Greek Fiscal Council pre-election cost assessments

The Greek Fiscal Council (ΕΔΣ) has activated a new mechanism, enabled by Law 5217/2025, to provide voluntary fiscal costing for political parties' election programs. This initiative aims to shift political debate toward the actual fiscal impact and funding sources of proposed measures.

Under the established process, parties may submit up to ten specific proposals for assessment. This submission window is scheduled to run from November 1, 2026, until 120 days before an election. Priority is given to measures with a significant annual fiscal impact exceeding €50 million, such as proposals involving income tax, social benefits, or public sector wages. To be eligible, all proposals must remain compatible with the Constitution, EU law, and international obligations.

While the program is voluntary, it is expected to exert political pressure on parties to justify their platforms with data. The Council faces potential challenges regarding perceived impartiality and the technical complexity of assessing secondary economic consequences or broader macroeconomic impacts.