ATHENS — In his weekly social media post, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday hailed the signing of an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Relationship with France during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Athens, describing it as a broad-based alliance that deepens bilateral ties across defense, the economy, technology, migration, civil protection, the environment, education, and culture.
“At a critical geopolitical moment, we confirmed the strategic choice we made in 2021 to strengthen the Greece-France relationship, turning it into a strong, multilayered alliance,” Mitsotakis wrote in a social media post. He said the agreement made Greece “more secure,” reinforced its geopolitical standing, and created new opportunities for cooperation ranging from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity.
The Greek PM also said the deal included a renewal of the 2021 defense and security strategic partnership agreement, strengthening what he described as Greece’s deterrent capacity. “Greece and France are EU and NATO member states, but we are also becoming a strong axis in the Mediterranean,” he said, citing joint defense support for Cyprus as evidence of European solidarity in practice.
Mitsotakis framed the agreement within a broader vision of European strategic autonomy, referencing discussions held at an informal European Council meeting in Cyprus. “A Europe capable of standing with confidence in an uncertain world and defending the interests of its citizens and its values,” he said.
Cost of Living and Fiscal Surplus
In the same post, Mitsotakis addressed the cost-of-living relief package announced the previous week, attributing price pressures to what he called “international inflation,” a framing his political opponents said was designed to deflect responsibility from government policy.
The prime minister acknowledged the limits of the measures, writing: “I know full well that no single measure is enough to eliminate the pressures of international inflation on its own. But the fact that Greece is today one of only five EU countries running a surplus allows us to provide relief without risking what we have built.”
Recovery Fund Disbursement
Mitsotakis also noted the disbursement of a seventh tranche of €1.18 billion from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, bringing total receipts over four and a half years to €24.6 billion. He said the funds were being channeled into long-overdue infrastructure projects, hospital renovations, and the digital modernization of the state.
