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Live: Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s news conference at the Thessaloniki International Fair

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Mitsotakis described rebuilding Greece’s primary sector as a central priority and a personal challenge, while acknowledging that the sector has fallen behind.
  • He said the government would support livestock farmers affected by foot-and-mouth disease and defended programs intended to keep young people in agriculture.
  • The prime minister also argued that a single-party government was the best option and warned against creating new sources of division.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis concluded his three-day visit to Thessaloniki with a news conference marking the opening of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair. In one of the main sections of the briefing, he called the rebuilding of Greece’s primary sector a “central priority” and a “personal challenge.”

The rebuilding of the primary sector is a central priority and a personal challenge.

· Kyriakos MitsotakisHe described agriculture as one of the government's major priorities.

Mitsotakis acknowledged that agriculture has fallen behind, including the failure to overhaul the regulation governing ELGA, Greece’s agricultural insurance organization. He said the government’s announced tax relief would target genuine producers and defended programs for young farmers, whose stated aim is to keep them working on the land.

The prime minister said Greece needs a more competitive primary sector, supported by investment in productivity and technology and the development of flagship Greek products. On the livestock sector’s difficulties because of foot-and-mouth disease, he said he understood farmers forced to slaughter their herds, but that there was no other solution. He added that the government would provide the resources needed to support the sector.

I understand the livestock farmer who is forced to slaughter his herd, but unfortunately there is no other solution for foot-and-mouth disease.

· Kyriakos MitsotakisHe addressed the livestock sector's response to the disease.

Greece remains in negotiations over the new Common Agricultural Policy, Mitsotakis said, emphasizing the experience of Agriculture and Food Minister Margaritis Schoinas. He also highlighted the government’s handling of OPEKEPE, saying that resolving the organization’s problems had to come before other agricultural interventions.

Nothing could be done before we resolved the OPEKEPE issue.

· Kyriakos MitsotakisHe said resolving OPEKEPE's problems was a prerequisite for further agricultural measures.

On political strategy, Mitsotakis repeated that a government led by the first party was the expected outcome and that a single-party government was the best solution for the country. Asked about criticism of the government’s “woke agenda” and same-sex marriage legislation, he said Greece already had enough reasons to be divided and should not invent more. He also said new schoolbooks would be released next year and would be evaluated independently.

We have enough reasons to be divided, so let us not try to invent more causes of division.

· Kyriakos MitsotakisHe responded to a question about the “woke agenda” and schoolbooks.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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