Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has told a Greek diaspora audience that exploratory drilling for natural gas — Greece's first in nearly four decades — is likely to begin in spring 2027, part of a broader pitch on economic recovery and energy security ahead of national elections.
Mr. Mitsotakis said a consortium including ExxonMobil and a Greek energy company plans to conduct the country's first such drilling since 1970, calling energy security and independence critical components of geopolitical strength that Greece intends to fully leverage for its citizens' benefit.
He credited Greece's post-crisis fiscal discipline for allowing the country to now borrow at interest rates below 4%, contrasting it with 2019, when he said many Greeks were still leaving the country for better prospects abroad.
He said that trend is now reversing as wages rise.
Mr. Mitsotakis pointed to a €2 billion support package announced in Thessaloniki for vulnerable households, saying it would be balanced against continued fiscal discipline to preserve international market confidence.
He also highlighted Greece's largest-ever defense spending program, reiterating that Greece "does not threaten anyone" but "will not accept threats from anyone," in a renewed message toward Turkey.
Urging diaspora members with voting rights to cast postal ballots in upcoming elections, Mr. Mitsotakis said Greece is now positioned to lead on European issues it once had little influence over.
Addressing speculation about a third term, he said the pursuit "isn't about breaking a record" but about continuing to improve everyday life for Greeks and strengthening the country's geopolitical and economic standing abroad.