The debate on the government budget enters its final stretch as the leaders are expected to clash today and a final roll call vote is expected.

The session starts at 11 am with the second speeches of the parliamentary representatives while at around 1 pm, the cycle of speeches of the political leaders will open in reverse order, starting with the leader of the smallest parliamentary group to closing with the Prime Minister’s statement at around 7 pm.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis will present the measures to reduce bank commissions while many expect additional positive announcements from the prime minister in the context of the country’s fiscal possibilities and the tight margins set by new European restrictions.

The roll call vote is expected to start by 9 pm with the result in principle already determined by the budget debate in the relevant parliamentary committee.

The final “for” votes add up to 155 New Democracy MPs and 2 more positive votes from independent Lefteris Avgenakis (coming from the New Democracy) and Harris Katsivardas (coming from the Spartans). The entire opposition is expected to vote against it.

The spending of the Ministry of National Defence will receive broader support as, apart from ND, PASOK, SYRIZA, and Hellenic Solution are expected to vote positively.

Voridis: “Yes” to defence spending is a vote in defence of national sovereignty.

“The vote for defence of sovereignty” is a vote in favour of defence of national sovereignty.
During Saturday’s meeting, State Minister Makis Voridis referred to the need to boost defense spending, noting among other things that: “Turkey is arming itself heavily and heavily and has certain views that are in direct conflict with our national sovereignty.” “Do we want to defend our national sovereignty? Whoever says ‘yes’ votes for defence spending” the minister said.

Georgiadis: 100% up on health budget compared to SYRIZA era
Health Minister Adonis Georgiades presented the positive effects of the growth of the economy on the effort to revitalize the National Health System to the plenary session of the Parliament, stressing that the 2025 budget is 100% higher than in the SYRIZA period.

“Let’s see what the good performance of the national economy means for the NHS. The Health Ministry’s budget for 2025 is more than 3 billion euros for the NHS and 126 hospitals alone. The 3.1 billion euros is 100% above the SYRIZA era,” said the Health Minister, intervening in Parliament during the debate on the state budget.

He added that “2025 will be the year when most of the public hospital renovation projects will be completed by the Recovery Fund. Emergency departments are currently being renovated in all hospitals. At Attiko, the emergency department will go from 1,000 sq m, which is currently 1,000 sq m, to 5,000 sq m. Similar projects are being done in all hospitals in the country. Tzaneio and Metaxas are undergoing a total renovation. The total expenditure for the renovation of all hospitals and health centres is more than 500 million euros added to the 3.1 billion euros.” Apart from this, Georgiades was quick to welcome SYRIZA’s intention to vote in favour on defence spending. “I welcome SYRIZA to the path of maturity and national unity, he said. “If he finally does not vote for defense spending, then he is saying that he is still the old Syriza with whom we used to joke.”

Dendias in parliament: Türkiye spends 14 times more on armaments than Greece
“I do not wish my country to concede, National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said at the end of his speech in Parliament on the state budget, noting that Greece faces a real threat of war from Türkiye.

“The country faces an actual and living threat. I said at the conference yesterday that it is good to remember what I was taught in classical high school, the dialogue between the Milesians and the Athenians by Thucydides, where the principle clearly states that law is taken into account when there is equal power to enforce it. When there is no power, the strong do what their power allows them to do and the weak concede what their weakness requires them to do. I do not wish my country to be xenografted (conceded)” said the minister.

Responding Mr. Dendias to criticism from opposition parties on the amount of spending by the Ministry of National Defence, he said: “Is this spending big? Anyone who takes a position on this should explain based on what criteria they are weighing them. Is the country under threat yes or no? And who is the main threat against the country coming from? Can we agree that a neighbouring country has a cause for war against our country if we exercise our legal rights? What is the amount that the neighbouring country spends on armaments? EUR 26.8 billion. 14 times what Greece spends. Do these expenditures of the country sound very excessive and out of measure?”

Gerapetritis: A true patriot is not the one who did not dare to do what is demanded today
Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis returned the gauntlet to those who accused him of secret diplomacy and of violating national red lines at the plenary session of the House of Representatives.

The Foreign Minister stressed that the country’s commitment to international law is a one-way street while underlining that there will be no agreement between Greece and Turkey on the EEZ as long as the neighbouring country demands a “package solution”.

“Various people claim that we are discussing behind closed doors. This exaggeration is based on petty political considerations. For the first time, the debate is based on the representative body. I am constantly briefing the political leaders,and  the competent committee and answering all the questions. I feel that the foreign policy – as designed by the CSC – is jointly conducted by the government and parliament,” the minister said elsewhere during the budget debate in parliament to add: “We will not wake up one morning to read the Prespa Agreement in the newspapers. Anything that happens will be the product of consultation with the national delegation which is the only one competent to give us this mandate. Let’s stop this hypocritical attitude.”

Implications for Samaras and Karamanlis
Mr Gerapetritis’ statement also had barbs at the criticism he is receiving from both former prime ministers Antonis Samaras and Kostas Karamanlis.“Diplomacy is not a simple issue and whoever treats it in an oversimplistic way is sleepwalking. History will write who is a true patriot. A true patriot is not one who did not do what was required, but one who will subjugate his “ego” to the real interest of homeland affairs. Foreign policy does not lend itself to populism and does not lend itself to immobility. Peace and security are not promoted by immobility. But the structured dialogue of principles. That is what we will serve.”