In the new global environment, the Greek economy “is prepared to meet any new challenges, as it has done effectively so far,” with the government implementing at the same time its commitments to citizens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his Sunday review on the government’s work posted on Facebook.
Mitsotakis referred to Greece’s fiscal health and responsibility as well as parliamentary stability, all particularly important “in a world threatened simultaneously by geopolitical tensions and financial storms,” and expressed the confidence Greece would come out of this difficult time stronger.
Among the issues the PM raised were new regulations by the European Union effective May 1 on more environmentally friendly fuel that will affect the prices of tickets for passengers on ships and ferries. The government, he reiterated, will lower port fees by 50% to keep the cost of tickets as low as possible for travelers, while he said that resulting losses to ports would be covered by the Green Fund.
Housing, migration
He also noted a new regulation that would better support vulnerable and over-indebted borrowers, suspending prosecution for those in repayment schemes, and the ‘Spiti mou II’ housing program, where the number of applications approved totaled 4,356 in the first 2.5 months since its announcement, with 26% of the program’s funding already covered. The applicants have been preapproved by a bank already, have found a house to buy, and their applications are moving along the Hellenic Development Bank, the prime minister said. “Half of those are up to 37 years old, 6 in 10 are married, and over half have incomes ranging from 12,000 to 24,000 euros. In addition, 440 loans were handed out with an additional subsidy on interest rates for families with three or more children,” Mitsotakis added.
Referring to migrants, the Greek PM said that 160 migrants whose asylum applications were rejected were returned to the countries they came from, whether voluntarily under a program overseen by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), or because their applications were irrevocably rejected.
Particularly about the issue relating to Türkiye, which was recently included in Greece’s National List of Safe Third Countries by joint decision of the ministries of Migration and Foreign Affairs for migrants who arrived in Greece illegally, he said the decision fully complies with the recent decision of Greece’s Council of State. “I repeat, the government is implementing a fair but strict migration policy, respecting human rights and the rules of International Law. When we started this policy in 2020, we were the exception in the European Union. Now everyone in Europe understands the significance of protecting the borders,” Mitsotakis said.
EU-US trade
Commenting on the US tariffs and the EU’s reaction, the Greek PM said that Greece insisted from the very start on a unified reaction by the EU, on avoiding uncoordinated and useless tension. “I believe, as I said in a recent interview to an American media outlet, that we can find a win-win solution in terms of trade between Europe and the United States. A solution that will be mutually beneficial. For example, an agreement of zero tariffs between the EU and the US. I heard with satisfaction President Trump agreeing with the Greek proposal, and as EU we obviously welcome his announcement of a three-month suspension of the policy on tariffs,” Mitsotakis said.
He added, however, that he agrees with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “that in any case, Europe needs to intensify its efforts for the lifting of obstacles in our own unified market and to focus on differentiating its trade partnership relations, turning toward countries that support a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas.”
Also read: US team visits Cyprus to assess eligibility for Visa Waiver Program
Source: ANA-MPA
