Mitsotakis sets reform agenda in first cabinet meeting after reshuffle, warns against complacency
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday outlined the guidelines for his conservative administration during the first cabinet meeting after the previous day’s reshuffle, sending a strong message against complacency and arrogance.
“I chose to hold our first [cabinet] meeting after the European elections with our new composition to signal a dynamic restart,” he said.
Referring to the outcome of those elections, where New Democracy finished first with 28.3%, however falling short of the 33% target, Mitsotakis said, “June 9 is a milestone in our journey and a starting point for the next three years.”
“Despite the difficulties of the campaign, the next day finds New Democracy first and stronger than the combined strength of its two closest opponents,” he said, referring to SYRIZA and PASOK, which also underperformed.
“Our share did not meet the target we had set. Many citizens who supported us in 2023 chose to abstain, but they did not choose the opposition; on the contrary, the positions of SYRIZA and PASOK were rejected,” he said, also downplaying the performance of far-right parties.
Mitsotakis emphasized that the ballot sent a clear message for better focus and greater efficiency. “Citizens sent us a message in their own way, asking for more work and fewer mistakes,” he said.
He stressed that the 40.56% won by the conservatives in the June 2023 legislative elections still determines the parliamentary correlations – “and these do not change.”
Mitsotakis warned his ministers against displays of complacency and arrogance, stressing that the goal is to continue with reforms. “The citizens sent us a message: ‘We trust you, step on the gas, not the brake,'” he said.
