The start of operations for the Thessaloniki Metro, “the first phrase that comes to mind today, even before we say ‘good morning’,” is naturally the main topic of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ Sunday Facebook post.

The Prime Minister also mentions the start of free afternoon surgeries during the past week and highlights the government’s plan to install 1,388 cameras at key points across the Attica Basin to record violations.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ post:

Thessaloniki Metro! It’s now a reality, and that’s the first phrase that comes to mind today, even before we say, “Good morning.” But let’s say it anyway: Good morning and happy new month!

Nearly 20 years after the signing of the first contract, following numerous amendments during successive governments and court appeals that significantly delayed the project’s completion, Greece’s second metropolitan center finally has the most modern Metro system in Europe. It also boasts an impressive underground museum at Venizelos Station, which is free to visit. Our decision to have both the Metro and the antiquities—if I may say so—has been vindicated. Anyone using this new, fully safe mode of transport will see that for themselves. I won’t list the technical specifications; they’re well-known by now. I’ll just mention that Thessalonians can now travel from one end of the city to the other in 17 minutes for €0.60. Imagine how much of a gift this is for everyone’s daily life—saving valuable time thanks to a reliable, modern, and safe form of transportation. This is the everyday quality of life that Thessalonians were deprived of for years.

Let me share the impression from my first ride: This is the Greece we want and deserve, with infrastructure that improves citizens’ daily lives and boosts growth. By utilizing European and national resources more wisely, we continue to work toward dual convergence: drastically closing the gap between us and Europe and reducing regional inequalities. We must—and will—make up for lost time, learning from past mistakes. I want to believe that the new Metro opens a new chapter of trust between Thessalonians and the state. Yesterday was a good day, not just for Thessaloniki but for all of Greece.

On Thursday, we launched the program of 37,000 free afternoon surgeries with €54 million in funding from the Recovery Fund. I mentioned this in my previous review and even made a TikTok about it, but I’m bringing it up again because it’s worth emphasizing. It’s an important step to address a chronic issue and prioritize those in greater need. For the next two weeks, 1,500 appointments have already been booked across the country’s seven Health Regions—a number growing daily as more hospitals join the program. Priority is given to patients waiting over a year. The first patients have already been notified and are undergoing preoperative checks. This policy is supported by the digital surgery list now centrally supervised by the Ministry of Health, ensuring transparency in the priority order. These free afternoon surgeries demonstrate what real social policy means in practice.

Staying in the healthcare sector, we continue to address staffing shortages in the National Health System (NHS) and healthcare facilities. This time, I refer to the new bill that extends the service of experienced doctors and pharmacists in the NHS. The bill also includes new financial incentives for specialist dentists and doctors in remote areas, as well as the adoption of digital systems to reduce pharmaceutical costs. Additionally, a minor but beneficial change for patients: prescriptions will now be valid for 30 days at private pharmacies.

Moving on to the government’s plan to install 1,388 traffic cameras at key points across the basin, which, together with those on national highways, will bring the total to 1,750. Our goal is to improve road safety and, most importantly, reduce the loss of life from traffic accidents. It’s unacceptable and unfair for so many lives, mostly young people, to be lost on our roads due to reckless driving. Every year, over 600 lives are lost on our roads—people, families, dreams cut short. While it’s unrealistic to aim for zero losses, even saving one life is an invaluable gain. We must—and will—do everything necessary to reduce these tragedies and reach European road safety levels.

The solution lies in smart policing, the use of technology, and new digital tools, such as cameras on the streets that will operate around the clock, even under low-light conditions. Fines are not the ultimate goal. I hope that drivers, knowing their violations are being recorded, will comply with the rules of the Highway Code, avoiding dangerous behaviors that put drivers, passengers, and pedestrians at risk every day, especially in urban areas. By violations, we mean exceeding speed limits, running red lights, ignoring pedestrian crossings, using a phone, not wearing a seatbelt or helmet, while at the same time, checks will be conducted to ensure compliance with obligations such as undergoing vehicle inspections (KTEO), having insurance, and registering vehicles as immobilized. The second pillar of the new policing on the streets is the information system. All the data collected from the cameras and police tablets will be “converted” into automated digital confirmation of violations, with full respect for the drivers’ personal data, as all necessary protocols for their protection have been put in place. Then, the offender will be immediately notified via SMS from a central agency, eliminating delays often observed today, where fines arrive months or even years later through the financial services of municipalities. I repeat here that the fine is not the ultimate goal. However, this delay undermines the deterrent effect of the measure and leads to low compliance. The new system, which requires the cooperation of at least four different ministries, will be operational by 2025.

