Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is currently announcing measures in light of the overperformance of the 2024 budget surplus.

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The measures announced concern key social groups, with a focus on the middle class, renters, and the Public Investment Program.

The primary surplus in Greece for 2024 amounted to €11.4 billion or 4.8% of GDP, according to ELSTAT figures.

Full Message from the Prime Minister (English Translation)

First of all, I would like once again, on the occasion of the Easter holidays, to wish you Christ is Risen, happy holidays, health and joy to you and your families.

The State Budget figures for 2024, just announced by Eurostat and ELSTAT, show a significant overperformance of the national economy and a surplus in public finances. This means that, thanks to everyone’s efforts, we did much better than expected.

Robust growth, the fight against tax evasion, and a series of structural reforms brought in additional revenue—exceeding even the targets we had set. As a result, despite the strict European fiscal rules, a substantial portion of these gains can now be returned to the citizens. As I have said before, this is the aim of our government: for collective progress to gradually translate into individual prosperity.

This latest development confirms the success of a policy that combines national recovery with social care, always grounded in fiscal stability. It is a policy recognized by all international rating agencies and one that maintains our internal stability in an unstable world. At the same time, it delivers tangible results, disproving the rhetoric of defeatism and misery. This has been true in recent years, and it is reaffirmed now—this time with initiatives that introduce a major structural shift.

Because what I am announcing today will take effect in 2025, as it stems from our positive annual performance. However, these will be permanent measures, not one-off interventions like in the past. This is because the improvement in our public finances is structural.

Furthermore, these initiatives will benefit broader social groups and build on everything we’ve already implemented: from repeated increases in the minimum wage and pensions to better pay for police, healthcare workers, and ongoing tax cuts.

Based on all the above, the new resources from our strong economic performance will be allocated in three key directions:

First, to address the housing problem. I know how hard it is for our fellow citizens who rent, and easing their burden is my top priority. That’s why we’ve decided that every year, specifically in November, the state will refund one full month’s rent to tenants. Meanwhile, programs like “My Home II,” social housing, and successive “Renovate” initiatives will continue.

Second, about 1.5 million low-income pensioners, uninsured elderly citizens, and persons with disabilities will receive permanent support of €250 net annually, in addition to their other income. This amount will also be paid every year at the end of November.

Third, the government will increase the Public Investment Program by €500 million annually, aiming to accelerate public works and socially focused initiatives across the country. In this way, even amid global instability, we will continue attracting investment and creating new jobs.

The Ministry of Finance will provide details shortly. What I personally want to emphasize is the government’s choice to return the gains of national recovery to the people. Because I understand how much renters are struggling, often spending a large portion of their income on housing. I understand how difficult it is—especially for young people—to leave their parents’ home and get their own place.

I also know how much pensioners and other vulnerable groups suffer, especially those with the lowest pensions. And I recognize how crucial investment is in reducing unemployment, which is perhaps the harshest social injustice.

With confidence in our country’s potential and society’s strength, I believed that challenges could be turned into opportunities. These new initiatives reflect that belief, showing that as our national economy strengthens, so too will the financial well-being of our citizens—in real time.

That’s why I must repeat: these permanent measures apply to the current year, not the 2026 planning cycle. That plan will be announced at the next Thessaloniki International Fair.

These initiatives, totaling €1 billion, directly address core issues. But I want to stress that they are well-balanced and fully costed, ensuring compliance with necessary fiscal discipline and European rules. They demonstrate that the government is empathetic, proactive, and committed to improving lives—so that the success of our economy becomes the prosperity of the many. So that Greece’s collective progress becomes personal progress for every citizen. This is a commitment we have honored, continue to honor, and will always honor.

Our priorities remain the national interest and the renewal of our society—not with empty words or slogans, but with real actions and visible solutions. We face each obstacle with realism and every reckless provocation with responsibility, staying true to our principle of “we said it, we did it.” With the confidence and determination required by our times, because there is still much more to pursue and achieve.

So we continue—and you can be certain that, despite the challenges, the best is yet to come.