NewsEdit In a Cabinet meeting that signaled a shift toward a more interventionist approach to governance, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the creation of a new Independent National Authority for Market Oversight and Consumer Protection. Inspired by Sweden’s model, the authority will centralize various regulatory mechanisms currently spread across different ministries, aiming to clamp down on profiteering and ensure fair pricing for consumers.
Mitsotakis presented the move as a structural reform with a strong social dimension, declaring: “The state cannot remain a passive observer. We will not tolerate distortions in the market that harm households and especially low- and middle-income citizens.”
The new authority will be granted operational and financial independence and will have the power to conduct on-the-spot inspections, impose fines, and monitor supply chains. It will also absorb the functions of existing bodies like the Interagency Market Control Unit (DIMEA), and enhance them with additional tools and manpower.
Complementing the reform, a new digital application will be launched, allowing citizens to submit complaints and report violations in real time. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of involving society in monitoring market practices, noting that “citizens are becoming the eyes and ears of the state.”
Further consumer-focused measures include mandatory clear labeling of country of origin for all supermarket products and the formal establishment of “producer-only” markets, designed to connect farmers directly with consumers and reduce prices by cutting out middlemen.
Turning to migration, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s commitment to a stricter policy line. He confirmed that those whose asylum claims are rejected will face penalties if they remain illegally in the country. The move comes in the context of broader European discussions about common border controls and return mechanisms, which the Prime Minister described as “a priority for the entire European Union.”
In his closing remarks, Mitsotakis invoked Greece’s historic trajectory toward Europe, asserting that “the Greece of 2030 must be safer, more transparent, and more just.” He linked these latest reforms to the country’s long-term vision for institutional modernization, stronger state infrastructure, and a more responsive democracy.