Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is presenting the government’s core priorities to the Cabinet on Monday morning, with one eye firmly fixed on the next national elections, scheduled for 2027. The meeting takes place under the heavy shadow of ongoing farmer protests—road blockades that have disrupted transport across Greece and raised questions about the government’s political standing.
The Cabinet convenes at 11 a.m., focusing on the planning of government action through to the next elections. According to sources, as he opens what will be the final Cabinet meeting of the year, Mitsotakis is expected once again to address the agricultural crisis, stressing the need to keep transport routes open and to safeguard trade and holiday travel during the festive season.
Farmer blockades and a credibility test
At the Prime Minister’s Office (the Maximos Mansion), officials argue that regardless of opinion polls—which show broad public sympathy even for extreme forms of protest such as road closures—farmers maintaining blockades are ultimately “hurting society, and in the end, themselves as well.”
The prevailing view within the government is that while it is understandable for citizens to support farmers’ demands, it is equally natural for public anger to grow when daily life is disrupted. Against this backdrop, the government reiterates its willingness to meet with a representative delegation speaking for all farmers. At the same time, it issues a clear warning: those who have lifted toll barriers or blocked infrastructure are being identified, and legal consequences—both criminal and civil—will follow.
Government officials are also highlighting the role of intensified inspections, including checks involving agricultural union figures. As they put it, “alongside the many honest farmers, there are a few who are protesting because ‘the party is over.’” The reference points to stricter audits by Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) and the transfer of oversight of OPEKEPE—the agency managing EU farm subsidies—to the tax authority. “Anyone with nothing to hide has nothing to fear,” they insist.
Which farmer demands are accepted—and which are not
Seeking to underline its willingness to compromise, the government says that out of 27 demands submitted by farmers, 16 have already been met or are being addressed positively. Four more are under discussion, while only seven are deemed impossible to satisfy—either because they clash with EU rules and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), or because they are fiscally unfeasible.
Officials point to concrete steps already taken, such as reduced electricity prices for farmers and fuel relief through a direct rebate of excise duty on agricultural diesel at the pump.
Looking ahead, the government says it intends to boost farm incomes by reallocating resources saved through stricter audits by AADE and OPEKEPE. Available EU funds amount to at least €160 million, which could be redirected to crops and products facing acute difficulties.
By contrast, demands such as guaranteed minimum prices or the abolition of the energy exchange are flatly rejected as incompatible with the EU framework.
The Cabinet agenda: reforms and AI
Beyond the agricultural crisis, Mitsotakis will outline the Unified Government Policy Plan for the coming year. This roadmap will later be presented in detail by Vice President Kostis Hatzidakis and Minister of State Akis Skertsos, followed by a press conference early in the new year.
The Prime Minister will also sketch step-by-step priorities for 2026, described as a “full governing year” before Greece enters 2027, which will inevitably be dominated by election dynamics. At the close of the meeting, ministers will receive the familiar “blue folders” detailing the priorities of their respective portfolios.
Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis and Deputy Minister Giannis Bougas will then present draft legislation creating a Unified Digital Registry to track corruption cases. This will be followed by a proposal from Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis to overhaul Greece’s system for preventing, preparing for, and responding to wildfires and other natural, technological, or man-made disasters.
The session will conclude with a briefing by Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, offering practical guidelines on how ministries should use artificial intelligence.
New parliamentary candidates announced
Meanwhile, with the constitutionally mandated 18-month deadline before the end of the parliamentary term now reached—requiring senior public officials to resign if they wish to run for office—the government has announced several resignations of general secretaries.
At the same time, the ruling New Democracy party unveiled a new group of parliamentary candidates:
- Tasos Gaitanis, former Secretary General for Research and Innovation, in Athens’ Southern Sector B3
- Athanasios Tsiouras, former Secretary General for Public Property, in Thessaloniki A
- Manos Logothetis, former Secretary General for Migration Policy, on the island of Samos
- Dimitris Glymis, former Secretary General for Asylum Reception, in Phocis
- Marios Themistocleous, Deputy Health Minister, in East Attica A
- Giannis Papageorgiou, aide at the Prime Minister’s Thessaloniki office, in Thessaloniki A
Together, the Cabinet meeting and the candidate announcements signal a government already shifting into long-term electoral mode—while still grappling with immediate social and economic pressures on the ground.
