Ministry of Finance

The course of the housing market across the country showed signs of slowing down in the second quarter of the year.

Last year’s poor showing with the fight over the towel is being attempted this year by the Ministry of Economy and Finance to embellish the chaos on the beaches and bring some order to the mess.

Notably, Savvas Chionidis, a former MP for Pieria, will join the Ministry of the Interior, and former MP Tasos Gaitanis will join the Ministry of Development.

The first investments by the Cyprus Equity Fund, set up by the Cypriot government in cooperation with the European Investment Fund (a subsidiary of the European Investment Bank) and with a total budget of 37.5 million euros, are expected to begin this fall, so as to cover the financial gap in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Budget Committee has approved both bills submitted by the Council of Ministers for the introduction of the euro and the Law on Credit Institutions. To address the unstable political situation and the risk of early elections, the committee decided to grant a mandate to the Ministry of Finance.

The Bulgarian Parliament has recently adopted a decision to accelerate the process of adopting the euro. Under this new directive, the Ministry of Finance is tasked with requesting Bulgaria's Eurozone membership to commence on July 1, 2025, provided the country meets the inflation criteria by the end of this year.

With an increased majority, the ruling party ND (New Democracy) and PASOK-KINAL voted for the Ministry of Finance and National Economy’s bill “Ratification of the 18.7.2024 Merger and Investment Agreement between the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund and the limited liability company THRIVEST HOLDING LTD” for the merger of Attica Bank with Pancreta Bank in the plenary session.

Bulgarian MPs have called for the accelerated adoption of the euro, but the finance minister explained that this was not feasible. The Committee on Budget and Finance voted on a decision urging the caretaker government to expedite the practical preparations for the euro's adoption in Bulgaria. This draft decision was submitted by Boyko Borissov and several representatives from GERB.

SYRIZA-PS president Stefanos Kasselakis continues his recent criticism in light of developments at Attica Bank.

The Ministry of Finance shows, as a rule, a certain self-restraint. It knows it is walking a tightrope. Such was the case in April, long before the European Parliament elections, when Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis rushed (as if he was afraid of something) to prevent future pressures on fiscal stability.