Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said reforms are underway across public services, urban planning and the railways, arguing that citizens reward governments that show knowledge, courage and resolve.

Hatzidakis said Greece is gradually moving towards a more citizen-friendly public sector, while acknowledging that significant problems remain.

He was speaking at the panel discussion “Reforms for a More Citizen-Friendly State,” held as part of the newmoney conference .

“The Public Sector Is Changing – New Policies. Measurable Results” at the National Gallery’s Onassis Foundation Amphitheatre, Hatzidakis discussed the government’s reform agenda with Proto Thema journalist Stefanos Tzanakis.

“Allow me to say that when we went to Parliament, I grew tired of hearing: ‘Have you only just woken up and brought us a bill called “A Citizen-Friendly State”?’

“We have not solved everything yet,” he said at the start of the discussion, stressing, however, that progress is being made.

He cited the customer service hotlines of the Ministry of Labour, e-EFKA, Greece’s national social security agency, and the Ministry of Health as examples of reforms moving in that direction.

“For the first time, real producers have seen more money because we now have a transparent system, with the help of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue,” he said, referring to AADE, Greece’s tax authority.

“In the interview we will give tomorrow with Margaritis Schinas and Giorgos Pitsilis, we will present the picture of a country that is moving forward and implementing reforms, even if with some delay.”

“This government, without having fixed everything, has resolved certain issues and is moving ahead to resolve others, such as urban planning,” he added.

Referring to urban planning reforms, Hatzidakis said: “When we began, there were voices and whispers. There is no conflict between the government and local authorities. The point is for things to be done properly.”

He also referred to the politis.gov.gr platform, a government database that allows citizens to monitor the progress of their cases with the state.

“This is something completely unprecedented in Greece and within the Greek state, yet we have made it happen,” he said.

Asked about the change in Konstantinos Kyranakis’s duties and the work carried out on the railways after the Tempi train disaster, Hatzidakis said that the general traffic regulations had been finalised, while a contract was being completed for Deutsche Bahn to serve as technical adviser to OSE, Greece’s state railway infrastructure company.

He added that legislation had been passed to make Greek railways more flexible, while executives were now being recruited from the private sector on higher salaries.

According to Hatzidakis, work is progressing on three levels to repair damage on the Athens–Thessaloniki rail network. He said the works would be completed by early autumn, while two new trains, in addition to the 23 scheduled to arrive in Greece by 2028, would “definitely” enter service.

“A series of steps are being taken, and I am confident that Giorgos Kotsiras will continue in the same direction,” he said.

Hatzidakis argued that long-standing problems at OSE could have been dealt with much earlier if previous governments had shown the courage to confront systemic failings in state-owned enterprises.

“If governments had had the courage to confront systemic problems and all state-owned enterprises, the OSE issue would have been addressed much faster, just as the issues with Olympic Airlines, the Piraeus Port Authority, OTE and the Public Power Corporation were addressed. We do have examples of success in Greece,” he said.

“Because the public sector often resembles the Lernaean Hydra, knowledge and boldness are needed. A team is needed. We need people who know the issues, who do not shy away from challenges and who have the courage to act. I believe that, in the end, citizens reward that too,” Hatzidakis concluded.