Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday expressed his horror at the attack on former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a message on the social media platform X.
"Appalled by the attack on former President Trump. Political violence is unacceptable in our democratic societies. Wishing him a full and swift recovery. We also extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the bystanders who lost their lives or were injured in the attack," the Greek premier's message said.
According to Reuters, Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a Saturday campaign rally, streaking the Republican presidential candidate's blood across his face and prompting his security agents to swarm him, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!" The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement.
PM's weekly review: Five-day and 40-hour working week not abolished
The weekly review released each Sunday by the prime minister began with him expressing his horror at the attack on former US President Donald Trump. He repeated that political violence is unacceptable in democratic societies and wished the Republic presidential candidate, as well as injured bystanders, a speedy recovery, while extending his condolences to the family of the indivudual in the crowd who was killed.
Mitsotakis then pointed out that the focus of the news of the week that ended was the NATO Summit, referred to domestic issues concerning security and the fight against crime, and clarified that "the five-day and 40-hour working week have not been abolished in Greece,", nor has there been any change in the working hours of employees in shops, supermarkets, offices, banks or services. Instead, he noted, special maternity leave and the birth allowance have been extended to new categories of working mothers employed in public utility companies, banks and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), without income criteria.
He also noted that the platform for the submission of applications for nurseries has opened and that the beneficiaries of the Thessaly and Evros Passes have been posted. The prime minister next moved on to "the very important initiative of the Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation to cover the accommodation costs of eligible students in hotels, in areas where there are still no beds available in University dormitories - for the next two academic years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026".
Turning to sports, Mitsotakis highlighted the introduction of the 'Digital Register of Sports Fan Club Members', an electronic database where fan association members, departments of professional athletes, the societe anonyme sports companies and their legal branches are registered. He said that this will for the first time in Greece create a complete mapping of the members of each fan club, leading to better supervision and control of all their activities. He added that "the new ticket control and fan identification system is extended to basketball as well. From September 16, all the matches of the Basketball League, the Greek Cup and international competitions will be held exclusively in sports facilities that provide this option".
The prime minister then welcomed a new reform in justice, calling it "a milestone for the further improvement and strengthening of the rule of law in our country." He noted that this enables the judiciary - for the first time - to have a say in the selection of the leaders of the Supreme Courts and was one of the standing recommendations of the EU to Greece, which had not been implemented before now.
The next item in the weekly review dealt with the new platform created by the Greek Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Ministry of Development (https://bfi.oe-e.gr), which allows professionals and businesses to have quick and easy access to information on all sources of financing from the state, but also to settle their debts favourably. Mitsotakis pointed out that the gov.gr digital services have already increased by approximately 300 within a year and now exceed 1800.
The Prime Minister concluded his post by inviting people to remember "how special July is this year for our country, as it marks 50 years since the restoration of the Republic and the beginning of the post-junta era. This important political cycle began with the national trauma of the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus. However, it developed into a period of political stabilisation, during which we avoided the wars, civil wars and regime changes that had marked the first 150 years in the life of the modern Greek state. The experience of the transition from dictatorship to democracy, not only in Greece, but also in Spain and Portugal, is presented in a very interesting exhibition that was recently opened at the National Gallery-Museum of Alexandros Soutsos, which I recommend you visit. A different reflection, a different look at the political history of southern Europe".
PM Mitsotakis: 'Democracy remembers and honours' Thanos Exarlian
Mitsotakis on Sunday marked the 32nd anniversary of the murder of Thanos Exarlian in a terrorist strike in 1992, in a message on the social media platform X:
"If he had lived, he would now be roughly as old as the post-junta era. But Thanos Exarlian was killed by terrorism at just 20 years old. Democracy remembers and honours him. It fights and wins. It moves forward and is vigilant!"
