The image of a Greece that actively participates in the new technological era by pioneering developments and utilizing digital policy for the formation of a more efficient, more transparent and more humane state was highlighted by the Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou, with his interventions at the 16o Conference of the New Democracy. “The New Republic is discussing AI, the future, because it is the oldest, modern, modern, great party. And that makes a big difference”, he said at the beginning.
In the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and in the context of the thematic section on Artificial Intelligence, Mr. Papastergiou stressed that Greece has a strategy for AI already from 2022 which has been updated. He referred to mAigov, the first AI application in the public sector that has been operational since December 2023, has exceeded 4.4 million dialogues and is available in 25 languages.
The focus was on AI applications that are already passing into the public sector, such as the legal control in the Land Registry, the digital assistant in MyHealthApp, the new road safety cameras. Greece is not limited to the role of an observer, as it is an active participant in European developments. It was selected as one of the first seven countries for AI Factories, is building the national supercomputer “DAIDALO” in Lavrion, is advancing the procedures for a second national infrastructure in Kozani and is participating in the European debate on GigaFactories.
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Reference was also made to the new data.gov.gr, the open data platform of the public sector, which was recently presented in its new form in order to host more than 9,000 datasets from 450 public sector bodies and to be accessible to all citizens. Open data was presented as wealth, transparency and accountability, while partnerships with organisations such as OpenAI and Mistral AI are part of the overall effort to strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty through international and European synergies.
The Minister stressed that Greece is gradually becoming a hub of data and technological developments. Its geographical location, telecommunications infrastructure, safe European environment, renewable energy sources and human capital are all elements that bring Greece closer to the core of AI developments. The country’s progress and its international “digital” standing is reflected in the data recently released by Eurostat, while it is noteworthy that the Greek public sector leads the private sector in innovation.
“With this Government, with this party, with this Prime Minister and with all of you, it is certain that AI does not need to rule. Natural intelligence says that New Democracy will be the government again and Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be Prime Minister”, he concluded.
In his speech on “Modern State for All in Greece 2030”, Mr. Papastergiou linked the digital transition to the government’s broader plan for a state that respects time and the dignity of the citizen. In the context of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ vision for a Greece that is more efficient, fairer and closer to the citizen, he highlighted the progress that has been made since 2019 in the relationship between citizens and the public administration.
The central message of the speech was that the modern state is about everyone: The young person starting out in life, the working parent, the elderly, the citizen with a disability, the inhabitant of an island or a mountain village. Digitisation, he stressed, acquires real value when it reduces distances, reduces barriers and makes public services more accessible to those who need them most.
The scale of the change is reflected in the data presented. gov.gr now has 2,250 digital services, while in April alone 1,202,670 affidavits and 758,377 authorisations were issued. In the same month, 8,765,274 paperless prescriptions and 4,749,250 paperless referrals were made, while 1,595,000 medical appointments were made through MyHealthApp. Some 240,000 queries were answered by mAigov, while 9,803 requests for Criminal Records were submitted in one day alone, on May 12, with 4,973 copies issued automatically.
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In addition to the daily service, Mr. Papastergiou referred to microsatellites and their contribution to Civil Protection, agriculture and the environment, underlining that Greece is acquiring its own data and operational insight in almost real time. He also made special reference to the protection of children online, noting that the country has developed a national strategy, tools and an international presence in an area that concerns every family.
“This is the Greece we are building from 2019. This is the Greece we want to reach in 2030. With Kyriakos Mitsotakis as Prime Minister, with a plan, with continuity, with confidence, with faith in the country’s strengths. And most importantly: with the conviction that any major reform is truly worthwhile when it makes people’s lives better. All people. New Democracy, the great liberal party, guarantees it! And it proves it every day!”, concluded Dimitris Papastergiou.
