Mitsotakis: The reform of OPEKEPE is the most difficult I can remember – What he said abou
Source: ProtoThema English
The difficult reform of OPEKEPE, the increases in the Armed Forces, the upgrade of the facade of the Pentagon and the enthronement of the new Patriarch of Sinai, concerned Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his Sunday post on Facebook.
The Prime Minister also spoke about developments in the field of Health and the waiting list management system in Emergency Departments, the plan to address water scarcity in Attica, the interventions for road safety and education.
The Prime Minister’s Sunday Facebook post:
November has arrived. Have a good month! The week that just passed troubled me a bit more, as you know I was positive for Covid, though thankfully with mild symptoms which did not prevent me from my governmental activity, always observing protection measures.
With the exemplary celebrations for the 28th of October throughout Greece still fresh, I begin today’s review with the reborn Pentagon and its new bioclimatic facade which was unveiled the day after the national anniversary. The new environmentally friendly and high aesthetic appearance of the Ministry of National Defence is not simply a beautification intervention, but symbolizes the strengthening and modernization of the Armed Forces, as well as the deep reform we are attempting in Greek Defence in armaments, infrastructure and human resources, so that it responds to the complex requirements of the new era. Athens now has a new national landmark: the Ark of National Memory, dedicated to our 121,692 known soldiers who fell for freedom, peace and national dignity. Values that demand daily protection and which we often take for granted. Congratulations again to all who worked to implement the new impressive facade of the Pentagon and first to the Minister. Thanks to Kostas Varotsos for his creative inspiration and to the Metlen group who stood as supporter and sponsor of this project.
Care for the personnel of the Armed Forces is also a top priority of the State, always based on the fiscal capabilities of the country. The new remuneration framework for approximately 76,000 personnel of the Armed Forces is retroactive from October 1st, 2025. The increases are calculated, on average, at 145 euros per month, depending on salary category. Financing comes, to a large extent, from the rationalization of the rank system of the Armed Forces, while the special duties and hazard allowance has also already been adjusted. Strong Armed Forces do not exist without people, assets and plan. We invest in all three of these pillars.
Deep emotion at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai, where on Friday I attended the enthronement ceremony of the new Archbishop of Sinai, Faran and Raitho and Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Mount Sinai, Mr. Symeon. The efforts of the Greek and Egyptian State have already paved the way so that the worship character of the Monastery and its rights are preserved for perpetuity. As well as the protection of the monks who serve it. The agreed directions and principles will be submitted to the Sinai Brotherhood, which will have the final word. The expectation of all is that the Monastery of Saint Catherine continues to constitute a beacon of Orthodoxy, maintaining intact its ascetic and monastic tradition. With Greece always at its side, supporter and ally.
I change topic and come to the reform in OPEKEPE which is progressing. The Cabinet approved the draft law for the integration of the Hellenic Agency for Payments of EU Aid into the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. This is a reform of strategic character, the most difficult reform I can remember, as it is a complex and bold process. A sick system must be changed while in motion and at the same time payments must not be endangered. From now on, AADE will have the management of the two European funds — the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The personnel of the Organization is absorbed by the Independent Authority and under its supervision they will be evaluated. It is a challenge we will win. I assure our farmers that we are making every effort to speed up the payment of compensations.
We are attempting an equally very large intervention on the front of addressing water scarcity. It is an ambitious investment plan worth 2.5 billion euros to strengthen water supply infrastructure across the country, upgrade networks, limit waste and reuse the water that today is lost. Central pillar of this intervention is the “Evritos” plan which provides for the partial diversion of the Krikelotis and Karpenisiotis rivers towards Evinos, thus ensuring long-term water supply security of Attica, where almost half the population of the country resides. Similar interventions will be made in other areas with large population concentration, such as Thessaloniki, as well as in our islands. As I said at the event for the 100 years of EYDAP, we must be ready for the worst, which is why we proceed with initiatives and investments that will ensure that we continue to have the best but also the cheapest water in Europe. The Government commits to the protection of water as a supreme public good and I repeat that, thanks to our policy, the water supply companies returned to strict state control from the portfolio of the Superfund, with 51% of EYDAP and EYATH belonging to the Greek State. And this is not going to change.
We have updates from the waiting list management system in Emergency Departments. In hospitals where the so–called “bracelet” is applied, the average service time of patients in EDs was reduced by 65% from February to October. Waiting time was limited to 3 hours and 30 minutes, as shown by electronic records. We are not celebrating and obviously we are not stopping the effort to further improve the services of the National Health System for essential patient care with as little hassle as possible. We know that there are still cases of large delays. I remind that among other things the renovation and modernization of 63 EDs which constitute the first line of immediate care in all public hospitals of the country is in progress with Recovery Fund resources.
