The first meeting of the cabinet with its new composition after yesterday’s reshuffle is taking place at this time at Megaros Maximos, chaired by the prime minister.

During his introduction, Kyriakos Mitsotakis made extensive reference to the results of the European elections, saying characteristically: Our citizens asked for more work and fewer mistakes”.

“Accuracy, health, education are our priorities” the prime minister emphasized to the new members of the cabinet.

“It is up to us to meet the high expectations of the citizens,” he noted.

“Step on the accelerator and not the brake and we want you next to us and not opposite. So these moods are also our compasses in our political work” he said and added that attention is also needed in daily behavior.

In his introductory statement, the prime minister called on his ministers to send a message of a “total restart”, pointing out that, despite the given difficulties of the pre-election battle, “the next day finds the New Democracy faction first and Greece a European pillar of stability”.

The Prime Minister’s entire speech

“Good day, ladies and gentlemen colleagues. First of all, I wish good strength to both the new and the old members of the Council of Ministers.

I even chose this first meeting after the European elections to coincide with our new composition, precisely to send an overall message of a dynamic restart, because June 9 was a stop on our path so far, but mainly it is also a starting point towards three years which follows.

Despite the given difficulties of this pre-election battle – and thanking you all for the fight you fought -, the next day finds our faction first and with a strength greater than the sum of our next two opponents, but also finds Greece European pillar of stability. Let’s not forget that countries like France and Germany are already facing serious internal turmoil, which I believe strengthens our own role in the new European reality.

Of course, our percentages did not reach the goal we had set. We are well aware that many citizens who supported us in the national elections of May and June 2023 chose to abstain. However, they did not choose – and I must emphasize this – the support of the opposition. On the contrary, I would say that it is the positions of SYRIZA and PASOK that were effectively condemned.

It is also worth pointing out that in absolute number of votes we did not have a substantial strengthening of the extremes. And if we add to this the fatigue of the citizens after successive electoral contests, and of course the fact that these polls did not elect a government, I think that they complete the picture.

However, we must not forget that many of our fellow citizens, in their own way, sent us a message. They asked us, in effect, for more work and less mistakes, greater results and less delay, in a course without hypocritical turns to the right, to the left or to the center, with a direction only forward.

And those who doubt, I encourage them to read a hitherto unpublished interview that Konstantinos Karamanlis gave to Vassos Vassiliou, which was published for the first time in a volume about the founder of our faction, in which he says something very interesting: “I was” , said Karamanlis, “always progressive, unaffected by dogmas and prejudices. I’m neither right-wing, nor centrist, nor left-wing, so that every time I can choose the solution that benefits my country”.

Under these new conditions, 41% of the national elections apparently still determine, until the next national elections in 2027, the parliamentary correlations, and they do not change. For now, however, it recedes from the spotlight, both as an opposition scaremonger about alleged arrogance and as an occasion for our own complacency or even sometimes arrogance.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when this government has shown that it is not afraid to face its weaknesses and overcome them, because I think it is clear that the citizens last Sunday sent us a message: “we trust you but try more. We don’t believe in “money trees” but we have high demands from you. Hit the accelerator, not the brake. We want you next to us and not across from us.”

These dispositions, then, will continue to be our compasses in our political work, but, be careful, in our daily behavior as well, I think with pursuits which are compatible with the fresh orders of the citizens.

So tackling punctuality, a more efficient state, restructuring the primary sector, better health and education, I would say are now becoming our more focused priorities. Without, however, having first and second gear portfolios or increasing our speeds across the board. No portfolio is heavier than another.

Each citizen considers his own problem as his own priority – we must never forget this – and this is what we are called to serve.

Now with regard to the ministerial structure, allow me to make two brief remarks: its composition is always determined according to needs. The change of people means nothing more than our trying to become more productive all the time in our work, which I think you can see even today, seeing other colleagues who used to be members of the Council of Ministers coming back, others taking on different responsibilities.

