The hall at the Ioannis Vellidis Conference Center in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, was packed on Saturday, September 5. Security lined the corridors as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was about to begin his speech.

For the eighth time as prime minister, Mitsotakis opened the Thessaloniki International Fair, a major trade fair, which now in its 90th edition has become the country’s most important political event of the year.

In a speech seemingly aimed at the 2027 spring general elections, Mitsotakis spoke optimistically and confidently about the Greek economy, claiming that his government had achieved stabilisation and progress after a long period of fiscal crisis, though also noting “the failures that remain to be corrected”. The next step, he said, is for these positive achievements to reach every home.

In this context, Mitsotakis presented his government’s economic programme, which he called an “agreement of progress and prosperity”.