With wishes, smiles and optimism, the New Year’s cake for 2026 was cut today at the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, attended by the political leadership and the ministry’s staff.

The cake was cut jointly by the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Deputy Minister Nikos Papathanasis and Deputy Minister of Finance Georgios Kotsiras.

“We made substantial changes”
In his address, Mr. Pierrakakis wished everyone a happy new year and gave a brief but substantial review of the past year, noting:

“We passed many reforms, made substantial changes and attracted foreign investments to Greece. Things we had been discussing for many years became reality thanks to the collective work of this team,” the Minister said.

As he emphasized, from the expansion of the out-of-court settlement mechanism and Euronext’s investment in the Athens Stock Exchange, to the largest tax relief of the post-junta era through the reform of the tax system, as well as measures with a strong social impact, “we proved that economic policy can combine growth with social justice.”

Concluding, he underlined that “ahead of us lies a very difficult year, with major challenges, but I believe that together we will manage to achieve even more through collective effort.”

“Greece is no longer the pariah of Europe”
Deputy Minister Nikos Papathanasis focused on the country’s institutional and political maturity, noting:

“Today we feel that we can get our messages across, something that was not easy in the past. Greece is no longer the pariah of Europe. It is important to organize ourselves in the best possible way for 2026 and to continue with planning and seriousness.”

For his part, Deputy Minister of Finance Georgios Kotsiras stressed the importance of teamwork and good cooperation:

“In the year that has passed, we proved that the political leadership, our offices and the Secretaries General had good chemistry and delivered significant results. This is also our guide for 2026, a year with many demands but also great opportunities.”

The event concluded with wishes, smiles and a shared message of optimism: 2026 will be a demanding year, but the Ministry of National Economy and Finance is entering it with experience, planning and strong collective effort.