Greek mayors meet with PM Mitsotakis over 2.4 billion euro funding gap

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios held an extensive meeting with mayors from Central, Western, and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. While local leaders acknowledged an increase in funding for infrastructure and projects since 2019, they highlighted a critical financial gap regarding operational expenses.

Mayors and representatives from the Association of Local Authorities (KEDE) and the Regional Union of Municipalities of Central Macedonia (PEDKM) estimated that the funding gap for operational costs amounts to approximately 2.4 billion euros. This pressure is driven by rising energy costs and the general increase in the cost of maintaining municipal services.

During the discussions, officials noted that while significant resources are being channeled into large-scale works and infrastructure through various tools, the rising operational burden is straining municipal budgets. The meeting also touched upon the new Local Government Code, which officials described as a positive step toward modernizing Greek local administration.