Mitsotakis sets the stage for 2027, Europe's far-right dilemma, and a message of stability from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stepped up to the podium at the Thessaloniki International Fair last Saturday to lay out his government’s economic agenda for the upcoming year in a speech that essentially set the stage for national elections in 2027.
Aside from presenting a 2.2-billion-euro package for next year, he also laid out a roadmap to 2030 that includes reducing unemployment, raising the average salary and the minimum wage, and maintaining economic growth, all while drawing a clear line in the sand when it comes to the political and geopolitical dilemmas he believes will shape the upcoming election.
With Greece gearing up for elections, Europe’s eyes locked in on Germany, where the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, dominated a crucial state election on Sunday, marking the first time since 1949 that a far-right party has won a state election. The result has many wondering if Germany's political center can still isolate the far right, while broader questions are emerging about what this could mean for Europe. Is this a harbinger of further far-right victories on a continent that’s facing a number of challenges ranging from the war in Ukraine to the economy and inflation?
Shifting us back to the Eastern Mediterranean, having wrapped up his speech at TIF, Prime Minister Mitsotakis traveled to Egypt, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, sending a strong message not only about the state of Greek-Egyptian ties, but also about the three countries’ commitment to regional cooperation. The meetings took place against the backdrop of broader regional developments, including the Mecca Agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Nick Malkoutzis, Yiannis Mouzakis, Dr. Markus Ziener, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis on this week’s episode of The Greek Current with insights on all of these developments.
A little more info on our guests:
Nick Malkoutzis and Yiannis Mouzakis are the co-founders of Macropolis.gr.
Dr. Markus Ziener is a professor of journalism and Visiting Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund.
Vassilis Nedos is Kathimeirni’s diplomatic and defense editor.
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