Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opened his weekly review by expressing deep pride over the completion of the restoration of the Parthenon’s western facade, calling it a milestone of historic significance for the country’s cultural heritage. He also highlighted restoration work carried out at monuments and cultural sites across the Dodecanese.
The e-katanalotis platform becomes posokanei.gov.gr
He then turned to the launch of the new platform posokanei.gov.gr, noting that greater market transparency and better-informed consumers can help address the cost-of-living crisis. “High prices remain one of the greatest challenges for households, and there are no easy or magic solutions. There is only constant effort, on many fronts at once,” he said. He also presented the new “Home Renovation” initiative, which aims to increase housing supply by renovating vacant or outdated properties.
He further underscored the importance of citizen participation in the second round of evaluations for public services, noting that findings from the previous round helped drive reforms. On labor matters, he referenced the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement for food technologists and food scientists, and pointed out that Greece’s initiative to strengthen collective agreements is now attracting attention at the European level.
Fines and inspections for vacant lots ahead of fire season
He placed particular emphasis on wildfire prevention, calling on citizens to clear their properties of dry vegetation, while also highlighting the work of the National Animal Protection Mechanism, which coordinates rescue and care operations for animals during natural disasters.
Turning to international affairs, he welcomed the framework agreement signed between the United States and Iran, stressing its importance for stability in the Middle East and for easing energy price pressures, while noting Greece’s growing role in the Eastern Mediterranean energy landscape. He also referred to the country’s accession to the European defense financing instrument SAFE, describing it as a significant step in strengthening Greece’s defense capabilities. He closed with a personal note on Father’s Day.
“After 220 years, the Parthenon without scaffolding”
“If I had to single out one image from the past week, one that filled me with deep pride, it is without a doubt the one from the Acropolis. After roughly 220 years, the western facade of the Parthenon has been restored to its fullest possible form. The scaffolding has been removed and we can now admire this architectural wonder unobstructed, with the restoration of the western pediment complete.
This is an achievement of historic importance for the monument and for world civilization. A project of extraordinary difficulty that was made possible by the scientists, engineers, and craftspeople of the Acropolis Conservation Service. They worked with exemplary precision and dedication, and they deserve a resounding round of applause from all of us.
For our government, the protection and promotion of cultural heritage is not a secondary policy, but an enduring national obligation. That is why the image from the Acropolis is perhaps the most emblematic, but it is not the only one. On Symi, the restored bell tower of Saint John the Baptist was handed over; on Rhodes, significant interventions were completed at three monuments in the Medieval City; and on Chalki, a new Archaeological Museum was created alongside the restoration of the Church of the Virgin of Choriani. Smaller or larger, all of these projects, funded by the Recovery Fund, reflect a consistent choice on our part: to invest in culture not only as a part of our identity, but also as a precious legacy for future generations,” he said.
The “farm to shelf” fight and a dig at the opposition
“From culture, I move to an entirely different subject. This week we launched the new platform posokanei.gov.gr. One observation upfront: a platform is not going to solve the problem of high prices. If it were that simple, we would have solved it long ago. However, I believe that greater market transparency, better-informed consumers, and more effective oversight across the entire supply chain, from the farm to the shelf, can serve as useful tools in the battle we are waging for fairer prices.
Posokanei does not aim to shift the responsibility for oversight onto consumers. On the contrary, it helps both us as a government and you as citizens to exercise more effective market oversight. Download the app, try out its features, and you will find that it can make us more demanding and informed consumers while also making businesses more competitive. As for those who question it as a tool for transparency and competition, whether from the opposition or from the private sector, they had better get used to it, because posokanei is here to stay and will improve every week.
It is the evolution of the e-katanalotis platform, with more than 8,000 products available for comparison, more data, and the ability to track price trends over time as well as compare them against equivalent products in other European countries. High prices remain one of the greatest challenges for households, and there are no easy or magic solutions. There is only constant effort, on many fronts at once.”
Subsidies of up to 36,000 euros for 20,000 properties
“From the cost of living, I now turn to another major challenge: housing. The new ‘Home Renovation’ initiative is being added to the programs already underway to address the problem.
Very briefly, I will tell you that this program offers strong incentives for the renovation of vacant or older homes, so that they can either be used as primary residences by their owners or made available for long-term rental. At the same time, the option to renovate properties already in use as primary residences is also available. Why does this new initiative matter? Because it addresses the problem of thousands of vacant, idle properties, that is, the limited supply of housing. It is also a pilot program across Europe, one that Greece was the first to propose and is now implementing with EU co-funding.
The subsidy can reach up to 36,000 euros, or 95% of the cost of the work, for low- and middle-income households. It is estimated that through this initiative, up to 20,000 currently idle homes can be returned to the market. Interest is already particularly strong, with more than 6,700 eligibility certificates issued through anakainisi.apps.gov.gr.
