At the end of August 2022, Greece officially exited the European Commission's enhanced surveillance.

It's the end of 12 years of structural reforms, severe austerity cures and three bailouts worth 289 billion euros.

As for the 26 other members of the EU, the new decade that is beginning is placed under the auspices of the European structural funds.

In addition to the post-Covid recovery fund of more than 30 billion paid urgently, 23 billion euros will be released for 2021-2027 under the cohesion policy.

It must be said that Greece really needs the solidarity of its European neighbours.

Because even if its debt still exceeds 200% of GDP, the measures that saved Greece and the euro zone have left the country bloodless socially.

Pensions have halved in 10 years, unemployment remains high and even after being increased by 50 euros, the legal minimum wage does not exceed 750 euros.

In addition, the pandemic has delayed economic recovery.

The tourism sector has been hard hit, as has health, already weakened, since 20,000 doctors have left Greece in recent years.

We will meet Niovi Ringou, representative of the European Commission in Athens;

Yannis Tsakiris, Greek Minister for Development and Investments (New Democracy, right);

Niki Dandolou, Secretary of State in charge of European funds;

Geórgios Katrougalos, MP (Syriza, left) and Thanos Myloneros, WHO expert.

In Greece, our reporter Luke Brown investigates how telemedicine and smart cities are bringing isolated communities closer together.

Outside of Greece, he is also traveling across the Adriatic, to rural Calabria in Italy, to learn about a European program to better focus care for the increasingly important elderly of the population in the region.

Finally, Sophie Samaille explains to us the grammar of the structural funds so as not to lose her Latin or her Greek in the accounting lines of the Brussels fundraisers.

>> To see the 2nd part of the show, click here

A program presented by Caroline de Camaret, produced and directed by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne.

Co-financed by the European Union.

The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or DG Regional and Urban Policy.

Neither the European Union nor DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for this. 

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