Inaugural cabinet meeting: PM Mitsotakis unveils 4-year roadmap - "The focus is on efficiency & great steps forward"
The newly-formed cabinet, following the general election on June 25 and the subsequent swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Mansion on Tuesday, gathered in full composition.
“We are proud and grateful for the choice made by the Greek people,” Mitsotakis said at the beginning of his speech. “Greeks have unequivocally rejected false promises and have shown remarkable maturity by endorsing behaviors that prioritize honesty,” he added.
The conservative leader mentioned that if it weren’t for the negative experiment of simple proportional representation – an electoral system introduced by the previous SYRIZA government that was ditched by the subsequent conservative administration – Greece would have already had a single-party government in May. Regarding the composition of the new parliament, which includes a significant representation of far-right parties, he remarked, “The political system has the ability to safeguard itself, and parliamentary democracy exposes false idols.”
"We have no right to disappoint the citizens who placed their trust in us," the prime minister said, while recommending "few words and much work" and stressing that "our government's work must not be sacrificed on the altar of communication."
"Our only opponents are the problems and possible mistakes," he said, noting that "society has handed us the baton of its future" and that "we are starting responsibly but also optimistically."
Mitsotakis reiterated that the government's first bill will concern the State and how it will become more efficient and the second will reflect central financial commitments of the entire four-year period, such as the return of Athens and Thessaloniki water companies, EYDAP and EYATH, respectively, to the full control of the public, as they had been placed under the control of the super-fund by SYRIZA.
The Prime Minister outlined a hierarchy of the 4 major priorities for the coming 4-year period:
- better salaries
- better public health system
- better-functioning State
- better quality of life in a strong Greece
He emphasised to his ministers that, "the blue dossiers in front of you contain a total of 120 reforms, 79 milestones of the Recovery Fund and 959 operational actions with a 4-year horizon."
These provide a comprehensive overview of priorities for each ministry along with their respective timelines for implementation.
"We are servants of the public interest, so we are servants of all citizens," he noted.
Particular emphasis is placed on the field of the economy, and in this regard, Mitsotakis will commence a series of visits to key ministries starting Wednesday afternoon. The Finance Ministry will be his first destination, with the visit scheduled for 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Finally, referring to the election outcome and the entry of many smaller parties into the Parliament, the PM pointed out that many formations do not necessarily mean democratic pluralism but often create a political cacophony.
