Mitsotakis pledges Greek minimum wage will exceed 950 euros before next election

Minimum wage commitment in Kozani

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Friday, 28 August 2026, that the national minimum wage will exceed 950 euros per month prior to the next parliamentary elections. Addressing citizens gathered on the central pedestrian walkway of Kozani during a tour of Western Macedonia, Mitsotakis revised the target his administration had established during the 2023 campaign. He reminded voters that the original pledge was for the statutory floor to reach 950 euros over the four-year term. The prime minister stated with certainty that wage growth will surpass that threshold before voters head to the polls. He emphasized that the government has demonstrated consistency with its prior commitments and built a proven record of policy implementation.

In 2023 I undertook specific commitments. I told you then that the minimum wage would reach 950 euros. Now I tell you with certainty that before the elections it will have exceeded 950 euros.

Primary surpluses and economic redistribution

Mitsotakis framed the upward wage adjustment as the result of disciplined macroeconomic management rather than unbudgeted spending. He stated that state interventions, including planned tax reductions, pension increases, and wage adjustments, depend strictly on solid economic foundations. According to Mitsotakis, Greece is currently one of the few European nations generating primary fiscal surpluses, which creates the budgetary space required to fund social support. He maintained that wealth must first be generated through economic expansion before it can be shared across society. The prime minister affirmed that the central goal of his administration remains distributing economic prosperity to every corner of Greece, reaching major urban centres as well as the most remote villages.

Greece is today one of the few countries in Europe that can produce primary surpluses and have the fiscal space to support society. To be able to give to citizens, we must first have created the wealth to distribute it.

Electoral stakes and the 2030 economic roadmap

Setting the political dilemma for the upcoming national vote, Mitsotakis contrasted New Democracy with the parliamentary opposition. He argued that New Democracy represents stability and progress, while rival parties share only the single objective of unseating the current government without presenting an alternative governing program. Mitsotakis criticized opponents for assuming the nation can be managed through magical thinking rather than structured planning. He told attendees that his government approaches voters with modesty and self-criticism, acknowledging past mistakes while maintaining steady governance during difficult geopolitical periods.

The remarks in Kozani serve as an advance outline of the government's economic agenda ahead of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair. Mitsotakis confirmed he will deliver the keynote address at the fair's opening on Saturday, 5 September 2026. During that presentation, the government will formally introduce its economic plan for 2027 and unveil strategic policy planning running through 2030. Mitsotakis expressed confidence that voters will assess the government's record and trust the party with a second consecutive four-year mandate to carry out that long-term plan.