The Greek cabinet is set to convene Tuesday morning at 11 a.m., with the issue of the gender pay gap dominating the agenda.
Labor Minister Niki Kerameus is expected to present a bill that incorporates — with a three-year delay — EU Directive 2023/970 on strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women for the same work or work of equal value.
According to existing data, women in Greece in cases are paid 12% to 13% less than men performing exactly the same job with the same qualifications.
Workers’ “Hidden” Right and the Crucial 5%
According to reports, the bill to be discussed at the cabinet meeting introduces additional obligations for salary transparency, both before hiring and throughout employment.
In particular, complaints concerning pay disparities will be examined by the Greek Ombudsman and the Labor Inspectorate. These bodies will issue recommendations and impose sanctions if the wage gap exceeds 5% and employers fail to provide adequate justification.
What Is Happening With the Recovery Fund?
During the same session, Alternate Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis will brief cabinet members on the progress of Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, the EU-backed post-pandemic recovery mechanism, which is entering its final implementation phase.
According to the government, Greece is completing the loan component of the Recovery Fund with 100% absorption of available resources, without altering the original plan approved by ECOFIN, the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council, last December.
As Mr. Papathanasis is expected to argue that Greece remains on schedule and to note that it is among the countries with consistently positive performance in Europe.
More specifically, Greece has already received €24.6 billion in funding, corresponding to 68.5% of the total budget, in less than five years.
A total of 204 implementation milestones have been completed, while the contractual phase of the Recovery Fund’s business loan program has also been successfully concluded, reaching €27.5 billion.
New CAP and Stournaras Reappointment
Other major items on the cabinet agenda include a proposal by Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas regarding the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2028–2034.
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis is also expected to present a legislative initiative concerning supervision of the financial sector, the European Single Access Point (ESAP), financial risk management, and the incorporation of EU directives (2024/1619, 2024/2994, 2024/927 and 2023/2864), as well as the implementation of EU regulations (2023/2859 and 2023/2869).
Mr. Pierrakakis will additionally present the concession agreement for Kalamata International Airport “Captain Vasilis Konstantakopoulos” named after the late Greek shipping and tourism businessman, as well as the reappointment of Yannis Stournaras as Governor of the Bank of Greece. His reappointment received approval on Monday from the relevant parliamentary committee, backed solely by lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party.
Meanwhile, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos will present a bill introducing a new framework of incentives for foreign direct investment, while the leadership of the Justice Ministry will unveil a legislative initiative concerning the Code for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