One of the government’s top priorities, since the moment we took office, has been to support the repatriation of Greeks who relocated abroad during the years of the crisis in search of better job opportunities. Through our reform work over the past five years, we have managed to reverse the trend in the labor market, creating over 500,000 new jobs and creating the right conditions so that today our country can offer significant professional opportunities. These opportunities are being highlighted by the Ministry of Labor, creating a “bridge” with Greeks abroad through a series of conferences under the “Rebrain Greece” international outreach initiative. Just yesterday, a conference was held in Amsterdam with the participation of numerous companies operating in Greece and seeking highly specialized employees. Hundreds of job interviews were conducted, and similar conferences will be held in two weeks in Düsseldorf, and in the spring of 2025 in London. I remind you that those returning after at least five years abroad can benefit from a 50% reduction in their income tax for 7 years. We will continue our efforts to make Greece a more attractive professional destination, giving our compatriots the opportunity to return to a better Greece than the one they left behind.

Now, I will move on to a new opportunity provided by the Ministry of Education. Most of you are familiar with the Erasmus program, which allows Greek students to travel to other European countries and study for a semester at a European university of their choice. This week, the possibility of an internal Erasmus was activated. So, any student enrolled in a first-cycle program of a department or a single-department school at a Greek university, and who has not exceeded the minimum study period of their program, can study for one academic semester in a similar or non-similar first-cycle program at another university, attend its educational activities, and be assessed on them. The program will begin in the spring semester of 2024-2025, and the platform for submitting applications, https://internalerasmus.it.minedu.gov.gr, will remain open until Monday, December 9.

All university departments and single-department schools that offer first-cycle programs must participate in this new program. Applications will be submitted twice a year from now on, once for each academic semester: in May each year for student mobility taking place during the winter semester of the following academic year, and in November each year for student mobility taking place during the spring semester of the same academic year. This is an excellent opportunity that I wholeheartedly recommend, as it will provide new academic stimuli for our students while making our universities more outward-looking.

I will now change the subject to discuss another major infrastructure project, the new Metropolitan Park at Faliro Bay, which is now moving toward implementation, following the approval of its funding last month from the European Cohesion Fund. According to the timeline presented by the Governor of Attica on Thursday, the project will be put out to tender in the first quarter of 2025, and construction of the large coastal park is expected to begin a year later. The park, named “Aenaon,” will span 540 acres and will serve as a modern, public green lung for the Athenian Riviera. Open to the public for free and fully accessible to people with disabilities, the park will operate with renewable energy sources and will host almost 3,000 new trees. The renovation, with a budget of 319 million euros, includes not only flood protection but also a range of activities: six 5×5 soccer fields, four squash courts, two basketball courts, two beach volleyball courts, fencing spaces, swimming pools, as well as spaces for dining, recreation, and education for children. Additionally, special thematic activities, playgrounds, and 3D constructions will be created. This is a significant environmental intervention that, although delayed, will act as a catalyst for the development of both the area and all of Attica.

Greece must move faster than our partners to shift gears in many areas. I often say this, and I see it: the largest part of society wants to see the country take the lead. One key sector for our future – which, let’s be honest, is already happening around us – is artificial intelligence. Konstantinos Daskalakis, a leading Greek scientist and head of the High-Level Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence that we established, called it “of existential importance.” I fully agree. The “Wise Men’s Report” delivered to us by the Committee outlines the opportunities for the application of Artificial Intelligence in Greece and the transformation of the country in the new era, not only digitally but also in terms of the human factor, in the skills we need to acquire to meet the new challenges. In our meeting with the Committee members, it was emphasized that Artificial Intelligence is a different “level,” and to play in the major league in this field, we need political will and cooperation between the state, the academic community, and the private sector. There is no time to waste. The artificial intelligence challenge is already here, and Greece must win it.

Related to the next topic. The Greek Parliament has voted on the incorporation of the European Directive on Cybersecurity throughout the Union. The measures we are adopting will strengthen the security of networks and systems critical for the protection of citizens and businesses from cyberattacks. Stricter security safeguards against cyber threats are being introduced in energy, transport, and healthcare, as well as mechanisms to monitor organizations’ compliance with security standards. And since there is expected to be an increase in demand for cybersecurity services, products, and experts, the National Authority will prepare relevant training programs, providing certification opportunities in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

I conclude with DOATAP, which has become the first public Greek service to acquire three ISO certifications for the quality of its services and its anti-bribery management system. It’s not as easy as it sounds. The Organization, which has already minimized the time required for recognizing degrees from foreign universities by drastically reducing bureaucracy, had to undergo arduous processes to meet the inspection requirements with the participation and training of all its staff. Through this process, mistakes and weaknesses were identified and successfully addressed. The acquisition of three ISO certifications demonstrates a change in mindset in a crucial public service, strengthening citizens’ trust in the state. In fact, I have asked the Ministry of the Interior to establish a similar certification program for all critical public services with ISO for anti-bribery, so that we can not just talk about transparency but prove it in practice as a state.

This concludes the first review of December, with major and minor actions that show we are moving forward every day. We’re not celebrating, but implementing what the country and society need: from significant reforms to small changes that make a difference in the everyday lives of citizens. And that’s how we will continue! Good morning and happy new month!