And secondly, deep organizational changes in the structure of the Ministries and the composition of the government, yes, they can pay off, but only when they are mature. That is why, even though I accepted such proposals for mergers and changes, I decided that these are not of the moment, because such a thing requires a lot of study and time to assimilate these changes.

We don’t have that time right now. What we need now is a battle staff with a central purpose: in each of the policy areas in which you are in charge we have visible work and results in a specific time.

Always, the key to our success is dedication and hard work. You know very well that they are indicators for which I will not hide that I will be strict, just as very strict – more strict, I would say – are the citizens who judge us.

I think teamwork has always been something that has characterized us and it is very important to preserve it.

And let me also emphasize the importance, and this concerns your relations with your Deputy Ministers, with the Secretaries General: good cooperation is essential. When there is none, the first responsibility always rests with the superior and not the subordinate.

We welcome, therefore, this new beginning more experienced and more determined, in fact at a time when the prevalence of our ideas and positions I believe is also reflected in the internal party impasses of the opposition.

So, we have the opportunity to turn even more powerfully against the problems, which are also our true opponents. By following this path, our reforms will gain real meaning.

Reforms means leaving a mark on everyday life, convincing even suspicious citizens of our intentions, while at the same time they will build this strong Greece, which we want, in 2027.

A strong homeland, in the “heart” of Europe, with a different state, a substantially upgraded health, an economy in which unemployment will continue to decrease and wages will continue to increase.

And of course, at the same time, our actions in Europe will also begin, in a new five-year cycle, in which many things will be judged: the competitiveness of the European economy. The continuation of a strict but fair immigration policy. The support of Greek businesses in this constantly changing environment.

The adaptation of the Common Agricultural Policy to the data of the climate crisis on the one hand, but also the need to support the income of our farmers, on the other. The demographic. Single defense policy. All these are challenges that will occupy us as a whole.

We have already discussed with our new group of MEPs their mode of operation. It is important to better organize their coordination with all Ministries.

I will be, after the Peace Conference which is being held for Ukraine, in Brussels and my hope is that, as one of the two negotiators on behalf of the European People’s Party, we will be able to agree on the distribution of positions of responsibility in the leadership of European pyramid quickly.

I think this will remove a bit of uncertainty, which I think is not good for Europe as a whole, so that at least we will have the vote for the new President of the European Commission – our proposal will be Ursula von der Leyen and I appreciate that it will be voted by the Parliament-, to complete this vote before the end of July.

As for us, we continue our work with the agenda of the Council of Ministers, as planned. We will once again state the obvious, that we are all judged by the result.

And I think that if I were to define in just three words the perspective that we must give to the citizens who may treat us with suspicion, it is: together at the best.

“Together” means that our reforms, our changes, our development ultimately concern all citizens and no one is left behind, and I think it is up to us to make this new beginning a victory as well.

Good luck again. A good start to the colleagues who are returning to the Council of Ministers, to those who are changing roles, and it is up to us, as I said, to meet the high expectations, the justifiably high expectations of the citizens”.

The subjects of the meeting of the Council of Ministers are:

-Presentation by the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis of the legislative initiatives: a) Digital transaction fee, b) Restructuring of the Superfund, modernization of its subsidiaries and establishment of a new National Investment Fund,

-Presentation by the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis of the legislative initiatives: a) Rights of persons suffering from dementia and their carers, b) Transplantation of tissues and cells, c) Union of Nutritionists of Greece,

-Presentation by the Minister of State Makis Voridis of the implementation process and proposal for the approval of the update of the National Strategic Plan to Combat Corruption 2022-2025,

-Presentation by the Minister of State Makis Voridis of the annual report of the Central Codification Committee,

-Presentation by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras of the projects: a) Construction of the Tsiknia Dam in Lesvos, b) Construction of water supply works in Arta, Preveza, Lefkada, c) Extension of the Ionian Road: Ioannina – Kakavia section

-Proposal by the Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis regarding the approval of River Basin Management Plans,

-Proposal by the Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis for the establishment, formation and operation of a Governmental Committee for Climate Neutrality.