The Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakos, attended today the 7th Athens Investment Forum: “Greece as a Stable Development Pillar of Southeastern Europe”.

In his speech, Mr. Theodorikakos referred, among other things, to the need for the productive transformation of the Greek economy, its extroversion and the strengthening of productive investments and industry. As the Minister of Development pointed out, it is a case that concerns all
Greek women and all Greeks, because this is the way for the economic development of our country to be durable and our growth rates to be sustainable in the coming years. To have a substantial effect on the security of our country and the quality of life of all our fellow citizens.

The following is the speech of the Minister of Development:

Good day ladies and gentlemen, To those attending the 7th Athens Investment Forum and to those watching online. I want to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for this great institutional event. I wish you that this Forum will succeed because it really gives the possibility to have a serious discussion on the major issues of the Greek economy. So, in announcing the opening of your conference, you will allow me to formulate some thoughts around these issues.

Our country, without any doubt, in the last five years has become a pillar of stability in Southeast Europe and at the same time a great energy center with a special role throughout the EU. under the weight of known geostrategic developments and at the same time is a protagonist of the green transition which is undoubtedly a central priority for the global economy and humanity.
In the last five years we have definitively left populism and demagoguery behind us, fiscal stability was achieved, a pro-investment environment was created in the country, we recovered the investment grade and above all Greece regained its credibility in a stable and dynamic way. And this is a great achievement for the next period of time.
All this has been done thanks to the correct policies of the Government and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. I would like to highlight the strategies
choices of the Government and our effectiveness in two major crises of global proportions, the coronavirus pandemic and
asymmetric threats to the country’s security from asymmetric migration flows. We must not forget them, because the way to deal with them is not
was a given. Someone had to make the decisions and someone had to firmly implement them.
At the same time, I want to highlight that all of this was made possible thanks to the political stability achieved by the right choices made by the Greek people in the 2019 and 2023 elections so that we can proceed with a strong Government, faithful to its commitments.
The Government reduced taxes, reduced insurance contributions and this is how we succeeded:

  • Unemployment has decreased from 17.5% to 9.3%.
  • The minimum wage has increased by 27% in the last three years.
  • Our growth rates have reached 2% in the period 2019 – 2023 and today, in the second quarter of 2024, 2.3% – one of the highest in the European Union.

Two weeks ago we presented with the Prime Minister of the country our strategy for the productive transformation of the economy. A key requirement is that the economic growth of the economy be accompanied by a change in the production model, strengthening of industry, utilization of research for innovative products and strengthening of exports in industry and services.