Western Thrace MP Huseyin Zeybek criticizes Greece’s 2025 budget

Huseyin Zeybek, a Turkish MP from Greece’s New Left Party, criticized the country’s 2025 budget in a parliamentary speech, targeting the government’s economic and social policies.

Zeybek highlighted Greece‘s poor performance in poverty, education, and health care metrics across Europe, citing concerns for the Western Thrace region.

Greece’s economic and social rankings under scrutiny

During the budget debates, Zeybek referenced OECD and Eurostat data to underline Greece’s lagging status in key sectors:

• Poverty: Greece has the highest poverty rate in Europe, with two-thirds of citizens struggling to meet basic needs.
• Income: The average annual income per capita in Greece stands at €17,000 (17,853.4), less than half the EU average of €37,000.
• Education spending: Greece allocates just 2.92% of its GDP to education, compared to the European average of 4.7%.

Focus on education infrastructure in Western Thrace

Zeybek drew attention to the inadequate infrastructure of schools in Western Thrace, particularly the Iskece Minority Secondary and High School. He stressed the need for a modern and safe school building and reminded Parliament of his oral motion scheduled for discussion on Dec. 16.

“The physical shortcomings of schools in Greece are a major issue, and we must prioritize improving educational infrastructure, especially in regions like Western Thrace,” he said.

Calls for increased investments in key sectors

Zeybek urged the government to boost public spending in education and healthcare, maintain social aid programs, and expedite regional development projects. He emphasized the need for long-term investment strategies to address systemic issues.