Mitsotakis honored with the Gold Medal of the Ludwig Erhard Foundation for his economic reforms

Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his "great respect" for him and spoke of it as proof of "what a people can achieve thanks to political leadership."

In his celebratory speech, the President of the Ludwig Erhard Foundation and former Prime Minister of Hesse Roland Koch spoke of the "great achievement of a statesman and politician" and thanked Mitsotakis for his work "in Greece, for Europe and his example: for Germany. Referring to the country's achievements in recent years, Koch described the prime minister as a "leader of development" and focused in particular on the "admirable level of digital governance" that has been achieved in Greece, while inviting Minister of Digital Transition Karsten Wildberger to visit the country. "It's worth it," he said.

Receiving the award, Mitsotakis spoke of "a reflection not only of the recognition of the progress that Greece has made, but also of the change in the way in which our two countries understand each other", as Greece was often treated in Berlin as the "problem child" of Europe. "I don't think many at the time would have bet that 10 years later Greece would be recognized as a model for its ability to combine fiscal discipline with pro-growth policies," Mitsotakis noted and stressed that confidence is returning, as shown by the investment grade of the Greek economy.

Among Greece's achievements, Mitsotakis said, were the reduction of debt, the limitation of strikes, the digitalization of the state, the creation of a friendly environment for reforms, the reduction of taxes, the tackling of tax evasion with digital tools, the enhancement of productivity. "None of these reforms were easy, but we pursued them with determination. The big difference was that we made them our national priority (...) I came out as a candidate with a bold reform programme that won the support of the Greek people. These reforms, however, were designed by us and implemented by us. We knew that we had to implement them quickly to make up for the lost decade of the crisis."We won three elections, one in 2019 and two consecutive elections in 2023, proving to a skeptical public that bold changes can deliver more jobs, can deliver higher wages, can deliver more efficient public services and a better future," the prime minister said.

"At the end of the day, the point is to find real solutions. Not to be stuck in our ideological trenches and to offer real solutions to the problems of citizens," he noted.

Regarding the Greek-German relationship, Mitsotakis spoke about misunderstandings and mistrust that have left their mark on both societies in the past. "But this nice little gold medal is perhaps the best symbol that these days are behind us. We are here not to stay stuck in the past, but to celebrate what we have achieved, how we have come closer to each other, and we are here mainly to talk about the future. And this future is important in the sense that the crucial decisions we have to make will be European," he stressed, describing current bilateral relations as "mutual respect and cooperation" in many areas.

At the European level, the Greek premier highlighted the imperative of strengthening competitiveness amid economic and geopolitical turmoil, migratory pressures, volatility in energy prices, a climate emergency, and noted that it is the right time to really promote in the EU the reforms "about which we have discussed a lot in the European Council, but have not acted with the necessary sense of urgency." He also highlighted the role that Greece could play, e.g. in designing an energy market, as it now produces over 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources and many German companies have successfully invested in this sector in the country.

"Greece is ready to do its duty, but we expect Germany to lead," the prime minister said, stressing how important it is for Germany to be governed by "a stable government, a new leadership with clear views on the role that Europe can play in addressing all these important challenges."