mence after six long and painful years of
recession.
●We will improve our primary surplus in line with
our programme, again trying to overshoot our
targets once more.
●We will bring our high unemployment down,
from 27% currently.
●We will control our debt and start lowering it to
more sustainable levels.
●We will hold the rotating EU presidency in the
first half of the year, pushing for more Europe
and more integration, as well as more security
and a better combination of fiscal adjustment
with long-term growth policies.
We are thus currently standing at the end of a
very trying period, and at the beginning of a more
hopeful era.
We stopped our country from going down a slip-
pery path to chaos.
And we are just starting to ascent on a promising
trajectory, towards sustainable growth with fiscal
responsibility, competitiveness, and extroversion.
A year ago, very few expected Greece to achieve
such a “comeback”.
Yet we made it through, thanks to the persever-
ance and the maturity of the Greek people, the
solidarity of our European partners and the solid
foundations of our democracy.
This is a real “comeback” for Greece.
It is also tangible proof that Europe is working; that
Europe can face its great challenges and solve its
problems.
Greece’s “comeback” is a success story for the
European Union as well.
Trade with Greece
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