Greece's Recovery Fund Criticized Over Drought Plans and Spending Claims

PASOK and its recovery‑fund coordinator Pavlos Geroulanos argue that the €36 billion EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) was a missed chance to tackle Greece’s water scarcity. Their comparative study of the original “Greece 2.0” plan and the government’s revised version says two‑thirds of the measures have been diluted or dropped, including the key water‑investment program (measure 16285) that was later renamed “National Water Strategy”. Geroulanos said, “The 36 billion euros of the Recovery Fund was a golden opportunity… It was not done.”

The Ministry of Finance counters that the criticism ignores the fund’s actual impact. It reports that €24.6 billion (68% of the total budget) have already been disbursed, equating to 10.9% of Greece’s 2023 GDP and placing the country first among EU members for fund absorption. The ministry lists milestones such as €1.6 billion approved for SMEs, digital transformation, energy saving, infrastructure upgrades, health‑care renovations, electric‑bus projects, and drought‑relief housing programmes. It maintains that the funds are being used effectively and that the accusations overlook these achievements.