Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on citizens to welcome 2026 with confidence and optimism, highlighting Greece’s resilience amid global instability and outlining key reforms and priorities for the year ahead.
In his New Year message, Mr Mitsotakis described New Year’s Eve as a moment of both celebration and reflection, noting that millions of Greeks would soon be welcoming the new year with loved ones while drawing lessons from the year gone by. He also paid tribute to those working through the night, including doctors, nurses, sailors, hospitality staff, police officers conducting roadside alcohol tests, and members of the armed forces guarding the country’s borders.
The prime minister stressed that global uncertainty, geopolitical upheaval and economic instability marked the transition from 2025 to 2026, warning that the new year would bring multiple challenges. However, he said that behind every difficulty lay an opportunity, arguing that adaptability had become a national necessity in a rapidly changing world.
Mr Mitsotakis said Greece had strengthened its position in recent years despite setbacks and mistakes, pointing to a more robust defence, a growing economy and a society becoming increasingly dynamic while steadily improving daily life for citizens.
Among the milestones of 2025, he highlighted tax reform aimed at supporting middle-income households and young people, the renovation of hospitals and health centres, modernisation of the education system, and Greece’s geopolitical upgrade as both an energy hub and a state leveraging its undersea resources through strategically significant partnerships. He also referenced the imminent arrival of the first Belharra-class frigate, Kimon, in Salamina, Greece’s leadership role within the Eurogroup, and rising net incomes acting as a buffer against the cost of living.
The prime minister acknowledged persistent structural weaknesses, including the need to reform the primary sector on sound foundations through dialogue and bold changes. He stressed that social consensus would be crucial in the year ahead, particularly as Greece prepares to launch a major constitutional revision process requiring broad political cooperation.
Concluding his address, Mr Mitsotakis said the government would continue on a path of responsibility and practical work in 2026, rejecting demagoguery, toxicity and risky experimentation. He urged Greeks to face the new year with self-confidence, noting that the country and its people were now stronger and more experienced than ever.
He also pointed to 2030 as a horizon of hope, marking 200 years since the establishment of the modern Greek state, and wished health, happiness and prosperity to Greeks at home and abroad.