Kyriakos Mitsotakis focuses on supporting low-income pensioners with immediate and permanent assistance in his new, regular Sunday post, announcing that starting tomorrow, Monday, the additional €250 support will be paid earlier than scheduled. As he clarifies, this support now becomes permanent and is the first in a series of measures that, from January onward, will once again increase pensioners’ income.
The Prime Minister states that from the beginning of the year, pensioners will see an increase in their earnings both due to lower tax rates and through the annual adjustment of pensions. Meanwhile, from December, with the January pensions, the “personal difference” will begin to be reduced by 50% for those who are still affected by it. These are measures, he notes, that are incorporated into the 2026 budget, which he describes as “national and growth-oriented,” aiming to strengthen the income of millions of citizens.
In the same text, Kyriakos Mitsotakis makes a special reference to the course of the economy, emphasizing that the government’s forecast for 2026 is 2.4% growth—almost double the estimate for the Eurozone—along with a further reduction in inflation and unemployment and a continued decline in public debt. He underlines that politics has value “only when it serves the concrete and the tangible,” and he thanks citizens who, for three years now, have been following his weekly “mini reports” on government work.
At the same time, the Prime Minister places the support for low-income pensioners within a broader framework of initiatives—from changes in the justice system and reducing case processing times, to subsidy payments for farmers, the extension and expansion of the “My Home 2” program, the new policy for people with disabilities, and strengthening protections for minors against tobacco and alcohol. As he stresses, the goal is to demonstrate every week “through actions, not words,” the effort to improve citizens’ everyday lives, without—he says—“leaving anyone behind.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to the issue of crime and gun ownership in Crete. As he writes:
“We are moving forward with a comprehensive plan. From Rethymno, the Minister for Citizen Protection presented in detail the changes and new initiatives, as well as the organizational and legislative reforms jointly developed with the Ministry of Justice. Beyond strengthening the presence of the Organized Crime Directorate in Crete and restructuring the Police Operations Units of Crete, the establishment of the Messara Crete Police Sub-Directorate is progressing, headquartered in Moires and staffed with 165 officers.
On the legislative front, the framework for illegal gun possession and use is being significantly tightened: the possibility of imposing restrictive measures when there is a danger to life or bodily integrity, stricter penalties for celebratory gunfire (at least 2 years in prison and fines up to €30,000), and liability for business owners who allow such acts on their premises. Similar penalties apply to those who encourage, advertise, or facilitate the illegal use of weapons.
The areas in which carrying a weapon is considered a felony are also being expanded, including social events and open-air fairs, while the possession and carrying of a firearm is generally being classified as a felony. In cases of repeat offenses, the sentence cannot be converted, suspended, and any appeal has no suspensive effect. At the same time, a four-month period is provided for the voluntary surrender of illegal weapons without criminal penalties.
Our determination to finally put an end to the deaths caused by a ‘custom’ that literally kills is clear and non-negotiable.”
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