In a family photo, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wished a happy new year for 2025, minutes after the time change.

“Happy New Year with health and love to all!” wrote Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the caption of his Instagram post, with his wife, Mareva Grabovski-Mitsotakis, and their three children, Sofia, Daphne and Konstantinos, by his side.

Earlier, in his New Year’s message for 2025, the prime minister wanted to send a message of optimism and confidence for the new year

“So we are leaving behind the turmoil and misery of yesterday,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, adding that the best is ahead of us. “No progress should never be considered enough. But it is now visible, all the more so if we think about the road we have travelled so far, which gives us new confidence so that united we can make the hopes certain, the steps of the country to make them leaps and bounds, from the today we live in to the tomorrow we want,” he said.

In his New Year’s message, Mitsotakis said that despite the serious geopolitical shocks of 2024 in our neighborhood and the world, “we welcome 2025 with the confidence of a country that, despite the obstacles, keeps its steering wheel turned towards progress, strengthening its defense and economy and trying, day by day, to make the lives of all Greeks better.”

The prime minister made special reference to what has happened in the last 12 months. “After years, wages and pensions have increased, taxes and unemployment have continued to fall, while we have seen changes and projects that some people thought were not happening: from the certificate vote or the non-state universities, to the curbing of tax evasion and, of course, the Metro of Thessaloniki. But big changes are already a reality,” he pointed out.

Improved pay for workers and pensioners from tomorrow

At the same time, the Prime Minister said that from tomorrow, January 1, 2025, employees and pensioners will see improved pay and reduced contributions. “Professionals will be relieved of the business tax, and the My House II program will be launched. From the new year, many bank charges will also be zero or reduced. In April, the basic salary and salaries in the public sector are increased again, to be followed by new support for our Missionaries,” he said.

He also made reference to the upgrading of hospitals and health centres, the creation of new schools and the purchase of many electric cars. At the same time, Greece is now a member state of the UN Security Council, which will receive the first Belh@rra frigate, alongside the Rafale fighters and the many upgraded F-16s.

In the same context, he set priorities for tackling crime, free screening and protecting children from digital addiction.

The Prime Minister’s message in detail:

The text of the message is as follows.
We bid farewell to a turbulent 2024 amid serious geopolitical upheavals in our neighbourhood and the world. But we welcome 2025 with the confidence of a country that, despite the obstacles, keeps its steering wheel focused on progress, strengthening its defence and economy and striving, day by day, to make life better for all Greeks.

It was a lot that we achieved together in twelve months. After years, wages and pensions were increased, taxes and unemployment continued to fall, and we saw changes and projects that some people thought were not possible: from absentee voting or non-state universities, to curbing tax evasion and, of course, the Thessaloniki Metro. Big changes, though, that are already a reality.

2024 has, of course, had its problems. Our country, like others, was hit by the climate crisis. As on the domestic scene, there was no shortage of failures. But, I say it again: in an unstable planet, Greece remains stable and in an environment of precipitation, Greece moves forward. So, at the dawn of 2025, we face the difficulties with realism, so that, with plan and work, we can turn them into new opportunities.

After all, from tomorrow, workers and pensioners will see improved pay and reduced contributions. Professionals will be relieved of the business tax, and the “My House II” program will be launched. From the new year, many bank charges will also be zero or reduced. In April, the basic salary and salaries in the public sector will be increased again, to be followed by new support for our uniformed services.

Finally, the calendar wants Greece to move quickly to upgrade all hospitals and health centers, with new schools, digital whiteboards in classrooms and lots of electric buses in cities. A member state of the UN Security Council, receiving its first Belh@rra frigate, next to the Rafale fighters and the many upgraded F-16s.

A country that pays attention to the big issues, but also to what may seem small, but harbor big risks: from serious crime to juvenile delinquency and violence-free stadiums, and from free screening tests for adults to measures to protect children from digital addiction and reckless use of mobile phones.

So let’s leave behind the booms and busts and misery of yesterday. I feel, of course, that no amount of progress should ever be considered enough. But it is now visible, all the more so if we think of the road we have travelled so far, which gives us new confidence so that we can unite to make the hopes certain, the steps of our country leaps and bounds, from the today we live in to the tomorrow we want.

Happy New Year to all and to all, with health and many smiles. The best is ahead of us.