I want to dwell on the issue of road safety which concerns me greatly and for which we apply for the past year a multifaceted strategy of reducing fatal traffic accidents. In this year’s 28th October exit there were 8 deaths of our fellow citizens, fewer compared to 2024. And 11 fewer deaths compared to 2019. Evaluating the data of the first 9 months of the current year, it appears that 2025 will be the first year after many years that our homeland will record a significant reduction in the unjustified “blood tax” we pay every year on Greek roads. We will have the opportunity to make a full accounting in due time, suffice however to tell you that from January to September 2019, 536 of our fellow human beings had lost their lives in traffic accidents, while this year for the corresponding period they are 115 fewer. This means that 115 homes and families were not blackened to mourn their people. Our thought is next to the 421 families who lost their loved ones. And the truth is that we remain still at unjustifiably high levels compared to the rest of Europe. But we prove that we can achieve the shift towards a more responsible road culture with the new Highway Code and the stricter penalties already in force, the improvement of our road axes, the 24 hour operation of the metro every Saturday, the more effective and denser police traffic control in urban and regional networks, the use of cameras and digital fines. That is why I consider unacceptable certain minority voices who found the opportunity to denounce, in the context of their oppositional frenzy, even the corporate social responsibility message which was sent to all Greeks by the mobile telephony companies aiming for them to return safely from the 28th October celebrations. Obviously the protection of human life is not the highest value for those who rushed to complain even about this. We want citizens to be safe everywhere and that is what we will continue to do.
With the publication of the relevant ministerial decision which regulates the procedural matters of the maximum duration of study of first cycle undergraduates, the process begins for deletion from university registries of approximately 285,000 students who complete, after the end of the September 2025 resit exam period, the maximum duration of study of their School and do not meet the beneficial conditions of granting extension for two or three semesters according to the provisions of law 5224/2025. Among those to be deleted are students who enrolled in the decade of the 1960s (!) or even earlier, decade of the 1930s (!), without until now completing their studies. The new framework puts order in a chronic outstanding issue while obviously giving the possibility to those who really care to complete their studies to do so under specific conditions, submitting an application. Already 30,000 students have expressed interest. This is a substantive reform which allows for the first time public universities to know with accuracy their active students and consequently organize better their academic work. A step towards fairer, more modern and functional HEIs.
We support the public university with institutional interventions, like the above, but also with funding beyond their annual budget, for infrastructure for the benefit of students. Thus, 2.05 million euros were approved by the Ministry of Education for the upgrade of infrastructure of the Democritus University of Thrace: 1.2 million euros for the Student Residence of Kavala and 850 thousand for the student restaurant in the Campus of Xanthi. Small interventions that make a big difference in the daily life of students and strengthen the public university in practice.
Among what happened this week, the “Save–Renovate for Youth” program also progressed. The platform opened for completion of the Electronic Building Identity, the next step for those who have already joined the program and want to proceed to renovation or energy upgrade of their home. This is an action of the Recovery Fund which substantially supports the new generation in improving the primary residence, while also contributing to environmental protection. So far 2,679 applications have been approved. Let me say here that in total, from the Programs “Save 2021”, “Save 2023” and “Save for Youth”, almost 100,000 households have benefited, with subsidies that exceed 1.3 billion euros and with increased support for the most vulnerable.
In regional news, our work for the National Strategy for Regional and Local Development continued in North Evia and Lesvos. I begin with North Evia, where the study for the Psachna–Prokopi (Strofilia) Bypass section is progressing, a project of 7.9 million euros, which will connect North Evia with the area of Chalkida, while it will also function as natural and functional continuation of the Chalkida–Psachna Bypass, significantly upgrading the safety and speed of connection of the northern part of the island with the central road network. At the same time, an additional 3 million euros were approved for maintenance of the road network, while an additional 13 million euros are directed to regeneration and road safety restoration works, sewage, as well as port infrastructure which are included in the OXE strategy of North Evia for the municipalities of Mantoudi–Limni–Agia Anna and Istiaia–Aidipsos.
In Lesvos, where the Plan for Lemnos and Agios Efstratios was also presented, construction of the Tsiknias dam is in progress, a project of almost 100 million euros for water supply of the city of Mytilene and the settlements of Kalloni and Agia Paraskevi, while the necessary funding was secured for the restoration of the Sigri–Kalloni road after the recent landslide. At the same time, we are advancing significant waste management projects, such as the biological treatment of the southern city of Mytilene. At the city hospital the building of the Psychiatric Clinic is being completed, and in the field of culture, restoration works at the Castle of Mytilene are being fully completed immediately. For the strengthening of sports infrastructure the swimming pool of Mytilene and the indoor Gym of Kalloni are progressing.
I continue regionally and, as I had committed when I was in Orestiada, the tender was published for the subsidized freight line Alexandroupolis–Mytilene–Chios–Piraeus for the period 1/11/2025 to 31/10/2028. This line will allow free transport of goods of Evros enterprises, thus strengthening local businesses and the local economy. Our work in the regions continues with tangible results for every citizen.
I remain in Evros, this time for the upgrade of the Kipi Evros Road Border Station, a project of national importance, as it concerns the most important road border station of the country, which connects Greece (and by extension the European Union) with Turkey. One and a half year after signing the contract, the project now moves to the implementation phase, with the installation of the contractor company on site. This project will transform the Kipi station into a modern, safe and functional crossing hub, essential in an area where crossings are constantly increasing, as only in 2024 there was an increase of over 18% in entries and 20% in exits compared to the previous year. It was therefore more than necessary and concerns not only Evros, but ultimately the entire country.
As you have ascertained, we are entering November with projects in progress, reforms advancing and plenty of appetite for work. See you next week!
The original article: belongs to ProtoThema English .
