Greece's Ministry of National Economy and Finance signals further housing measures and backs Hellenic Post restructuring

Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance published remarks by Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis at the 6th OT Forum, where he argued that meaningful dialogue with local communities should be integral to reforms and criticised the Hellenic Post (ELTA) restructuring for proceeding without prior consultation. He nonetheless supported restructuring, pointing to cost pressures in a competitive parcels market and the sharp decline in letter volumes driven by digital transformation. The Minister credited ELTA’s outgoing management with improving its market position from fifth to second in the courier market, and described a Europe-wide shift toward strengthening the postman’s role as a provider of integrated door-to-door services, with “shop-in-shop” models presented as an established international practice. He also framed the Recovery Fund’s impact as lasting beyond its formal end because funding is tied directly to reforms, and said the government’s challenge is to catalyse private investment. Separately, he described the National Development Programme as the largest public investment programme in Greece’s history, called for EU structural funds (ESPA) to move closer to the Recovery Fund model, and highlighted the need for more private investment including cross-border mergers and acquisitions. On housing, Pierrakakis said further interventions are planned on an ongoing basis and will include not only fiscal measures but also regulatory measures, including policy linked to charitable foundations. On inflation pressures concentrated in food and rents, he pointed to the Thessaloniki International Fair measures as supporting disposable income while ruling out a benefit or bonus-based approach, emphasising support through legal interventions alongside a major tax reform currently before Parliament.