The 6th Open Discussion on the 2025 State Budget was successfully held in February 2025 at the Bank of Greece. The event, organized by the Research Group “Budget Transparency” and the Institute for Fiscal and Economic Studies (IFES), focused on the presentation of the 2025 Citizens’ Budget, an innovative tool that simplifies the understanding of the State Budget for citizens.

The Citizens’ Budget: A Tool for Transparency and Participation

The 2025 Citizens’ Budget is a non-technical presentation of the State Budget, designed to make the government’s choices regarding public revenues and expenditures more accessible and understandable. As emphasized by international organizations such as the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the existence of such a document is crucial for transparency and citizen participation in the fiscal process.

The Citizens’ Budget provides insights into:

• Key economic indicators, macroeconomic forecasts, and potential challenges.
• Public revenues and expenditures, offering comparisons with previous years and analyzing fiscal policy interventions.
• Innovations in public finance management, such as performance-based budgeting and the integration of environmental objectives (green budgeting).

Key Speakers and Participating Institutions

The event brought together distinguished academics, economists, legal experts, and representatives from both the public and private sectors.

Main Speakers:

• Katerina Savvaidou, Associate Professor at the Law School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Scientific Coordinator of the Research Group “Budget Transparency.”
• Tasos Avrantinis, President of the Institute for Fiscal and Economic Studies (IFES).
• Sotiria Ntouni, President of the Court of Audit.
• Pavlina Karasiotou, Secretary General for Fiscal Policy, Ministry of National Economy and Finance.
• Stelios Petsas, Member of Parliament, member of the Standing Committee on Financial Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament.
• Pavlos Geroulanos, MP for Athens A, member of the Standing Committee on Financial Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament, Parliamentary Representative of PASOK-KINAL.
• Giorgos Houliarakis, Economic Advisor to the Administration of the Bank of Greece, former Deputy Minister of Finance.
• Anastasia Miaouli, President of the Hellenic Fiscal Council, Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business.
• Ioannis Tsoukalas, Head of the State Budget Office in Parliament, Professor of Economic Science at the University of Glasgow.
• Evangelia Elisavet Kouloumpini, Vice President of the Court of Audit, Doctor of Law (LL.D.), University of Athens.
• Konstantinos Kostopoulos, Vice President of the Court of Audit.
• Konstantinos Krepis, Advisor to the Court of Audit.
• Ioulia Papatheodorou, Advisor to the Court of Audit.
• Anna Papapanagiotou, Advisor to the Court of Audit.

Academic and Institutional Participants:

• Aspasia Malliou, Lawyer (LL.M.), Economist, Tax Partner at POTAMITISVEKRIS, Editor of the “Tax Law Bulletin.”
• Panagiotis Liargovas, President and Scientific Director of the Centre for Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) and the National Productivity Board, Professor at the University of the Peloponnese.
• Konstantinos Kollias, President of the Economic Chamber of Greece.
• Yiannis Stathis, Deputy Vice President of the Hellenic CFOs Association (SEODI).
• Sotiris Vazimas, Lawyer, LL.M. in Public Law, University of Athens, Associate at “Avrantinis & Partners.”

Key Themes and Takeaways

During the discussion, participants analyzed the projections of the 2025 State Budget, focusing on the impact of the new fiscal strategy and the reforms introduced under the European Economic Governance Framework. Special emphasis was placed on:

• Macroeconomic forecasts, which predict that the Greek economy will grow by 2.5% in 2025, with unemployment expected to drop below 10%.
• Fiscal policy interventions, including measures to support social cohesion, address housing issues, and promote investment.
• Public debt management, with a focus on maintaining primary surpluses and gradually reducing debt levels.

The Team Behind the Citizens’ Budget 2025

The presentation of the 2025 Citizens’ Budget was conducted by the Research Group “Budget Transparency,”which is responsible for its annual preparation and publication.

Scientific Coordinator:

• Katerina Savvaidou, Associate Professor at the Law School of AUTH, Jean Monnet Chairholder in “European Tax Policy and Administration.”

Research Group Members:

• Christina Athanasiadou
• Maria Vallianou
• Polina Ventsiou
• Chrysa Dalla
• Eirini Kapnisaki
• Angeliki Mavrommati
• Sotiris Raidos

Strong Participation and Positive Response

The event attracted over 120 attendees, including academics, public administration officials, students, and representatives from business and research institutions. The overwhelmingly positive response highlighted the need for more initiatives that promote transparency and public engagement in fiscal policy.

Sponsors and Support

• The event was made possible through the generous support of:
  KPMG
  BRIGHT
  New York College
  Avrantinis & Partners Law Firm

Media Sponsor: Liberal, contributing to the widespread dissemination of the event’s key messages.

Next Steps & Access the 2025 Citizens’ Budget

Scan the QR code to access the full 2025 Citizens’ Budget. Available only in Greek.