Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis speaks during a New Economy Forum titled “Strategies for the Future: Digitalization of the Economy and AI” at the IMF/World Bank 2025 Annual Meetings in Washington DC, US, Thursday. [Ken Cedeno/Reuters]
Greece has pushed the “Reset” button, achieving strong growth, a high primary surplus, and meeting its memorandum obligations earlier than expected, Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said at an Economist event on Friday, but even better is the fact that young professionals who left during the crisis are now returning.
Reliability in public finances created space for reforms, investments, and resilience whenever the next shock comes, the finance minister said, while maintaining fiscal prudence is the foundation of sovereignty in a highly volatile world.
The Greek economy chief also spoke of geopolitical factors and Greece’s defense expenditures, Europe’s need to protect its interests, and adapting to highly unstable conditions.
In order to walk a fine line, the minister noted, three things are necessary: reliable fiscal finances, institutions that work, and resilient partnership relations. Europe’s power lies in persistence, cooperation instead of homogeneity, and participation instead of retreat, he said.
“Our ambition must be clear-cut: to restore confidence in democratic institutions, in an open society which is fair, and in technology that is led by human judgment,” Pierrakakis underlined.