Greek opposition leaders target housing crisis and government policy

Opposition leaders Alexis Tsipras of SYRIZA and Nikos Androulakis of PASOK have issued sharp criticisms of the Greek government’s handling of the housing crisis during the ‘Dialogues for Athens’ conference.

Alexis Tsipras highlighted that housing costs can consume up to 40% of citizens' income, noting that Attica has seen a 70% increase in property prices over the last seven years. He criticized the government for failing to utilize Recovery Fund resources for affordable housing, contrasting Greece with Spain’s use of funds to create new homes. Tsipras also expressed reservations regarding US strategic dialogue and the Greece-Cyprus interconnection project.

Nikos Androulakis attacked Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s proposal to increase building heights to boost housing supply, labeling it a ‘brilliant idea that gives business to contractors’ rather than a solution for citizens. He argued that the government’s ‘executive state’ model has failed by centralizing power and weakening local authorities. Androulakis further criticized the demographic challenges facing the country and called for regional development to alleviate pressure on urban centers.