Mitsotakis Defends Government, Slams Opposition Over Tempi Tragedy

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed New Democracy’s parliamentary group on Friday, stressing the importance of truth amidst growing evidence about the Tempi tragedy. He accused opposition parties of attempting to manipulate public opinion by exploiting the disaster for political gain, CE Report quotes Athens-Macedonian

Mitsotakis highlighted the government's positive achievements, such as raising the minimum wage for the fifth time, creating 500,000 new jobs, and maintaining a lower unemployment rate than countries like Sweden. He also noted the pay increase for Armed Forces officers and Chevron's reaffirmed interest in fossil fuel exploration south of Crete, affirming Greece's sovereign rights in the region.

The prime minister announced that the Government Economic Policy Council would meet on Monday to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs on Greece and discuss actions to protect the Greek economy. He stressed the need for economic stability, emphasizing the government’s mandate to boost public revenues, support investments, and create jobs.

Mitsotakis also addressed criticism of the Armed Forces pay increase initiative, urging against using one positive measure to undermine others. He reiterated that the elections would take place at the end of the government's four-year term in 2027, with New Democracy securing a strong win.

Finally, Mitsotakis nominated Apostolos Vesyropoulos as the next secretary of New Democracy’s Parliamentary Group, thanking outgoing secretary Stavros Kalafatis and announcing a new organizational plan for MPs.