General strike in Greece: frustration despite economic growth grows!

General strike in Greece: frustration despite economic growth grows!

On Wednesday, April 8, 2025, the unions Gsee and Adedy call up a general strike in Greece. This strike interrupts the operation of public transport, ferry and weekly markets, which for many citizens brings great restrictions. The protest classes that take place in Athens and in other cities are directed against the growing housing shortage and demand higher wages and salaries. In the demonstrations, the civil servant union calls for the reintroduction of the 13th and 14th monthly salary for the public service - benefits that have been abolished during the financial crisis on the pressure of international donors.

Although Greece has had economic success in the past two years and the economy grew faster than the euro zone average, the dissatisfaction is high in the population. According to a survey, 54.5 percent of those surveyed do not feel an economic upswing. Prime Minister Kyriako's Mitsotakis sees no scope for restoring the 13th and 14th monthly salary in order not to endanger the state finances. Despite the 2024 budget surplus, this happens that the average income should increase to 1500 euros gross by summer 2027. However, in the current situation, the purchasing power of the average budget in Greece has only dropped to 70 percent of the EU average.

economic framework and EU support

The concern for growing dissatisfaction could endanger the political stability of Greece. During the economic crisis, the country received rescue loans of almost 290 billion euros and has reduced unemployment from 17.5 percent to less than 10 percent in the past four years. Greece also benefits from the European development plan, which prioritizes the combating of the climate crisis, the modernization of public infrastructure and social projects. A central goal of the construction and resilience facility (ARF) is to create a greener, better networked and more resistant Europe.

for Greece, a total of 35.9 billion euros in the form of grants and loans from the ARF are planned. So far, more than a third of these funds have been paid out, with a significant part for climate-relevant projects and the modernization of the health infrastructure, such as the renovations in the Metaxa Hospital in Athens. The call rate of the ARF funds in Greece is almost 50 percent and there is an audit system to monitor the use of funds.

social resistance and outlook

The reluctant social cohesion is not only burdened by economic challenges, but also by the role of radical unions. Critics argue that these unions, through aggressive strike actions and demands, always bring the country into an economic imbalance. "Radical unions are broken by the country," says a comment that critically examines the current conflict situation in Greece. The political landscape has shifted, as the election surveys show, in which the Nea Dimocratic government party fell from 41 percent in the summer of 2023 to only 23 percent.

While some citizens recognize positive effects of economic growth, dissatisfaction remains high, especially among those who feel excluded from the reform sequences. The persistent pressure of the unions could challenge the Mitsotaki government while trying to master the balancing act between progress and social expectations. The changes and challenges that are imminent Greece are complex and require a differentiated approach to take into account the various interests and needs of the population.

For more information on the events and the economic situation in Greece, see Rems Zeitung , Euronews and Spiegel .