Mitsotakis in Frisco for talks with Big Tech

Visits to the headquarters of Nvidia and Tesla are scheduled, where he is likely to meet with the companies' respective leaders, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk—although these meetings are not included in the official agenda released by the Maximos Mansion.

Mr. Mitsotakis’s visit to the United States focuses on investment and positioning Greece as a safe, welcoming location for international companies to base their regional operations—offering a particularly favorable tax regime for their executives, according to his associates. Furthermore, amidst the ongoing international dialogue regarding the limits and risks of Artificial Intelligence—led by pioneers in the field based in San Francisco—Mr. Mitsotakis will speak at an AI-focused event organized by Endeavor Greece. This is a topic the Prime Minister has been raising with increasing frequency in recent domestic political discourse, highlighting both the potential offered by this technology and the risks posed by its deceptive use during the pre-election period.

Energy price interventions entering the final stretch – Announcements expected this week

Meanwhile, while the Prime Minister is in New York, the relevant ministries in Athens are finalizing the technical details of interventions aimed at curbing energy costs and supporting households. Announcements are expected this week regarding the final price at which consumers will purchase heating oil, the increase in the heating allowance, and the extension of the subsidy for diesel fuel. "Should the European Union permit emergency national interventions that do not count against spending limits, we could also consider a temporary reduction in fuel taxes," Mr. Mitsotakis noted in a post yesterday, conveying the message that if the surge in fossil fuel prices continues, the scope for intervention via the national budget is limited, making a European-level initiative necessary. The budget’s €200 million reserve is being exhausted following the announcement of measures by the Ministries of Finance and Energy. Any additional measure would run up against European spending caps; therefore, for the government to spend further, it must first secure the green light from the Commission. "We are not yet close to such a decision," note relevant sources—a sentiment also reflected during the Eurogroup meeting.