Minister of Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis characterised the national escape clause, which was approved on Tuesday by EU finance ministers, as “ a strategic victory for Greece and a moment of institutional maturity for Europe.”

“ Greece, in addition to its sovereignty, defends the external borders of the European Union and needs the tools to do so effectively,” he said, adding that Greece was one of the member states that took the initiative to exempt part of its defence spending from the financial rules.

"We were one of the first to make the request, and now we have an additional 500 million euros available to strengthen defence in 2026 and to support Greek citizens, as this opens up budgetary space. National sovereignty is not built with slogans but with initiatives and decisions. And today, we proved that Greece can claim and achieve," Pierrakakis said from Brussels, where he participated in the Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings.

The digital euro issue was also at the core of the debate. Pierrakakis expressed Greece's support for the project, stressing that in an unstable geopolitical environment, Europe must strengthen its monetary sovereignty. Regarding digital payments, he stressed that there is no room for delay, adding that an agreement is needed by the end of the year. He also highlighted the opportunities created by the digital euro, citing as a positive example the fight against tax evasion in Greece through the strengthening of digital payments.
 

(Photo/ EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS: Italian Economy and Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Nadia Calvino, and Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis attend an EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting in Brussels.)