Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Thursday, October 30, at the Maximos Mansion in Athens with European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud, and Administration Piotr Serafin.

During the meeting, they discussed the European Commission’s proposals for the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). According to the official statement, Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of strengthening competitiveness across the entire European economy while also highlighting the key role of Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Furthermore, the Greek PM reiterated the need to create a European financial instrument capable of funding emblematic defense programs of common European interest, such as those included in the EU Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030.

The Greek Prime Minister congratulated the Commissioner on his efforts to promote what he called “very interesting ideas and proposals regarding the simplification of the European budget.”

Mitsotakis added that Greece remained fully committed to the pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy.

After thanking the Greek prime minister, Commissioner Serafin said that his delegation would appreciate hearing the Greek team’s proposals and any concerns regarding this plan.

He went on to stress the need to invest more in competitiveness, defense, and security in the current geopolitical context.

“We must focus primarily on simplification and reducing administrative burdens, though, of course, funding is also essential,” he noted.

“Therefore, our focus will be on key strategic sectors, on start-ups that can contribute to geographic balance, and not only on grants but also on more advanced financial instruments necessary to stimulate investment in Europe’s innovation and competitiveness. That is why we created this Competitiveness Fund, with a budget of over 400 billion euros, and we hope it will be well received by member states during the upcoming discussions.”

On defense and security, he said the proposal was to raise spending fivefold.

“Speaking of security, we cannot overlook external borders. In this area, we are proposing to triple the resources for border protection and migration management. Incidentally, this tripling will also be reflected in the allocation of funds for Greece in this specific sector.”