Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived in Thessaloniki on Thursday to open a five-station extension to the city subway system, launching a multi-week government tour across northern Greece. Mitsotakis, accompanied by a large delegation of cabinet ministers and government officials, attended the formal handover ceremony for the line toward the suburban municipality of Kalamaria at Mikra station at 9:30 am.
The expansion adds five new stations to the underground transit network in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city and primary economic hub in the north. Government officials framed the event as a major symbolic milestone designed to highlight the completion of iconic infrastructure projects that directly improve daily civic life.
Following the subway ceremony, Mitsotakis launched a series of consultative meetings with local commercial, scientific, and municipal leaders. The discussions are intended to evaluate the developmental needs of northern Greece and establish a structured policy roadmap extending to 2030. Such meetings are a traditional feature of the Greek political calendar in the days leading up to the annual Thessaloniki International Fair, a major commercial trade exhibition where prime ministers traditionally set out economic priorities.
At 12:00 pm, the prime minister was scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall detailing the National Strategy for Regional and Local Development.
Tour of Western Macedonia
The broader government campaign, dubbed Operation North by officials, aims to emphasize the strategic significance of the wider Macedonia region. From Thessaloniki, Mitsotakis will embark on an extended tour across Western Macedonia, an administrative region in northern Greece, to engage directly with local communities and reinforce messaging focused on economic stability and regional growth.
Following an overnight stay in the northern city of Florina, the prime minister will spend Friday morning focusing on local business initiatives. Western Macedonia faces distinct economic challenges as part of its ongoing post-lignite transition away from coal-fired power generation, which historically anchored the local economy. In Florina, Mitsotakis will visit major commercial production facilities, including food manufacturer Tottis Foods, the municipal beverage enterprise Xino Nero, and agricultural firm Greka.
Government aides noted that the company visits are structured to demonstrate the developmental impact of private investment and the creation of new, sustainable employment opportunities in communities undergoing economic restructuring.
The itinerary continues in Ptolemaida, where Mitsotakis will tour the facilities of agricultural producer Wonderplant and a combined heat and power unit operated by Public Power Corporation, Greece's main electric utility, at Kardia. The stops are designed to feature green energy infrastructure projects across the region.
Addressing regional decarbonisation concerns
The final leg of the Western Macedonia tour will take the prime minister to Kozani, the regional capital. Mitsotakis will inspect Kozani General Hospital before holding direct discussions with local residents in the afternoon.
Aides to Mitsotakis emphasized that the initiative serves a clear political purpose alongside its administrative oversight. The government is working to alleviate local anxieties surrounding decarbonisation and counter arguments from opposition parties alleging the economic decline and depopulation of Greek provinces.
By highlighting completed infrastructure projects and incoming private investments, Mitsotakis aims to reaffirm political dominance and demonstrate that regional economic convergence remains at the top of his legislative agenda.
After concluding his regional visits, Mitsotakis will return to Thessaloniki. On Saturday, September 5, he is scheduled to deliver a major policy address at the Vellideio Convention Centre, outlining the government plan for the coming months as well as governance plans extending to 2030 should his administration win re-election.
