At the “Greece Talks” conference, organized by Travel.gr and Proto Thema titled “The Intelligence Age: Travel, Culture & Connection,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis participated in a discussion with Giannis Bezos, moderated by Antonis Sroiter. During the event, he addressed a wide range of topics concerning Greek society, the new technological reality, political culture, the education system, demographic challenges, and social behavior issues.

The Prime Minister commented on Alexis Tsipras’s new book, saying:
“I have many books on my desk that I am eager to read and browse. This book is not one of those I am eager to see. I will definitely get informed and leave the deconstruction of this novel to others. After all, I have a very harsh and personal opinion about the events of that period.”

He also mentioned that once he finishes his political career, he would like to convey some of his experiences “in a different form than writing a biography,” adding:
“You write your story while you are in politics, it’s others’ job to judge you. If you rush to do it, then probably you haven’t done something right.”

Referring to the new digital era and the relationship of young people with technology, he emphasized that “the new generation doesn’t get informed from television,” while stressing that “personal contact goes beyond speech, which technology-based contact does not provide.” Talking about TikTok, he said:
“Tiktok was a challenge for me. In 20 years of political career, I faced a paradox. Citizens tell me in person that I am different from how I appear on TV. Young people seek difference… TikTok gave me the opportunity to communicate mainly with the younger generation.”

Expressed were concerns about the functioning of algorithms, noting:
“Who controls this algorithm? And who guarantees that some other country controlling this algorithm will not promote what it wants to have influence?”

He added:
“In the ecosystem of social media, negative feelings and tension are amplified,” concluding:
“I have not yet found a substitute for human contact. Personal contact will remain irreplaceable.”

About education and school operation, he said:
“What should the school cultivate? Curiosity. Not just knowledge… We banned mobile phones and they said it wouldn’t work, but it did.” Regarding high school, he said: “School should provide experiences, memories, the possibility of creating relationships. That’s why I give great importance to bullying… In the next two weeks, the Ministry of Education will present a series of options for high school. We are not ready to talk about the national exams yet.”

He also stressed that “today’s high school is not an independent mechanism” and that “the graduation certificate has no value,” emphasizing the need to revise the system.

Regarding technical education, he noted:
“We need to break the taboo that technical education is a child of an inferior taboo. The absorption rates in the labor market are impressive.”

He also talked about the support program for youth travel:
“Young people received 150 euros for travel and culture, despite some mockery. The goal is to give young people the opportunity to travel inside and outside Greece.”

On modern political characteristics, he stressed:
“The most important virtue a young person and a country must have is adaptability.”
On political accountability, he said: “As Prime Minister, I have signed a four-year contract with the Greek people…”
Referring to today’s public discourse, he emphasized: “In today’s toxic environment… the feeling that everyone is a thief, everyone is corrupt… which young person would want to enter this ordeal of public shaming?”

On the relationship between technocrats and politicians: “The division between technocrats and politicians is fake. I brought technocrats into ND leadership who became politicians. We want young people. In my team, I want people aged 20–30 to follow trends.”

Referring to Crete and gun possession phenomena, he said:
“I am Cretan. I grew up with the theory of using the gun as entertainment… The State can no longer tolerate this and must show zero tolerance.” On the murder that made headlines, he noted: “This is not a vendetta, it is a cold-blooded murder… It’s a brutal murder.” He added that societies change and that we must “put these habits that are no longer tolerated into the dustbin of history.”

On demographics, the Prime Minister noted: “Greece’s demographic trends are not an exception… South Korea has a birth rate of 0.8 and is a wealthy country.” He referred to the effects of aging and increased life expectancy:

“The pension system, health financing… we must address immediately.”
He also stressed that “even if everyone gave birth to more children immediately, they would enter the labor market in 20 years,” emphasizing that the issue must be tackled now.

Bezos: Greeks Have Rare Characteristics
On his part, Giannis Bezos said: “What a modern Greek is remains a big question. I think that as a country, tradition, education—meaning ancient Greek education—we Greeks have rare characteristics. The result of these characteristics is our language, a language spoken for 3,000 years. A language we don’t speak much anymore; we replace words and distort it, and this happens because we lack knowledge of History. Our basic characteristics have grandeur and include something perhaps not found in northern peoples; they also have poetry.”

On developments in the modern political scene, referring also to Russia’s war in Ukraine, he said:
“Nostalgia is something extremely painful in life. In politics, I would say, if I may, though I don’t usually politicize easily. The phenomenon of Russian expansionism is about nostalgia, nostalgia for imperial greatness. We experienced that with the ‘Great Idea’ and thankfully it ended with the Asia Minor Catastrophe. Unfortunately, it ended that way, but we must understand that we are a part, a blessed country geographically and climatically, in this sea, with this sun, with this nature, with these ancestors, who, when we don’t understand them, take revenge on us.”