In his weekly report on the government’s work, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis refers to what he describes as the historic reform establishing mail-in voting. He also discusses the «Unified Digital Surgery List,» which will be implemented starting February 1, with the aim of reducing patient wait times and launching a platform to monitor drug shortages. To be precise, the prime minister emphasizes that the government will not hesitate to take further measures if necessary to address the problem. «This is a problem that is partly imported but is also due to long-standing structural issues in the Greek market. I am particularly pleased that these measures received a positive vote from opposition parties, because we are all fighting this battle together,» he noted.
He also refers to vocational education and the issue of public safety. In closing, the prime minister expresses his hope to see Yorgos Lanthimos’s film, noting «I hope to find the time to watch Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film, *Poor Things*, which has sparked so much discussion on social media. In any case, both he and everyone involved in the film deserve congratulations.».
Below is the Prime Minister's post in its entirety
«Good morning to all and sundry!
We’re back with our Sunday recap, featuring both the major, landmark events and the smaller but equally important developments from the past week.
I’ll start with the bill on mail-in voting. This is a historic reform for our country, and I am delighted, first and foremost, that we are fulfilling our commitment to Greeks living abroad. We are making it easier for them to exercise their right to vote, thereby further strengthening their unbreakable bond with their homeland. I am also pleased, however, because our initiative secured a broad majority in the relevant parliamentary committee. Tomorrow, Monday, it will be introduced in the Plenary, and I will have the opportunity to emphasize how important it is that such major changes, changes that promote the participation of citizens both inside and outside Greece in elections, to be supported by all political forces. Because, ultimately, this is how democracy is strengthened—and with it, society’s trust in politics.
Restoring citizens’ trust in political leaders in an increasingly fragmented world was also the theme of this year’s World Economic Forum summit in Davos. Faced with old and new risks—such as rising conflicts, economic uncertainty, and misinformation—societies need greater security and cooperation, growth and jobs, the harnessing of artificial intelligence as a positive driving force for the economy, and a long-term strategy for the climate, nature, and energy.
All of these are priorities for our government. We are implementing and have set in motion policies in all these areas, and I will mention some of this week’s «harvest» below because I first want to highlight the «Unified Digital Surgery List»—an innovation for the Greek healthcare system— “Unified Digital Surgery List,” which is now ready to be implemented as of February 1—in just a few days—with the goal of reducing patients’ wait times.
So what will this list be? The online platform operated by IDIKA will display the priority order of surgical procedures to be performed in hospitals throughout the country. The list is updated with the necessary details from the clinical assessment of each patient—as determined by the attending physician— —the surgeon—that the patient requires surgery, and it interfaces with all necessary data systems, such as the National Patient Registries and the Individual Electronic Health Record. A telephone call is made to confirm whether patients will remain on the list or be removed from it.
Starting tomorrow, the Ministry of Health’s platform for monitoring drug shortages throughout the country will also go live. This means that sales and inventory levels at pharmaceutical warehouses, as well as daily sales by pharmaceutical companies, will be tracked in real time.
The National Organization for Medicines (EOF) will continue to assess the severity of the shortage based on the volume of stockpiles in conjunction with the risk of a treatment gap. If there is no risk to patients—that is, if their needs can be met by other medications—then the shortage is not considered severe. However, if they cannot be covered, then the shortage will be considered serious, and measures will be taken.
The third news item concerning the public health sector is the job postings for hospital administrators, specifically to fill 152 positions for hospital administrators and deputy administrators across 95 hospitals in all seven health regions of the country. We are launching this reform in the sensitive field of health care and will gradually extend it to all public sector agencies, by applying the merit-based criteria we have established across the board.
I will now turn to the issue of accuracy, which I know continues to cause many difficulties for Greek households. An amendment has been submitted to Parliament outlining the new additional measures we are taking to combat unjustified price hikes, including heavy fines of up to 2 million euros and the public disclosure of companies that engage inunfair practices. With the implementation of these measures, we hope to see a 10–20% reduction in the price of infant formula. We will not hesitate to take further measures if necessary to address the problem of high prices, a problem that is partly imported but also stems from long-standing structural issues in the Greek market. I am particularly pleased that these regulations received a vote of approval from opposition parties, because we are all fighting this battle together.
