Mitsotakis: We are looking for financial incentives for young people to return to the villages

The government is exploring ways to encourage young people to return to villages, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized in an unconventional interview given on Christmas Eve to Fotini Gallou, a young journalist who decided to move back from Thessaloniki to her hometown, Proti Serres. There, she began publishing the newspaper Ta Choriatika (The Village Times).

The newspaper aims to highlight both the needs of rural Greece and the advantages of returning to village life. The Prime Minister himself invited Fotini to the Maximos Mansion after learning about her initiative.

Their conversation revolved around topics of particular concern to the Prime Minister: supporting rural residents, enhancing entrepreneurship and the primary sector based on each region’s unique strengths, providing incentives for young people and families to settle outside major cities (as seen recently with a package of measures for Evros), and using technology to address disparities between rural and urban areas, especially in areas like education.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ Interview

Fotini Gallou: Thank you very much for the honor and the invitation. This is very significant not only for *Ta Choriatika* and for me personally but also for all the villages and the young people I aspire to represent. For us, these villages are our home, and the fact that you’re choosing to shed light on this issue is genuinely important.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: First of all, congratulations on this initiative. I came across it online and was struck by the idea of doing something so innovative and showcasing what it means to live in a rural Greek village today.

Fotini Gallou: A question that concerns me and the people I aim to represent—young people and villages—is one I frequently discuss with friends living abroad, in Athens, or Thessaloniki: whether they’ll ever return to their villages. Responses vary, but everyone agrees that incentives are lacking. Recently, Ms. Zaharakis announced some incentives for villages in Evros. Is decentralization and attracting young people back to the villages part of your plans?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Indeed, the incentives announced for northern Evros—additional financial support for those deciding to settle in the villages covered by the program—are seen as a pilot initiative. It’s a way to understand if extra financial support is what young people need to live in a village or if the problem is more complex.

I imagine the first issue young people you speak with raise is employment: “If I return to the village, what job can I do? Could I innovate in the primary sector—an area many young people are interested in—and build a solid career path? Are there opportunities to work remotely while enjoying the quality of life in rural Greece? Or could I live in the village and work in a nearby urban center with more professional opportunities?”

Each case is unique, but we’re keen to understand whether financial incentives could facilitate this transition. Local initiatives, like yours, are also crucial because there are limits to what the state can achieve top-down. For example, in Fourna, Evrytania, the local community organized housing and possibly other opportunities for families choosing to live in the village.

We also need to address issues specific to more isolated villages. While schools are generally well-covered—we deploy many teachers to ensure every corner of Greece is served—access to healthcare, like the nearest doctor or health center, remains a challenge. Village life undoubtedly has its charms and challenges, and if the charms outweigh the challenges, the choice becomes easier.

Fotini Gallou: As we approach 2025, all of Greek society faces common challenges, especially with the rising cost of living and rent. Given the growing prevalence of remote work—which you also seem to advocate—could villages be a future solution? Could decentralization help combat rising costs?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Not only could it be a solution, but to some extent, it already is. Life in a village is undoubtedly much cheaper than in a city, let alone the capital.

However, many areas in rural Greece are declining because young people are not replacing the older generations who are more connected to these places. If remote work allowed you to earn the same income as in Athens, for instance, you’d obviously save more in a village because of the lower cost of living. Housing is cheaper, especially if someone returns to a village where they have family property or a house.

If this economic balance becomes more favorable while offering a higher quality of life, I firmly believe there’s potential for a return to villages.

Smaller schools often offer better education quality because teachers can focus more on individual students. Technological gaps are closing—for example, digital interactive whiteboards are now in all schools from the fifth grade onward. This means a child in a remote village can have the same technological tools as one in Athens or Thessaloniki. Technology bridges isolation, which is why I believe more people will consider village life as a viable option in the future.

Fotini Gallou: Young people increasingly express the desire to start innovative businesses. Are there plans for incentives or tax breaks for small entrepreneurs in villages? As you understand, a small village business isn’t just an economic indicator but also the heart of village life.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: That’s a valid point. For this reason, in our tax reforms for freelancers, we increased the population threshold from 500 to 1,500 residents to recognize the unique challenges of running a business in smaller communities. We also prioritize supporting young farmers. I’ve instructed the Ministry of Agricultural Development to cover as many young farmers as possible because they sustain village life.

It’s important to realistically assess the economic activities tied to villages, with the primary sector playing a significant role.

