Greek government imposes two‑month price freeze on basic consumer goods

The Greek cabinet, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, approved a temporary price freeze on all basic consumer items for July and August. The decision was taken in a meeting at the Maximos Hall that included the Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis, the head of the Independent Authority for Consumer Protection Despina Tsaggari, and representatives of industry bodies and supermarket chains.

The freeze follows an earlier profit‑margin ceiling introduced in March, which lowered prices for roughly 2,000 product codes by about 6 %. The new measure aims to prevent further price increases during the summer months while the authorities prepare a broader national agreement on price reductions slated for September. The Independent Authority will monitor compliance, and violations can attract fines ranging from €5,000 to €5 million.

The government emphasized that the price freeze is a short‑term step toward stabilising living costs, not a permanent policy, and that a competitive market environment remains a priority.