ATHENS, Greece, Sept 8, (AP): Greece’s prime minister said Saturday he would not allow excessive spending to derail the country’s recovery from the lengthy financial crisis that required an unprecedented infusion of funds from its creditors, in a key speech at the country’s most prestigious trade event. "I have not come with a bag full of gifts,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis told his audience at the Thessaloniki International Fair.

Heads of government traditionally outline the following year’s economic policies at the fair every September, while touting their achievements. The European Union’s new post-pandemic fiscal rules seek to keep spending growth under wraps, with violators facing fines, and Mitsotakis promised to stick by those rules, Mitsotakis did announce pension and minimum wage hikes, as well as measures designed to boost exports, improve productivity, help with housing shortages, encourage the young to stick with farming and address the country’s low birthrate.

Several of those measures, such as a second round of low-rate mortgages for young families, worth 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) will be partly funded by the European Union. Addressing tourism growth - criticized by some as excessive - Mitsotakis said that short-term rentals should not be "demonized” but promised not to allow any new ones in central Athens for at least the next year.

He also announced higher disembarkation fees for cruise ship passengers, especially, he said, on the tourist magnet islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Regarding Santorini, government officials have let it be known that the current fee of 35 cents ($0.38) per passenger could rise to between 10 and 15 euros ($11 - $16.60). Mitsotakis denied that his government - in power since 2019 - was suffering from reform fatigue and what he called the "second term curse.”