“In February 2024, Nikos Androulakis, during his topical question to the Prime Minister, stated that “the golden visa from a drug, became a drug” commenting on the acute housing problem. Two years later, the government remains a spectator in front of a huge social issue that is linked to a central national issue, the demographic one,” said PASOK-Movement of Change press representative, Kostas Tsoukalas.

He added: “He takes half measures for the eyes of the world, he systematically refuses to acknowledge his failure and attacks with toxicity those who point out the problem because they reveal the poverty of effective government policies. Yesterday the newspaper “Kathimerini” had an extensive report entitled: “Golden Visa, the medicine that became poison”. Will the Prime Minister argue with “Kathimerini” as well? Does he think that with the “brainwashing” attempted by the government’s propaganda machines, citizens will forget the daily lived experience of not being able to find housing? Acquiring a decent and affordable home has become a summer night’s dream for the majority of Greeks. How long will he deny reality? How long will he deny the examples of European countries such as Spain and Portugal who also used the Golden Visa during the financial crisis but quickly took measures to limit the competition that foreign buyers introduced in their national housing markets? Spain completely abolished the related program last April and countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands continue it but without the option to buy a property. A national plan to reverse the housing crisis is needed here and now:

  • Creation of a pool of social housing by the public and OTAs with the aim of placing 40,000 renovated houses with low rents on the market within 5 years.
  • Incentives and tax breaks for private individuals for inclusion of closed houses in the pool.
  • Abolition of the golden visa in small islands, urban centers and Thrace.
  • Amendment of the investment (angel visa)* in order to concern investments in the region in the primary, secondary sector and start-ups.
  • Measures to limit short-term rentals so that entire areas are not turned into Airbnb homes.”