Greek PM rolls out major aid package ahead of elections

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a €2.2 billion aid and tax break package for 2027 on Saturday, as the country prepares for legislative polls next spring. The conservative leader, aiming for a third term, emphasized his desire to restore the benefits of growth to society. Key measures in the package include eliminating income tax for farmers earning under €20,000 annually, reducing workers' social security contributions starting April 2027, raising the minimum wage, providing pensioners with an annual €400 allowance, and cutting wholesale electricity prices by 30% between 2027 and 2029.

These steps follow the government's recent efforts to boost purchasing power, such as a 9.5% average reduction in over 1,700 grocery and school supply prices and ongoing petrol and diesel price cuts. The Greek economy has suffered greatly from the decade-long debt crisis that began in 2008, with more than 36% of private-sector workers earning less than €1,000 per month in 2025, according to national statistics authority Elstat.