Greek Prime Minister Highlights Measures on Inflation, Labor Law, and Economic Support in Weekly Update

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis detailed key government initiatives from the past week, focusing on tackling inflation, the new labor law, professional training, and support for farmers and wildfire victims.

Mr. Mitsotakis criticized opposition parties for spreading “fake news,” especially around claims of a widespread 13-hour workday imposed by the new labor

He clarified that the law, passed last week, benefits workers and businesses and that a majority of lawmakers, including many opposition members, supported at least half of its articles.

The controversial 13-hour overtime rule is limited to exceptions, requires worker consent, and cannot lead to dismissal if refused.

This rule aligns with existing European labor laws and incorporates recommendations from the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE).

On inflation, the government reached an agreement with supermarket chains to double discounted essential products from 1,000 to over 2,000 items, covering food, hygiene, and cleaning products.

Heating oil is priced at its lowest in four years, with financial aid of 100 to 1,200 euros planned to help vulnerable households before winter.

Mr. Mitsotakis also outlined the launch of Professional Training Academies to address skill shortages, enabling private entities to establish programs aligned with local business needs. These academies provide specialized training inside companies and are part of the national professional education system overseen by the Education Ministry.

Farmers have begun receiving €153 million in subsidies under the Rural Development Program, with more payments planned for animal disease compensation and energy cost relief.

Measures for wildfire victims include state-funded housing assistance to repair or replace damaged homes, aiming to alleviate losses from the summer’s fires.

Healthcare infrastructure is also seeing improvements.

The Emergency Department of Attikon Hospital has been modernized, and a new Oncology Unit serving over 20,000 patients annually was opened.

Further hiring continues to strengthen medical staff nationwide.

Justice reforms include the launch of a fully digital wills platform, diathikes.gr, set to go live November 1, which will streamline 60,000–70,000 annual cases and ease court workloads.

In transportation safety, authorities identified over 100,000 uninsured vehicles, initiating notifications and fines to enforce compliance and reduce accidents.

Cultural heritage benefitted from a new digital portal showcasing over 70,000 digitized items from the former royal estate at Tatoi, with plans to expand before year-end.

In sports, Thessaloniki’s Kaftanzoglio Stadium reopened with full 27,560-seat capacity and renewed certification after 65 years, backed by over €11 million in investments.

Renovations continue in multiple regions, including infrastructure upgrades at Athens’ OAKA training grounds using €150 million Recovery Fund support.

Mr. Mitsotakis ended his message with thanks and optimism for the country’s ongoing recovery efforts.

Pasok and Syriza have acknowledged the government’s measures but continue to critique aspects of labor reforms, calling for stronger protections.

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