Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to create 200,000 new jobs during his four-year term when speaking at a gathering co-hosted by New Democracy and the European People’s Party (EPP) in Athens.
Highlighting the significance of the “Greece 2.0” plan, Mitsotakis stated, “Our aim is to create 200,000 new job positions. This is why we named the plan Greece 2.0.” He emphasized the importance of meticulous planning for its success, stating, “It required significant effort to develop a highly detailed plan that combined investments and reforms, which was subsequently submitted to the European Commission.”
Mitsotakis commended the EPP’s approach during the pandemic, specifically their creation of NextGenerationEU and its key initiative, the Recovery and Resilience Facility. He acknowledged initial scepticism surrounding the initiative, stating, “Many believed that what we were proposing was unthinkable.” He underscored this achievement as evidence of Europe’s ability to innovate under pressure, citing the novel supranational borrowing mechanism adopted by the EU. This allowed for the distribution of resources through grants and loans to member states based on their economic needs, with additional support directed towards weaker economies.
Emphasizing the importance of detailed planning, Mitsotakis reiterated, “The goal was for weaker countries to receive greater support, but also based on a very detailed plan that member-states had to submit, which had to align with the European Union’s overall priorities regarding green and digital transformation, social cohesion, and competitiveness.” He concluded by acknowledging the effort involved, stating, “It took a great deal of effort to have a very detailed plan that combined investments and reforms, which was subsequently submitted to the European Commission.”
