Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce an increase in the state subsidy on diesel at today’s cabinet meeting, as Greece braces for an energy-driven winter.

According to information obtained by protothema.gr, the government will contribute 15 cents a litre for the first half of October, with the refineries adding a further five cents. That would bring the total discount at the pump to 20 cents, up from the current combined 15 cents. The average price of diesel is €2.20 a litre and is expected to move towards €2, given that the market anticipates small falls over the coming days.

Petrol is set to receive no state money. Support of 10 cents a litre from the refineries is expected to continue for the first half of October.

Mitsotakis is also expected to use his address to reassure the public ahead of the start of heating oil sales, due on 15 October. The relevant announcements will be made on 14 October, when the overall package of pump subsidies will also be reassessed. No final decisions have been taken. The government is determined to intervene to bring the price down by between 30 and 40 cents, most likely with the help of the refineries, but the scale of the reduction depends on the international oil price and the possible release of reserves. Officials say the geopolitical risk remains high and that no dramatic fall in global prices should be expected soon, as the danger of hostilities resuming, following the war in the Middle East that began on 28 February, has not passed.

The government is treading a difficult path, with no sign that European countries intend to act in unison in the face of a new energy crisis. Deputy Energy Minister Nikos Tsafos attended an informal meeting of EU energy ministers in Dublin yesterday. Despite the optimism of some officials, he concluded that the debate within the European Commission bears little relation to the urgency of the looming problem. Ministers are therefore preparing to tackle persistently high prices with national measures, in the recognition that the Commission’s main goal is not to support consumption but to cut demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told Action24 yesterday that the government has committed €800 million this year to support households during the emergency in the Middle East. The total reaches €1.2 billion once permanent support measures for the current year are included.

TIF measures and public sector hiring

The cabinet has a wide agenda, headed by the legislation of the package unveiled at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF). National Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis will present the details alongside deputy ministers Thanos Petralias and Dimitris Markopoulos.

Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios and Deputy Interior Minister Vivi Charalampogianni will also announce the recruitment plan for 2027. According to protothema.gr, it covers 20,870 people, including permanent staff and personnel on salaried mandates.

In a signal that the government is not “slowing down” despite the long run-up to the next election, Minister of State Akis Skertsos will present the ministries’ draft action plans for 2027. The Justice Ministry is bringing a major reform of its own, the Lawyers’ Code, which has been widely debated in legal circles.

Full cabinet agenda

Presentation by Pierrakakis and deputy ministers Petralias and Markopoulos of the bill on boosting incomes and promoting savings.

Briefing by Deputy National Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis on the completion of the milestones and targets of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and on the submission of the country’s final payment requests.

Briefing by Skertsos, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou on the new framework governing minors’ access to social media.

Presentation by Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis and Deputy Justice Minister Giannis Bougas of the bill on the Lawyers’ Code.

Presentation by Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis and Deputy Citizen Protection Minister Giannis Lampropoulos of the bill on the External Guarding Service and the prison system.

Presentation by Papathanasis of the bill on the management and strengthening of development programmes.

Briefing by Skertsos on the ministries’ draft action plans for 2027.

Briefing by Livanios and Charalampogianni on the annual public sector recruitment plan for 2027.