Asked by political reporters about fuel prices, and whether the intervention on diesel would continue past August, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said: “The fact that there are external causes isn’t something we needed to discuss. It’s obvious they’re affecting both Greece and Europe. Alongside the objective causes of imported inflation, every government has to take action. It’s a given that fuel taxes in our country are higher. The difference between us and the other parties is that we’ve cut or scrapped 83 taxes. On fuel, because the fiscal cost is very high, we chose targeted measures so the relief reaches consumers directly. Another intervention on diesel is now being made.
As long as there’s need and fiscal room, we’ll keep stepping in. If we had adopted the opposition’s proposals from the start, there would be no fiscal room left at all. The crises we’ve been through have taught us restraint.”
Asked where the money for this latest intervention came from, he noted the finance minister had said the 2026 fiscal margin was around 200 million euros, and that this intervention costs about 30 million. “Some funds remain available because a major crisis is still unfolding that could require bigger interventions,” he said.
On rising megawatt-hour prices and whether there would be any intervention there, Marinakis said Greece’s retail electricity prices remain below the European average. “Let’s look at retail prices, and the responsible ministry will give its answers,” he added.
Marinakis referred to a statement from the Citizen Protection Ministry regarding Saturday’s events in Argos. “If a police officer attacked a citizen without provocation, that needs to be investigated,” he said, adding: “When someone is moving around holding wooden beams, poles and fire extinguishers, that’s not really a peaceful protest. Fortunately, the police now respond within the bounds of the law. When someone attacks with beams, poles and extinguishers, they need to be arrested.”
On Greece’s Role in the Middle East
Asked to respond to opposition claims that Greece has been drawn into the war following the deployment of a Greek Patriot battery in Saudi Arabia, Marinakis said Greece has an agreement with Saudi Arabia and that Greek forces have been stationed there since 2021 under a decision of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA). “The decision took into account that this deployment has no negative impact on Greek air defense. Other Patriot batteries remain on Greek territory. Under the technical agreement, Saudi Arabia will replace the missiles used. This is purely a defensive action. There is no involvement whatsoever in the wider regional conflict. It’s worth adding that the presence of Greek air defense isn’t just a gesture of solidarity but a strategic move with real significance. Greece is expanding its defense and diplomatic footprint. These operations send a clear message: no involvement. All of these deployments are deterrent in nature,” he said.
Responding to another question, Marinakis addressed claims about a “new 13-hour workday,” “new privatization of water,” and accusations from what he called “SYRIZA 2” that the government is selling off Greece’s cultural heritage. “The truth is the complete opposite of what’s being claimed,” he said, pointing to a statement from the Culture Ministry. “The bill doesn’t concern the management of monuments. It’s about improving revenue collection and how sites operate,” he added.
Asked whether the government would use this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) speech to make sweeping promises, he said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has spoken at TIF seven times before, and this will be his eighth. “You can check whether what he said was implemented even through crises, and whether those measures were properly costed and added up. They were handled responsibly. This will be another year where whatever the prime minister announces will be fully costed. So the opposition’s usual approach of promising more than us doesn’t really apply here. If you heard uncosted measures, like a 13th pension payment, with no funding plan behind them, then you could make that argument,” he said.
Asked about the opposition’s call to reopen the Novartis case following allegations from Salma, the spokesman said critics were “trying, through endless scandal-mongering and prosecutorial pressure, to reopen a case that has already been settled.” He added that Georgiadis has already signaled his next steps. “This case is closed. The conspiracy collapsed, and no one will bring it back through the back door,” he said.
On the Athens-Thessaloniki Rail and Tempi Rail Disaster
Asked whether the ETCS signaling system on the Athens-Thessaloniki rail line would be fully operational by the end of August, he said signaling and remote control systems are currently 80% installed, with work ongoing on the Lianokladi-Larissa section. “Beyond our original commitment, we’ll also have five safety layers compared to the Tempi era. ETCS is one of the five. It will be completed alongside the works in Thessaly. Certification procedures for full operational use of the systems follow after that,” he said. “We don’t expect a single system to solve the safety issue on its own,” he added, saying “there is no inconsistency” in the government’s account. “On Tempi, a sad minority is trying to build a career out of it. It’s about as low as it gets. I saw a columnist confuse an answer I gave with a response to the victims’ families. We won’t give them that satisfaction. We’ll let the public judge them,” he said, recalling a statement the prime minister made in April 2025 to the cabinet on safety systems and the timeline. “Exactly what was said in the cabinet meeting is being carried out and applied. There is no inconsistency. The timeline hasn’t changed. It’s being implemented and will be completed as announced,” he added.
On the Mati Disaster
On absences from the reception at the Presidential Mansion and from the Mati memorial, Marinakis said: “On Mati, I don’t want to do what others are doing. We had a tragedy. If the 112 emergency alert system had been working, dozens of our fellow citizens would have been saved. This government found a solution that remains in place, keeps being upgraded, and protects human lives. History has recorded the rest, including the communications meetings and so on. Some people clearly let the years pass and are too embarrassed to even issue a statement. As for the celebration marking the restoration of democracy, there are two categories of absence. A politician might be absent for reasons beyond their control, or for personal reasons. There’s also an absence with political symbolism, as some parties chose, including what remains of SYRIZA. If you’re not bothered by forming a coalition government with the far right and bringing down a government with the votes of Golden Dawn, and a few years later you don’t attend a ceremony out of respect for those who fought to restore a democracy that endures, then that choice defines you and follows you.”
The Question of Elections
On the timing of the 2027 elections, whether the government has data suggesting polls would then put it at 35-36%, and whether it would allow former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to launch a party in September, he said: “We live in a democracy, everyone is free to do what they want.” He added: “We’ll respond with our arguments and our record. On elections, there are plenty of past examples where opinion polls led to early elections. The prime minister himself has already answered this. What he’s said still stands, in full.”
Regarding the prosecutor’s decision to refer Mr. Triantopoulos and whether he’ll run as a New Democracy candidate, Marinakis said: “Of course Mr. Triantopoulos will run. The presumption of innocence applies, and let me remind you that he himself requested this. The logic of referral to the natural judge was followed. I’d point out some people’s fondness for certain findings and prosecutorial recommendations, and their eagerness to cry cover-up over others. We’re waiting for the council’s session and its decision. On the substance of the case, there’s a deliberate conflation between the false narrative of a cover-up and the field decisions that were or weren’t made, which the justice system is investigating. The supposed order is inferred from Mr. Triantopoulos’s own statement. All of this is under investigation. We trust the Greek justice system.”
A note on Cyprus
On the Cyprus issue, Marinakis said neither the Greek nor the Cypriot side would accept anything beyond the framework of the UN Security Council resolutions.
“I wish it could be solved with economic measures alone. It’s a deep social issue that we all need to look at,” he said regarding the falling birth rate.
On the recycling collection points, Marinakis said, “I haven’t responded to reports and rumors, and I don’t intend to.” He added that the relevant ministry has already addressed the issue three times.
