit their application digitally, without the bureaucratic obstacles of the past. If they meet the requirements, they will have their taxation reduced by 50%. In this way we simplify procedures and show in practice that we want to attract and support as many compatriots as possible who are thinking of returning. The process is carried out through the digital portal myAADE (myaade.gov.gr), following the path: Applications > Tax Services > Income > Submission of application for inclusion in special taxation method (article 5C of the Tax Code).
In the same direction, but on another platform: during the week the platform of the Panhellenic Medical Association was put into operation for recognizing specialization for doctors who have acquired academic and professional rights in the USA. It’s the continuation of the simplification we started in summer, so that Greek doctors who studied and worked in America can now, returning to their homeland, have their specialty and specialization recognized. Through the digital platform myrequests.pis.gr then, interested parties can now submit the necessary documents for practicing license and proceed to automatic recognition of their title without examinations.
And very pleasant news for the student community: the International University of Greece acquired a second student dormitory, in Sindos, Thessaloniki. The building was purchased, renovated and fully equipped with funds from the Ministry of Education and from December will offer free, dignified and safe housing to at least 180 male and female students. With new and modern dormitories, renovations and more beds, we support our young people, families struggling financially and regional universities.
We continue our targeted interventions for every vulnerable group. One of these is exempting people with visual impairment of 80% and above from the cost of institutionalized participation in medicines, regardless of medicine category. It was a permanent and fair demand of these fellow citizens that we implement recognizing the special needs and financial burdens they face. It’s, above all, a matter of dignified living.
The operational plan “ARIADNI” for preventing, deterring and suppressing deviant behaviors and criminal acts in Mass Transportation Means appears to be paying off. In the first 8 months of 2025, the plan’s police officers conducted 91,610 checks, proceeded with 1,539 arrests that almost all (1,536) were converted to arrests, among others for thefts, robberies, damages, graffiti and violations concerning drugs, weapons and illegal residence in the country. The continuous presence of police officers within stations, trains, city buses and perimeter areas has led to reducing incidents of lawlessness by at least 60%, increasing the sense of security of thousands of citizens who use Mass Transportation daily.
I close today’s review with the cultural Master Plans, roadmaps for a new model of cultural development in 15 cities and islands in the arc of Eastern Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaloniki. With these specific plans, the forces of modern culture were mapped for the first time in Ikaria, Samos, Chios, Lesvos, Lemnos, Leros, Kos, Rhodes, Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupoli, Drama, Kavala, Soufli and Thessaloniki. Plans made together with local communities that capture each area’s identity, needs and possibilities. This way we can better support people of culture, utilize resources more effectively and give new perspective to local communities.
These were the most important of the week. See you next time, have a good day!