Fotini Gallou: If I may take you to my region, specifically the Kasta Tomb in the Municipality of Amphipolis, a monument that makes not just us but all of Greece proud. We know work is ongoing, but as we approach ten years, there’s concern in the local community about progress. Can you share any updates about the Kasta Tomb?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I was briefed by the Ministry of Culture just before this interview. Significant resources are being invested in this monumental site. It takes considerable time to ensure such discoveries can be fully accessible. However, I estimate that by 2026, or at the latest 2027, the entire Kasta Tomb will be open to visitors. This will undoubtedly provide a vital development boost to the surrounding municipalities.

And let us not forget that, when discussing villages as a whole, besides the primary sector, there is also small-scale tourism. This type of tourism can be connected to cultural, religious, hiking, or wine tourism—activities that are predominantly carried out in rural areas. Thus, entrepreneurial activities tied to small-scale tourism are obviously central to us, and we want to support them, particularly in the mountainous regions of mainland Greece.

Fotini Gallou: I would also like to raise another concern, which applies to all villages—not just our region—and relates to your recent statement that Greece will become “the battery of Europe.” There is significant anxiety that villages will bear the brunt of this initiative. Should we be worried?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: No, I would say quite the opposite. The model we are aiming for is as follows: if, for instance, a municipality has wind turbines—which are a subject of much debate, unjustly so in my opinion—then the first beneficiaries, who will have access to very cheap or possibly even free energy, should be the residents of that municipality. Thus, if energy is produced near a certain area, the citizens must understand that they are the primary beneficiaries. Overall, renewable energy sources will lead to reduced energy costs, but the first beneficiaries should be the municipalities that host such installations.

Fotini Gallou: The concerns are more about the environmental and social impacts of all this.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Firstly, each such project is subject to an individual environmental approval process. For example, there may be a specific issue with birdlife in a particular area, and as a result, no wind turbines can be installed there. In every case, there is always respect for the environment. But we must understand that renewable energy sources represent wealth for the country as a whole.

Ultimately, we will all benefit from producing more energy from the sun and wind instead of importing and paying for expensive natural gas, as we currently do. And, as I said, the first beneficiaries must be the residents of the municipalities hosting these installations.

Fotini Gallou: Let’s talk about your personal experiences with villages, whether as Prime Minister or as a citizen with a special fondness for the mountains. What is your connection to villages, and which memories stand out for you?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I remember once, as a child—I must have been 11 years old in the sixth grade—my parents decided to send me for a week to Pavlos Bakoyannis’ village, Velota in Evrytania. That was my first encounter with life in a village. Back then, it took two hours on a dirt road to get there, and the village had no electricity. I remember a Greek village without electricity. It was an incredible experience, a completely different world for me, and it has left a very vivid impression on my childhood memories.

Since then, I always try, during my tours, not to visit only the major urban centers. In fact, my most cherished memories from my political journey are my visits to the small towns and villages of Greece’s regions. Generally, when people hear the Prime Minister is coming—whether they voted for him or not—a large part of the village will show up to meet him. This serves as a constant reminder that Greece is much more than Athens or the big cities.

Fotini Gallou: Could a Prime Minister ever live in a village someday?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Yes, of course! I have a very special connection to the villages of Zagori, which I’ve loved since my first visit as a camper with YMCA. I can easily imagine myself spending time in such a village and perhaps in one of the more remote ones. It’s challenging now, as we don’t have much free time, but later—why not?

Fotini Gallou: You mentioned that change must also come from the grassroots. My concern has always been how we can envision a thriving society on a broader scale if we cannot achieve prosperity in even a small village.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Societies should be able to thrive, whether on a large or small scale. Sometimes the problems faced by small villages may actually be easier to solve—provided someone takes the time to address them. These are often smaller-scale issues.

Our responsibility is to address the problems of all citizens in the country, giving special attention to the more isolated areas of our homeland. It would be easy to fall into the temptation of saying, “Well, there are only a few people there, so why bother?” from the perspective of political weight. “Why focus on a village with 50 residents when you could prioritize an urban municipality with 100,000?”

I’ve never taken that approach. I recall during the severe disasters caused by Hurricane Ianos, when the entire mountainous region of Argithea was cut off, we allocated a significant amount of funding to ensure that these people could have safe access as soon as possible.

I have a particular interest in small mountain municipalities. I often speak with their mayors because I feel that the more effort one must make to live in an isolated place, the greater the care they expect from the state. Otherwise, they simply won’t choose to live there, and we’ll lose a large part of our soul.

I believe that the Greek soul is, to a great extent, tied to life in the village.

Fotini Gallou: What would you like to learn from a young person who grew up in a village?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: What is it that would make you stay in the village? I would happily hear the responses from your readers.

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