In the weekly report of government work Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis refers to its historical reform, as it characterizes it institutionalization of postal voting. He also talks about the “Single Digital List of Surgeries” that will be implemented from February 1, with the aim of reducing patient waiting times and operating a platform to control drug shortages. In fact, the prime minister emphasizes that the government will not hesitate to take other measures if necessary to deal with the problem. “A problem that is partly imported but also due to perennial pathologies of the Greek market. I am even glad that these arrangements received a positive vote from opposition parties, because we are all fighting this battle together,” he noted.

It also refers to vocational training and the issue of citizen security. Finally, the Prime Minister expresses his hope to see the film by Giorgos Lanthimos noting “I hope to find time to see the new film by Giorgos Lanthimos Poor Things, which raised so much discussion on social media. However, both he and all the contributors to the film deserve congratulations.”

The Prime Minister’s full post follows

“Good morning everyone!

With you again with the Sunday review, with the big and iconic as well as the smaller but very important actions of the past week.

I start with the bill for her postal vote. This is a historic reform for our country, and I am happy above all because we are implementing our commitment to the Greek diaspora. We make it easier for them to exercise their right to vote, thus strengthening even more their unbreakable bond with the homeland. But I am also happy because our initiative secured a broad majority in the relevant committee of the Parliament. Tomorrow, Monday, it will be introduced to the Plenary and I will have the opportunity to point out how important it is that such major changes, changes that promote the participation of citizens outside and inside Greece in the elections, are supported by all political forces. Because in the end, this is how Democracy is strengthened and with it society’s trust in politics.

Restoring citizens’ trust in political leadership in an increasingly fragmented world was also the theme at this year’s World Economic Forum summit in Davos. In the face of old and new risks such as increased conflict, economic uncertainty and misinformation, societies need more security and cooperation, growth and jobs, harnessing artificial intelligence as a positive engine for the economy and a long-term strategy for climate, nature and energy.

All these are proposals for our government. We implement and have launched policies in all these fields, and I will tell you some of the “harvest” of the week below because I first want to highlight the innovation for the Greek health system “Single Digital List of Surgeries” that we are now ready to implement from on February 1, in a few days, with the aim of reducing patients’ waiting time.

So what will this list be? Through the electronic platform operating at HDIKA, the order of priority of the surgical operations to be performed in the Hospitals of the whole country will be displayed. The list is updated with the necessary elements of the clinical assessment of each citizen who is judged by the attending physician-surgeon to need surgery and interoperates with every necessary data information system, such as the National Patient Registers and the Individual Electronic Health File. For the final confirmation of the patients’ stay or deletion from the list, a telephone call is made.

From tomorrow he also enters the platform is up and running of the Ministry of Health to control drug shortages across the country. In other words, the sales and stocks of pharmacies, as well as the sales of pharmaceutical companies on a daily basis, will be recorded in real time.

The EOF will continue to assess the level of severity of the shortage, depending on the volume of stocks combined with the risk of a treatment gap. In the event that there is no risk to the patients – that is, if they can be covered by other drugs, then the shortage is not considered serious. But in the event that they cannot, then the lack will be considered serious and measures will be taken.

Third news concerning the area of ​​public health is the notices for the administrators of the Hospitals, specifically for the coverage of 152 positions of Governors and Deputy Governors in 95 hospitals, in all the seven health regions of the country. We are starting this reform from the sensitive area of ​​health and will gradually extend it to all public bodies, horizontally applying the meritocratic criteria we established.

I’ll pass now on the subject of accuracy which I know still creates many difficulties for Greek households. The amendment was submitted to the Parliament with the new additional measures we are taking to deal with unjustified price increases with heavy fines of up to 2 million euros and disclosure of the companies that adopt unfair practices. By implementing the measures we hope to see a 10-20% reduction in baby milk. We will not hesitate to take other measures if necessary to deal with the problem of accuracy, a problem that is partly imported but also due to perennial pathologies of the Greek market. I am even glad that these arrangements received a positive vote from opposition parties, because we are all fighting this battle together.

I continue with the issue of security, which is a constitutive element of democracy and freedom, crucial for citizens’ everyday life and social cohesion. I want to congratulate the Greek police for their success in arresting two members of the notorious Greek Mafia organization, and identifying five others involved in high-profile cases of murders, explosions and arson in recent years in Attica. We are reorganizing the Greek Police because we want and must manage to make it more European, more democratic, more efficient and transparent with the mission of stimulating the feeling of security in every neighborhood, in every town and village, in every community of the country. And we will make it.

On this occasion, I would like to remind you that today is “Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Criminal Action of Terrorism in Greece”. It was established in 2006, at the suggestion of the late Marietta Giannakou as a minimal tribute to all those who were victims of opponents of democracy. Our memory of these persons must remain active and be a point of reference for everyone who believes in and defends the Republic.

I’m passing now of Education. From 2020, we started to “build” public professional education on new foundations, with the aim of making it modern and efficient and guaranteeing degrees with value. We are now moving into the new era of vocational education and training becoming the first choice for more students in our country and this is what our new legislative initiative is serving. We have already taken many steps and are now continuing with the establishment of at least 60 KEEK, the so-called vocational education and training centers, with organized campuses throughout the country.

With the same law, we are renaming the IEKs into Schools of Higher Vocational Training which we are also endowing with 130 new training guides that include many new professions in high demand on the labor market, such as for example the profession of shipbuilding which is now in increased demand due to the renaissance it has carried out in our shipyard for the last 2 years. In the Laboratory Centers, we are changing the institutional framework that had to be modified since 1985, but above all we are upgrading them with modern equipment worth more than 114 million euros from the Recovery Fund, which is already being delivered.

Why are we making these changes? So that our structures take on a new expanded role in connecting our trainees and their graduates with the labor market and local economies that have a huge deficit in certain specialisms.

We don’t forget him wounded Ebro. We have designed the Strategic Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the region, as we did with Evia, focusing on the economy, the restoration of the environment, the support of those affected and the demographic response. At the end of March, the masterplan will be completed, followed by its processing by the Administrative Authority, the consultation by the region, so that at the end of September, the tender process for the projects that will run will begin. The website https://evrosmeta.gr consults with all local productive, academic and social bodies. Within 2024 we hope that with the approval from the European Institutions we will be able to utilize European resources in addition to the national ones. However, the first anti-corrosion works have already progressed which, according to the General Director of Forests, prevented problems from the recent rains in the area.

Let me now come to the program “Moving Electric II” to promote sustainable mobility. We offer the possibility for new subsidy applications of 30% of the purchase of electric vehicles from individuals and companies. Subject to conditions, the subsidy increases, among others, for the disabled, large families and young people under 29 years of age. There are available resources of 6.4 million euros which are sufficient for 3000 interested parties. In addition to everything else, electric vehicle drivers also have tax breaks.

The “Move Electric” program is part of our Energy Strategy, which, as I reiterated at Davos, aims for Greece, from being a net importer of energy, to become an exporter of green energy in the medium and long term. I remind you that of the 36 billion of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, 25% is directed towards the green transition.

I’ll wrap up 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 Productive Artificial Intelligence in Greece to be one of the national priorities, as it can cause a revolution in the way the State and businesses operate. Also at stake 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. Let me tell you that I hope to find time to see the new film by Giorgos Lanthimos Poor Things which raised so much discussion on social media. However, both he and all the contributors to the film deserve congratulations.

Thank you very much for your time and interest and today, I hope you have a beautiful Sunday, and I’ll see you again next time!”