The prime minister’s traditional keynote speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair in early September is widely expected to deliver tangible handouts to at least some voters. Speculation about the size of the ‘package’ is rife in the media. With an election coming up, either late this year or early in 2027, this year's speech will be even more closely followed. [AMNA]
What does Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plan to say from the podium of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair in September? He will announce which handouts his government will distribute to which social groups. And this time, because we have general elections coming up, he will not be satisfied with paying them for one year, but will extend them over a period of four years. He will announce how his government will distribute about €6 billion over four years, seeking to buttress his narrative of economic stability. The message will essentially be, “You risk losing these billions if you don’t vote for me.”
And how will the government decide which benefits it will pay to whom? Deputy Finance Minister Thanos Petralias, who knows the budget numbers well, is drawing up the alternative scenarios. Veteran US pollster Stan Greenberg, who knows about polls, will indicate which of them should be chosen. And based on the poll findings, the prime minister will make his decision.