I promise that this is the last platform I will mention today. But it is a significant one, as it concerns the evaluation of public services and how we can improve them. The second evaluation round has now launched at axiologisi.ypes.gov.gr. I will remind you that the first evaluation process, in which approximately 65,000 citizens participated, produced useful findings about services that needed reform.
A telling example is urban planning offices, which citizens rated negatively and which are now at the center of a major overhaul through their integration into the new digital Land Registry. I would like to encourage as many citizens as possible to participate. Your opinion matters and, most importantly, it leads to real change.”
Wage increases after 15 years
Labor issues were the next topic the prime minister addressed.
“On labor matters, yet another collective bargaining agreement was signed this week, this time for food technologists and food scientists. It is the first agreement in the sector in 15 years, with pay increases and additional benefits for workers. But let me linger on this point, because Greece’s effort to strengthen collective agreements is now being discussed at the European level as well. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to present in Brussels the National Social Agreement we signed with our social partners, which is attracting considerable interest. An agreement signed at the initiative of a center-right government has already led to the expansion of collective bargaining, covering within just a few months more than 15% of the country’s workers with wage increases and additional protections.”
He continued: “Let me now turn to the very important issue of wildfire prevention, which requires the constant attention of all of us. We are now entering the most demanding period of the fire season, and conditions favor both the ignition and the rapid spread of wildfires. Since May 1, 803 wildfires have been recorded across the country, which fortunately were dealt with quickly, without causing major destruction.
I want to focus specifically on the clearing of vacant lots. It has been proven time and again in practice that it can prevent a wildfire from starting or significantly limit its spread. Starting Tuesday, municipal authorities will begin inspections and impose the fines prescribed by law. That is why I urge those who have not yet done so to act now. It has been shown that homes that were at risk from wildfires in previous years were ultimately saved because their owners had carried out exactly these clearances. Prevention is always preferable to managing a disaster, and clearing vacant lots is perhaps the simplest yet most effective prevention measure available to us.
Preparation for natural disasters has another important dimension as well: the care of animals at risk from wildfires and other extreme events. That is why the National Animal Protection Mechanism we established matters so much. What began a few years ago through the collaboration of the state, volunteers, and animal welfare organizations has now taken on a structured and permanent form, coordinating rescue and care operations for animals in the event of natural disasters. I had the opportunity to visit the new shelter and care facility for affected animals in the Municipality of Galatsi, where excellent work is being done. I hope these facilities will never need to be used to the extent for which they were designed. But it is important that they now exist.”
The international agreement that sent oil prices tumbling
“For the end, I have saved matters of international significance.
I will start, of course, with the framework agreement signed by the United States and Iran on Friday in Switzerland, which encourages the continuation of dialogue and diplomatic efforts toward a final agreement to end the conflict in the Persian Gulf. Greece welcomes the agreement and, as a member of the EU, can contribute to the promotion of a comprehensive strategy for lasting peace across the Middle East.
What is urgently needed is the full and unrestricted restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, as the unimpeded flow of the region’s energy supplies is of primary importance for both regional stability and the global economy. The mere announcement of the framework agreement has already led to a 20% drop in international oil prices, which means that the achievement of a final and enforceable agreement will be a catalyst for reducing energy costs and easing the inflationary pressures that have battered European economies and households.”
A vote of confidence from Chevron and 700 million for defense
“This significant development comes at a time when Greece’s position as a reliable energy partner in the Eastern Mediterranean is being upgraded. Our country is participating alongside the United States, Cyprus, and Israel in the creation of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center, an initiative aimed at strengthening energy security, developing new infrastructure, and attracting investment to the region.
In parallel, the procedures for Chevron’s entry into a new exploration project in the Kyparissiakos Gulf have been completed. As I have said, the presence of one of the world’s largest energy companies represents yet another vote of confidence in our country’s prospects and in the strategy we are pursuing to develop our energy potential.
One more significant piece of news, and I will close with this: Greece has officially acceded to the European defense financing instrument SAFE, securing 700 million euros for investments in critical defense capabilities, including strategic surveillance, secure communications, and counter-drone technologies. I consider this development particularly important, because for the first time Europe is taking such a meaningful step toward joint defense financing, and our country is at the forefront of that effort. In an era of geopolitical turbulence, security is neither an abstract concept nor a given. It is a prerequisite for stability, growth, and national confidence. And that is precisely why we must make the most of every opportunity that strengthens our country’s position.
I will close with a more personal thought on today’s Father’s Day. Of all the roles I hold in life, that of a father is among the most important and the most defining. As a father, and as a son, I know well how profound that imprint is. It is a role full of responsibility, but also the greatest joy: to be there, a source of support in good times and in difficult ones, and to watch your children grow and forge their own paths. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there”.
Source: tovima.com
