Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed emphasis on the policies implemented by Greece to address the challenges and global crises of recent years during a roundtable discussion held as part of an event organised by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California on Tuesday. Mitsotakis, who took part in the discussion alongside former US Secretary of State and Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice, focused his remarks on three key areas: strong economic growth, strengthening Greece’s position on the international stage and tackling inequalities.
Mitsotakis stressed that the Greek economy is growing at significantly higher rates than the European Union average and is pursuing prudent fiscal policy, consistently achieving primary surpluses. As the prime minister noted, Greece is attracting foreign direct investment and has managed to reduce unemployment by around 10 percentage points compared with 2019, while achieving the fastest decline in the debt-to-GDP ratio in the history of the OECD and regaining the confidence of international markets, something that was confirmed once again by two recent upgrades to the country’s outlook and credit rating.
According to the prime minister, Greece’s positive performance is reflected in the fact that, amid major turmoil in the global bond market, it has a lower borrowing cost than four G7 members, while at the same time Greeks who had emigrated abroad are now expressing confidence in the country’s prospects and returning.
He also noted that the country is addressing the long-standing problem of tax evasion and has made effective use of resources from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, thereby securing significant funds for public investment and tax relief.
The prime minister also focused on Greece’s position on the international stage, stressing that the country is pursuing an active foreign policy, always with international law as its “compass”. Greece has substantially strengthened the deterrent capabilities of its Armed Forces and, on the migration front, has protected its borders, which are also the EU’s external borders.
Mitsotakis underlined that he strongly and consistently believes in the importance of transatlantic cooperation, particularly in today’s complex world. He expressed his support for strengthening Europe’s capabilities, based on the recommendations of the Draghi report.
Finally, the Greek premier had the opportunity to outline his vision for Greece in 2030, noting that it will be a landmark year, as it will mark 200 years since the establishment of the modern Greek state.
