“At the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) we will announce a reduction in direct taxes, which will be felt immediately in the pockets of Greeks. And the measures will be targeted toward the middle class.” This was emphasized by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis in an interview today on SKAI’s show “Atairiastoi.”

He added: “The fact that we have the surpluses we have—and which are beyond our own expectations—allows us to make a substantial intervention. Up to the point where the economy can handle it, and within the limits of European fiscal rules. Therefore, what we are saying is that people should not rely on our generosity. They should rely on the effective policy we have implemented in the economy. Essentially, the fact that we have significantly higher growth than other European countries and also important results in tackling tax evasion. That’s how the surpluses have been generated, and those surpluses are what we will distribute as a social dividend.”

On a specific question about initiatives for families with many children, the Deputy Prime Minister noted: “For parents in general—both at last year’s TIF and earlier, starting in 2019 with the birth allowance—measures have been taken. We owe it to these people to act as positively as possible. But we also owe it to ourselves, and to our nation. Because, in the medium to long term, demographics are the country’s most significant national problem.”

Commenting on developments in the Center-Left, Mr. Hatzidakis stressed: “The main thing for us, instead of watching what Mr. Tsipras will do, is to focus on ourselves. The fact that this situation exists within the opposition is not good—neither for the country nor for us. For the country, because in Greece we have always been used to functioning with two major parties and essentially two alternative choices. And for us, because this often leads to complacency. Therefore, although it may sound paradoxical, I would personally wish for a regrouping of the opposition, but it is not in our hands to make that happen. What is in our hands is to do our job better.”

Additionally, regarding the progress of reforms, the Deputy Prime Minister stated: “At the last Cabinet meeting, 25 different reforms were approved for the second half of 2025, medium and large-scale. That’s four reforms per month, or one reform per week. And among them are the National Water Plan, Urban Planning, the simplification of licensing procedures, legality in public universities, non-state universities, and 175 mobile health units to serve rural Greece and our villages.”

Finally, Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized that changing the electoral law is not in the government’s plans: “Kyriakos Mitsotakis has repeatedly told me—and said in interviews as well—that his goal is to hold elections in late spring 2027, under the current electoral law.”