Speaking in Mytilene on Monday evening (13 July 2026), Alexis Tsipras opened his address by stressing the urgency of revitalising domestic production. “If this country does not support production—if it does not start producing—it will never achieve a sustainable economy, nor one capable of standing on its own two feet,” he said.
Reforming Subsidies and Tackling Corruption
Referencing the livestock sector, Tsipras underscored the need for structural reform: “Unless we break the abscess—unless we double subsidies for those who truly deserve them, meaning those who currently receive them fraudulently using false data will lose them—we will never build a healthy, productive economic base.”
Three Heavy Burdens
Tsipras identified three major burdens weighing on Greek society after seven years of New Democracy (ND) governance:
First, the burden of high living costs—a reality familiar to all Greeks. He described it as an ‘invisible memorandum’, echoing the austerity era from 2010 to 2015, when wages and pensions were cut across the board—costing Greece roughly 25% of its GDP. Today, he noted, there are no formal across-the-board cuts—but many citizens face an equivalent, perhaps even heavier, erosion of purchasing power. “It’s as if we’re enduring invisible salary and pension reductions,” he said.
Second, the burden of corruption—widespread and deeper than ever before in modern Greek history.
Third, the burden of an unprecedented crisis of trust in public institutions.
A Reality Check for Families
Tsipras illustrated the strain on households with a striking example: “A four-person family wanting to visit their home region for holidays—unable to afford paid vacations—must spend nearly an entire monthly salary just on ferry tickets and car transport. That is today’s reality.”
Reclaiming the Recovery Fund
He criticised how €28 billion from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility has been allocated: “When the largest-ever opportunity to rebuild Greece’s productive base and strengthen social infrastructure ends up funnelled into just 15 or 20 companies—that is not incapacity. It is a political choice. And we are here to declare loudly: We have the political choice to do it differently.”
Patriotism Beyond Rhetoric
Tsipras concluded with a call for substantive patriotism: “Real patriotism isn’t about shouting slogans or waving flags—it’s about supporting the regions, border communities, and local economies like that of Lesvos and the North Aegean islands facing Turkey. Do we still remember who bankrupted this country? Do we remember what happened here since 2009?”