PM Mitsotakis highlights economic incentives and energy benefits for rural communities

December 28, 2024

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the government is exploring whether economic incentives can encourage young people to return to the countryside, during an interview with the local newspaper “Ta Choriatika,” (The Village Chronicles) published on Saturday.

As recently reported by Kathimerini, 28-year-old Fotini Gallou, the publisher of “Ta Choriatika,” left Thessaloniki to return to her hometown of Proti Serron, where she launched this publishing initiative.

Mitsotakis described the financial incentives introduced by the government in October for those willing to relocate to northern Evros as a pilot program for the entire Greek countryside, emphasizing the need to further strengthen the primary sector and small-scale tourism.

“I see it as a pilot program to find out if young people need extra financial support to live in a village in the Greek countryside or if the real problem is more complicated,” Mitsotakis said.

Regarding the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), the Prime Minister stated that the government plans to provide free or significantly discounted energy to residents in areas hosting RES infrastructure.

“If, for example, a municipality has wind turbines — which are often the subject of much debate, in my opinion unjustifiably — then the first to benefit from very cheap, or even free energy, should be the residents of that municipality. In other words, if energy is produced near a certain area, citizens should understand that they themselves will be the primary beneficiaries,” he said.

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