On November 30, 2024, the Thessaloniki Metro will be delivered to the people of Thessaloniki, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced during his speech at the event on "National Strategy for Regional Development/PPresentation of the Digital Platform erga.gov.gr.".

"After many inaugurations, which were not really inaugurations, after tarpaulins, presentations, and controversies, I am pleased to announce that the Thessaloniki Metro will be delivered—not inaugurated, but delivered—to the citizens on November 30, 2024," the Prime Minister said, to applause.

He also stressed that the goal is to deliver the Flyover Road in spring 2027, before the parliamentary elections.

It is worth noting that the event also saw the presentation of the "Transparency" of projects on the erga.gov.gr platform, where 6,000 projects worth more than 1 million euros across the country are presented with 12+1 regional development plans for each region of the country.

In particular, government officials said, the regional development plan for Central Macedonia includes more than 850 projects with a budget of 13.5 billion euros. In total, 610 of the projects in Central Macedonia are in progress, of which 294 are being implemented, 130 are in the tender process, and 186 are included or contracted. 

As it was pointed out, 45 road projects, 17 redevelopment projects, 16 flood protection projects, 25 cultural projects, 37 health projects, and 8 railway projects are just some of the clusters of projects that are not mock-ups but actual construction sites. 

Moreover, they pointed out that the government's will to support regional development is proven in practice by the 40% to 50% increase in the budgets of the regional programs of the NSRF 2021-2027 and especially Central Macedonia, which has the highest budget among all regions for the current period of 1.2 billion euros.

They also noted that the government has secured the largest post-war public investment package, a double "Marshall Plan,"  with national and EU funds amounting to €102 billion, aimed at reducing regional disparities and double convergence of national GDP and regional incomes with the European level. 

As of the end of September, government officials stressed, a major campaign of consultations by enlarged governmental teams in each region of the country, with the presence of the Prime Minister, will begin to complete and update each regional development plan. The aim is to conclude a social development agreement for dynamic and coherent development in each region.

Mitsotakis made special reference to health issues and noted that "Thessaloniki will have the most modern cancer hospital and the most modern paediatric hospital within the next four years.".

The interventions that are being made by the Recovery Fund in all our health infrastructure—in emergency departments and in health centers—we have never had such a plan to upgrade the infrastructure of the NHS as the one that is being implemented by this government," he stressed.

Mitsotakis spoke about the importance of regional convergence achieved through the national strategy for regional development and stressed that the Digital Platform erga.gov.gr, through which anyone can follow the progress of projects and consultation, ensures accountability, prioritization, and efficiency.