In a period where New Democracy's political dominance is being tested by the passage of time and the demands of a shifting global reality, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has chosen to present an extensive review of his government's work from 2019 to the present. With the central theme "Consistency builds trust," the government is attempting to re-establish its narrative, projecting stability as the most significant achievement of a period marked by successive crises: from the pandemic and the energy crisis to geopolitical upheavals in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Economic Transformation: From Pariah to Investment Grade
The strongest card in Kyriakos Mitsotakis's political deck remains the economy. Greece's return to investment grade status was not merely a technical goal, but a symbolic milestone marking the end of the long-standing debt crisis. Since 2019, the Greek economy's growth rate has consistently outpaced the European average, while unemployment has receded to pre-crisis levels, now touching single digits. Tax reductions, the attraction of foreign investments from giants like Microsoft and Google, and fiscal discipline have been the pillars of what the government calls the "Greek success story."
However, the economic prosperity shown in statistics does not always translate into household prosperity. Despite increases in the minimum wage, inflation in food prices and housing costs remain the "Achilles' heels" of government policy. The government argues that permanent income increases are the only sustainable response to inflation, yet social pressure remains intense as a large portion of the population feels the gap between macroeconomic indicators and actual purchasing power is widening.
The Digital Revolution and the 21st Century State
If there is one area where the Mitsotakis government is almost universally recognized for its success, it is the digital transformation of the state. Gov.gr radically changed the citizen's relationship with bureaucracy, eliminating thousands of hours spent in queues. The digitalization of health, education, and justice proceeded at rates Greece had never experienced before. This "silent revolution," as it is often called, laid the foundation for building a modern state, reducing pockets of corruption and increasing the efficiency of public administration.
- Over 1,500 digital services available to citizens.
- Implementation of the digital labor card to combat undeclared work.
- Modernization of EFKA and faster pension issuance.
Nevertheless, "digital Greece" often clashes with the "analog reality" of infrastructure. Delays in the administration of justice and systemic issues in the National Health System (NHS) remain open wounds. The government has pledged that the second term will be a period of major interventions in the state apparatus, but implementing these promises is proving more difficult than digitalizing a document.
Geopolitical Power and National Defense
In the realm of foreign policy and defense, the Mitsotakis administration followed a strategy of "active deterrence." The signing of defense agreements with France and the USA, along with an extensive armament program (Rafale, Belharra frigates, F-35), upgraded the country's prestige within NATO and the EU. Migration management, with an emphasis on border protection, was a central pillar of its policy, though it frequently drew reactions from international organizations regarding the methods employed.
"Greece is no longer Europe's problem, but part of the solution. Our credibility was built with hard work, and we will not allow it to be undermined by populism," the Prime Minister often emphasizes.
In conclusion, the review of the 2019-2026 period highlights a government that managed to stabilize the country and set it on a path of modernization while tackling structural weaknesses of decades. The challenge for the future remains the diffusion of growth across all social strata and addressing the "deep state" that resists change. The "consistency" invoked by Mr. Mitsotakis will ultimately be judged not by spreadsheet numbers, but by the improvement in the quality of life for the average Greek citizen.
