Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due to announce on Tuesday August 4 at midday the “ operational improvements ” of his government, a little over a year after taking office, announced his spokesman Stelios Petsas, while the country faces a resurgence in covid-19 cases.
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What should be a limited government reshuffle has been expected since June, when the head of the conservative government, elected on July 7, 2019, spoke of “ rectifications ” in his government during a visit to Israel. " We are talking about improving the performance of government as we move towards major challenges, " MP Kostas Karagounis, of the majority New Democracy party, told the ERT channel.
He mentioned the coronavirus pandemic and the resumption of tourism, whose income is vital for the Greek economy, representing nearly a quarter of GDP. Greece, so far relatively spared from the pandemic, is currently experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus cases, with a daily rate of infections close to that of April, officials accusing the crowd in clubs and various gatherings.
Improving the management of European aid
Since July 1, more than 340 new infections have been counted among the 1.3 million travelers entering Greece, according to the civil protection agency. In total, more than 4,700 cases and 210 deaths from the coronavirus have been recorded in Greece.
The government reshuffle also aims, according to media reports, to improve the management of the European aid Greece will get from the post-covid stimulus package totaling 750 billion euros adopted by European leaders last month.
Athens is to receive 32 billion euros from this plan, according to the Bank of Greece. But an economic recession of 5.8% is predicted by the Bank of Greece, mainly due to the impact of the pandemic on tourism. The prime minister must also find replacements for the two vice-ministers who recently resigned, one to return to his post in Brussels. Just over a year after coming to power, Mitsotakis' party enjoys a 14% popularity rating in opinion polls.
