THOUSANDS took to the streets of Greece on Saturday to protest the soaring cost of living in the country.

More than 25,000 people took part in the protests organised by trade unions and multiple protest groups in the northern city of Thessaloniki. 

More than 3,000 police officers were on duty, closing streets and subway stations near the venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was delivering an annual speech on the state of the nation’s economy.

Mr Mitsotakis’s right-wing government came to power in 2023 promising sweeping tax breaks and pay hikes. 

Greece delivered a budget surplus and economic growth of 2.1 per cent last year, while continuing to reduce its high public debt, but its workers had the lowest purchasing power in the European Union.

Mr Mitsotakis said: “Our country has overcome stagnation and is now ready to taste the fruits of its efforts. 

“As the country stabilises, there will be relief from heavy taxes, higher incomes and bold reforms.”

But Yiannis Panagopoulos, head of Greece’s largest trade union, the GSEE, said: “Wages are low and prices are soaring, so affordability is the most serious problem.” 

The Greek government has introduced support measures, worth more than €2 billion (around £1.7bn) over the next year, including tax breaks for self-employed professionals, farmers and residents of villages, as well as salary and benefit increases for pensioners and public-sector workers.

Mr Mitsotakis has served as prime minister since 2019, as Greece emerged from a major financial crisis.

He’s seeking a third term in an election expected next April. But polls suggest that support for his right-wing New Democracy party wouldn’t give it a governing majority in parliament.

Saturday’s event was overshadowed by a fighter jet crash several hours earlier at an air show near Athens that killed two air force pilots.