Kyriakos Mitsotakis targets Alexis Tsipras and outlines third-term goals at 90th Thessaloniki Fair

Opposition critique in Thessaloniki

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair on Saturday evening, September 5, 2026. Speaking at the Vellidion conference center, he focused his political critique on opposition party proposals, characterizing them as irresponsible and uncosted commitments. Mitsotakis directed specific criticism at former prime minister Alexis Tsipras and the economic program he presented in Thessaloniki. To emphasize his point, Mitsotakis cited the 2018 presentation of the under-construction Sintrivani metro station, where officials had installed printed depictions of train cars on tarpaulins. He compared both past programs and that metro display to empty promises, arguing that the public has already assessed those governing records.

Musical reference and political rhetoric

During his address, the prime minister used lyrics from Greek popular music to describe opposition commitments. He cited a line from the duet Didyma Feggaria, composed by Marios Tokas with lyrics by Kostas Fasoulas and performed by Dimitris Mitropanos and Aleka Kanellidou. Mitsotakis stated that the lyrics fit demagogues, using the phrase to reject the credibility of rival political platforms. He insisted that his administration does not treat opposition parties as its primary opponent, focusing instead on solving structural difficulties.

I am only concerned with its irresponsible and uncosted promises. Its protagonists bring to mind the lyric that fits demagogues like a glove, especially someone whom Greece learned well through his programs and his Metro, which both turned out to be tarpaulins: you say it well, but I know you.

Economic distribution and social priorities

Mitsotakis connected his political critique to the government's economic agenda, arguing that macroeconomic gains must reach households directly. He stated that national economic growth delivers value only when it translates into individual and family prosperity across the country. The prime minister framed this policy direction as a dividend of progress and social return, linking it to the broader package of economic and social interventions presented at the fair. His remarks placed explicit emphasis on young citizens, arguing that policy measures must encourage youth to see their future inside Greece.

Our opponent is no party other than the problems, and the next step is for the positive performance of the economy to reach every home and family as a dividend of progress and social return.

Third-term vision and voter warning

Looking ahead, Mitsotakis framed the political stakes around securing a third four-year term in office. He rejected stagnant governance, proposing what he described as a new national unity and a broad social alliance built on responsible patriotism, modernization, and social care. Addressing voters who might consider casting a protest ballot, the prime minister cautioned that protest votes risk leaving no governing leadership in place following election day. He concluded by characterizing the upcoming political contest as a single battle with no room for error for citizens, their children, and the nation.

Let them know that, with such an attitude, on Monday there might not be anyone there to receive it.