Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has announced that the vast majority of new economic measures to be presented at the Thessaloniki International Fair will apply to 2027.
Speaking on the television show Live News, Marinakis assured viewers that every pledge made by the prime minister during the event would be fully carried out by the administration.
Marinakis revealed that the government has secured slightly more than one billion euros to return to society and assist as many citizens as possible. He explained that while a small portion of the package, worth around 250 million euros according to Finance Ministry estimates, could be introduced by the end of 2026, the primary focus remains on the 2027 fiscal plan.
He added that funds are also being disbursed on a month by month basis to help limit rising fuel costs, which have experienced unprecedented price increases in recent months.
The Thessaloniki International Fair is an annual trade and policy exhibition held every September in northern Greece. The event serves as the traditional national platform where the sitting Greek prime minister outlines the government's economic strategy, tax policy, and growth targets for the coming year.
Taxation and energy policy debate
Addressing criticism from opposition parties regarding increased tax revenues, Marinakis rejected claims that the public treasury was benefiting from overtaxation. He stated that the government has not raised a single tax and has instead reduced or abolished 83 direct and indirect taxes since taking office.
Marinakis noted that during his tenure as government spokesman, he has monitored three state budgets, all of which chronologically follow the annual Thessaloniki address. He argued that higher revenue collection stems from economic growth and improved compliance rather than increased tax rates.
On the topic of electricity prices, Marinakis highlighted actions taken by Public Power Corporation, Greece's largest electricity provider. He said the state backed power supplier has significantly reduced its fixed blue tariff rates while attempting to absorb the majority of wholesale energy price spikes for consumers.
Public Power Corporation, known locally as DEI, is Greece's chief electric utility operator. Marinakis contrasted its current operational stability with the condition of the company when the ruling New Democracy party took power in 2019, describing the utility at that time as a bankrupt entity that cost Greek taxpayers millions of euros every month.
Response to party criticism and gender controversy
During the broadcast, Marinakis also responded to recent public statements made by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras regarding a digital application used by the national health provider.
Samaras had published a social media post referencing a news report which claimed that an application managed by the National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services opened the door to a third, fourth, or fifth gender classification.
Marinakis expressed sadness over the remarks, noting that he and many current members of the governing New Democracy party had been active members of the party youth wing during Samaras's leadership. However, he firmly rejected the former prime minister's claims, calling them a political veil designed to mask a lack of substantive policy alternatives.
The spokesman stated that there are only two genders and declared that this principle would not change. He asked viewers whether anyone in Greek territory had ever seen options other than male and female, or whether citizens were being asked to register as parent one, parent two, or parent three on official documentation.
Acknowledging that past legislation had upset certain conservative voters, Marinakis insisted that catastrophic predictions made by critics on the political right had never materialized. He defended the government's record, characterising its current governing platform as proud policy rather than an ideological agenda.
Antonis Samaras served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2012 to 2015 and previously led New Democracy. The National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services, known as EOPYY, is the state agency responsible for managing public health insurance and healthcare services across Greece.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to present the official government economic agenda at the upcoming Thessaloniki International Fair, where the detailed breakdown of the 2027 fiscal measures and final 2026 allocations will be formally announced.
