Greece’s industrial turnover went back to growth in October, rising by 0.9 percent year-on-year (YoY), from a 6.9 percent decrease in September, according to data released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Friday.
Greece’s current account remained in deficit in October, widening to 383.2 million, from 316.5 million euros in September, Bank of Greece (BoG) data showed on Friday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be buoyed by the fact that two new opinion polls show support for his New Democracy party edging up since last month, although both soundings confirm that the public’s overall mood is relatively sour, particularly because of cost-of-living issues.
The latest polling figures probing the long-term trends since last summer’s European elections show a shift towards smaller parties and a shake-up of the left and centre-left space of Greek politics. The overall picture, however, is dominated by pessimism and apathy among voters, who view the economy as a major cause for concern.
The measures announced in the budget appear to have hit the mark with New Democracy lawmakers, who met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday in a pre-holiday gathering. The PM later told ERT TV that he would not be announcing his candidate for President until early in the new year.
Last week’s five-day debate on the 2025 budget concluded on Sunday without any complications for the government, and the economic plan is certainly in line with the Greek authorities’ narrative that stabilising the economy is one of the current administration’s strongest achievements.
In the wake of Sunday’s budget vote in Parliament, New Democracy has ruled out the possibility of boosting its ranks by adding three independent MPs who were previously with far-right Spartiates to its parliamentary group.
The budget primary balance recorded a surplus of 12.01 billion euros up to November, according to the preliminary budget execution data released by the Finance Ministry (MoF) on Monday.
Athens is assessing how it should react to developments in Syria after insurgents led by HTS toppled Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, triggering changes in the broader geopolitical landscape.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used Sunday’s budget vote as an opportunity to respond to recent criticism from the opposition by announcing a set of voter-friendly measures, including interventions to pare back unpopular bank charges.
