Western Macedonia receives €5.4 bn investment plan creating 11,000 jobs

Western Macedonia €5.4 bn investment job creation DEI Fair Transition Programme

The Greek government announced a €5.4 billion development program for the Western Macedonia region, funded by the Fair Transition Programme and the Public Power Corporation (DEI). Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis said the plan will generate more than 11,000 new jobs – about 7,500‑8,000 from DEI projects, an additional 3,200 from private investments and roughly 5,700 permanent positions overall.

Sixteen actions have already been completed, including the E65 highway upgrade, a new horizontal Fair‑Transition clause, school and health‑facility upgrades and employment programmes run by DYPA. Seven further projects are slated for completion by the end of 2026, such as a DEI co‑generation unit for district heating, the Grevena‑Basilitsa road, and new natural‑gas networks in four towns.

A €50 million subsidy scheme will support up to 10,000 households installing heat‑pump systems, solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels with storage, offering up to 60 % financial aid. Unemployment in the region fell from 23.8 % in 2019 to 11.9 % in the first quarter of 2026. DEI General Director Alexander Soumelidis highlighted that the new projects will create over 1,800 construction jobs and 700 permanent positions, while a planned 1 GW data‑center will add about 7,500 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.

Entities: Alexander Soumelidis · Fair Transition Programme · Kostis Chatzidakis · Public Power Corporation (DEI) · Western Macedonia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] €5.4 billion is allocated to Western Macedonia from the Fair Transition Programme and DEI. (Greek government announcement)
[○ 1 SOURCE] DEI General Director Alexander Soumelidis said the new projects will create over 1,800 construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs, while a 1 GW data centre will add about 7,500 construction jobs and 1,5 (Interview with Alexander Soumelidis)
[● 2 SOURCES] A €50 million subsidy scheme will support up to 10,000 households installing heat‑pump systems, solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels with storage, offering up to 60 % financial aid. (Program documentation)
[● 5 SOURCES] The plan will create over 11,000 new jobs, including 7,500‑8,000 DEI jobs and 3,200 private-sector jobs. (Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis)
[● 5 SOURCES] Seven projects are scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, including a DEI co‑generation unit, the Grevena‑Basilitsa road and new natural‑gas networks in four cities. (Government program details)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Unemployment in Western Macedonia fell from 23.8 % in 2019 to 11.9 % in the first quarter of 2026. (Regional labour statistics)
[● 4 SOURCES] Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis said the region has never had such a large investment programme before. (Deputy Prime Minister statement)
[● 5 SOURCES] Sixteen actions have already been implemented, including the E65 highway, a horizontal Fair‑Transition clause, school and health‑facility upgrades and DYPA employment programmes. (Government press release)