Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Greece's progress does not depend only on the ambition, the plans and the actions of the government but also on the magnitude of the reaction and on society's support or indifference.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the new conservative prime minister, took office in Greece at what is perhaps the best moment since 2004. Unlike Italy, whose politics are dominated by the controversial Matteo Salvini, other eurozone countries and the UK striving with Brexit, Greece has a stable government and political system.

The first bill submitted to Parliament by Greece's newly elected center-right government seeks to streamline the administration, ensure cooperation and coordination between ministries, and restore public trust in state institutions.

A pledge by the government to crack down on smoking in public places - finally enforcing a law that was introduced a decade ago - will initially focus on Greece's Parliament building, followed by ministries, hospitals, schools and other places where social services are provided, officials decided on Wednesday.

The creation of an investment-friendly environment that will boost entrepreneurship is the only path that can lead the country to growth, which will in turn create jobs, Fairfax Group head Prem Watsa told Kathimerini last week during a visit to Greece, where he met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has vowed to take all the necessary steps to lift the obstacles to the stalled multi-million-euro development of the former Athens airport plot at Elliniko on the Greek capital's southern coast.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed tourism as one of the most important sectors in which Greece enjoys significant comparative advantages over rival destinations and called for a 10-year plan that would boost competitiveness, innovation and sustainability.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis heads to Paris and Berlin next month as part of his bid to restore Greece's credibility, which, Athens hopes, will pave the way to the ultimate goal of securing a reduction in the primary budget surplus it has to achieve in 2021. 

As part of a dual bid to trim unnecessary spending in the public sector and to curb unchecked hirings at ministries, the government is planning to reduce ministry staff. 

The change in the political atmosphere that one witnessed in the first days of the new government was confirmed in the three-day parliamentary debate on the government's programme leading to the vote of confidence.