Today is a day of pride for the country, for the government, and for all citizens. Because a Greek Minister of Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, has been elected President of the Eurogroup by the member states of the eurozone. This is a great honor for him, and I warmly congratulate him. I wish him a long and fruitful term. I am confident that he will distinguish himself in his new role through his diligence and effectiveness.
This development, however, is also the most emphatic recognition of Greece’s positive course. It is the strongest reminder that the struggles and perseverance of an entire people have been vindicated. And, indeed, exactly a decade after the country found itself on the brink of collapse, with banks closed and on the verge of exiting the euro.
And yet, the nation once seen as the ‘black sheep’ of bankruptcy is now rising to the top of the economic council of the continent’s most developed countries. And all this thanks to the sacrifices of our fellow citizens.
Greece has demonstrated in practice that fiscal consistency is a prerequisite for improving its credibility. Furthermore, it has shown that, in combination with bold reforms, it can go hand in hand with dynamic growth. Growth that creates jobs and ultimately returns dividends to citizens.
This conclusion is useful for today’s Europe, but it is also proof that our country is moving forward with confidence.
The election of the Greek Minister of Finance to the leadership of the Eurogroup is an important milestone on this path of progress. It is an event that brings confidence to the country. It also gives the government new momentum to implement its program, with 2027 as the first milestone and 2030 as the horizon. Above all, however, it sends a strong message of optimism and national revival that the best is yet to come.
