ATHENS — Government spokesperson Stelios Petsas on Monday cited statements by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding the government's first year in power, noting that "one year later Greece has a completely different, upgraded image in the world. Greece's name is no longer synonymous with crisis but cited as an example of successful management of a huge challenge, as is the pandemic. Today the citizens trust the state more. Greece's image abroad is not one of privation and third world concerns but of a country facing the future with confidence and looking the world in the eyes".

Continuing his reference to the prime minister's statements, he underlined that "despite the fact that we faced very difficult challenges – economic, geopolitical, in health – we achieved a great deal. Rarely has so much have been done in such a short space of time."

Petsas noted that from the first moment the government proceeded with the implementation of the reform plan it had promised, in some case moving even more quickly than it had promised.

Referring to the economy, Petsas said that "our aim is to support jobs and keep the productive fabric in place".

On tourism, he said that the measures focused mainly on the support of businesses and those working in the tourism sector: "We are claiming a bigger portion of a clearly smaller pie, with the protection of public health as our guideline."

Petsas repeated that the government measures are "dynamic and not static", changing according to developments and in response to what was happening in the real economy, adding that a package of measures amounting to 3.5 billion euros was about to unfold.

The spokesperson also referred to the coronavirus awareness campaign, announcing the release on Monday of a list with the mass media enterprises that had participated and the sums they each received. He highlighted the need to act swiftly once the pandemic had started: "From the first moment of the pandemic, the government moved fast in order to avert its spread and to support the health system. Τhe extraordinary and urgent conditions demanded an immediate mobilisation of all potential means of informing the public."

As early as April 10, clarifications had been given that "a full picture of the mass media that participated and the sums they received will be released," adding that this list was being published on Monday after the completion of the necessary cross-checks.