Greece’s Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis announced that the government will inject €2.5 billion into the economy over the next eight months, describing the initiative as “real money” that citizens will soon feel in their pockets.

Speaking in a radio interview on SKAI, Pierrakakis said the payments will include salary increases for uniformed personnel, rent rebates for tenants, and direct support for pensioners. The minister argued that while Greece’s broader economic progress is evident in fiscal indicators, many households have yet to experience it firsthand. “We’re starting with pay raises for uniformed officers in October, even retroactively,” Pierrakakis said. “On November 30, the state will begin refunding one month’s rent to 80% of tenants. In total, €2.5 billion will be distributed over the next eight months — real money reaching people.”

He added that 1.4 million pensioners will each receive a €250 one-off payment, a measure initially announced before the Thessaloniki International Fair but not yet implemented.

From January 1, new tax breaks will take effect for both public- and private-sector employees, which Pierrakakis said will appear “as daily increases in their paychecks.” Self-employed workers, he noted, will see the impact in 2027, due to the timing of Greece’s annual tax declarations.

“These increases will offer some breathing room for households under pressure,” he said. “I will never use the term ‘sufficient,’ because the goal is always to improve conditions and ensure growth reaches every family.” He described the announced tax relief as the largest in Greece’s post-1974 democratic period, known as the Metapolitefsi.

The minister also revealed that the government is drafting a new code for managing public assets. Addressing the issue of state arrears to suppliers, Pierrakakis said a dedicated technical team is compiling detailed data on outstanding invoices “organization by organization,” with a full report expected in the coming months explaining any delays.

Pierrakakis concluded with a pointed remark on past political promises, saying Greece had seen “Harry Potters of politics” who “turned out not to be wizards,” suggesting that the current government’s approach is focused on delivering measurable outcomes rather than illusions.