I’ll continue with the topic of security, which is an essential component of democracy and freedom, and is critical to citizens’ daily lives and social cohesion. I would like to congratulate the Greek police on their success in arresting two members of the notorious Greek Mafia organization and identifying five others involved in high-profile homicide cases, explosions, and arson in Attica in recent years. We are moving forward with the restructuring of the Greek Police because we want to—and must—make it more European, more democratic, more effective, and more transparent, with the mission of fostering a sense of security in every neighborhood, every city and village, and every community across the country. And we will succeed.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that today is «Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Terrorist Acts in Greece.» It was established in 2006, at the suggestion of the late Marietta Giannakou, as a modest tribute to all those who fell victim to enemies of democracy. Our memory of these individuals must remain vivid and serve as a point of reference for all who believe in and defend democracy.
I will now turn to the topic of education. Since 2020, we have been «rebuilding» public vocational education on a new foundation, with the goal of making it modern and effective and ensuring that the degrees it awards are valuable. We are now entering a new era in which vocational education and training will become the first choice for more students in our country, and this is the purpose of our new legislative initiative. We have already taken many steps and are now moving forward with the establishment of at least 60 KEEKs—the so-called vocational education and training centers—with organized campuses throughout the country.
Under the same law, we are renaming the IEKs as Schools of Higher Vocational Training, which we are also equipping with 130 new training curricula covering many new professions in highdemand in the labor market, such as shipbuilding and repair, which is now in high demand due to the revival that has taken place in our shipbuilding and repair sector over the past two years. At the Training Centers, we are revising the regulatory framework—which had not been updated since 1985—but, more importantly, we are upgrading them with modern equipment worth over 114 million euros from the Recovery Fund, which is already being delivered.
Why are we making these changes? So that our institutions can take on a new, expanded role in connecting their students and graduates with the job market and local economies, which face a massive shortage of workers in specific fields.
We have not forgotten the devastated Evros region. We have drawn up a Strategic Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the region, just as we did for Euboea, with a focus on the economy, environmental restoration, support for those affected, and addressing demographic challenges. The master plan will be finalized by the end of March, followed by its review by the Managing Authority, and consultation by the regional government, so that the competitive bidding process for the projects to be implemented can begin at the end of September. Consultation with all local business, academic, and social organizations is taking place on the website https://evrosmeta.gr. We hope that by 2024, with approval from the European institutions, we will be able to utilize European funds in addition to national ones. In any case, the first anti-erosion projects have already been implemented, which, according to the Director General of Forests, prevented problems caused by the recent rains in the region.
I would now like to turn to the «I Move Electrically II» program for the promotion of sustainable mobility. We are accepting new applications for the 30% subsidy for the purchase of electric vehicles by individuals and companies. Under certain conditions, the subsidy is increased for, among others, people with disabilities, large families, and young people under 29 years of age. Funds totaling 6.4 million euros are available, sufficient to cover 3,000 applicants. In addition to all other benefits, electric vehicle drivers also receive tax breaks.
The «I Move Electrically» program is part of our Energy Strategy, which—as I reiterated in Davos— aims to transform Greece from a net energy importer into an exporter of green energy in the medium and long term. I would like to remind you that of the 36 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, 25% is earmarked for the green transition.
I will conclude today’s review with the study «Generative AI Greece 2030: The Possible Futures of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Greece,» prepared by «Demokritos» with the support of the Special Secretariat for Long-Term Planning. I consider the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Greece to be one of our national priorities, as it has the potential to revolutionize the way the public sector and businesses operate. Another challenge is how we will use artificial intelligence to make our participatory democracy more effective, by educating the public about the danger of so-called «deepfakes,» a real threat to our societies. And unfortunately, technology may be one step ahead of us.
I'll leave you here. I just want to say that I hope to find the time to watch Yorgos Lanthimos's new film, *Poor Things*, which has sparked so much discussion on social media. In any case, both he and the entire cast and crew of the film deserve congratulations.
Thank you so much for your time and interest. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday, and I’ll see you again next time!»
