The Evidence

The Numbers Behind the Politics

Greece does not lack money. It has a €77 billion annual budget and access to over €70 billion in EU funds. The question is not whether the money exists. It is who gets it, what it is spent on, and who decides.

€77bn Greek annual state budget Generating consistent surpluses.
€8.1bn Budget surplus in 2025 While cutting education and agriculture.
€70bn+ EU funds available to Greece 2021-2027 programming period.
500,000 Young Greeks left during the crisis The system produces emigrants. That is its function.

Where Greece Spends Today

The domestic budget is a statement of values. These are the current government's values. Total state expenditure: approximately €77 billion per year.

Greek State Budget 2026 (selected ministries)

Defence
€7.0bn
Health
€7.8bn
Education
€6.7bn (being cut)
Income Support
€3.2bn
Agriculture
€1.8bn (being cut)
Culture
Minimal

Source: Greece Draft Budgetary Plan 2026, Ministry of Economy and Finance

€7bn Defence budget 2026 (rising)
vs
€6.7bn Education budget 2026 (being cut 10%)

Greece spends more on defence than on educating its children.

-31% Greek teacher pay vs other graduates
vs
#1 Finland's education ranking in Europe

Finland pays teachers well and trusts them. Greece pays worst in the OECD.

€30bn Arms spending to 2036
vs
-25% Agriculture budget being cut

The government votes FOR Mercosur while cutting the farmers it claims to support.

9 countries Served by Evros LNG terminal
vs
€0 Community benefit returned to Evros

Strategic contribution without local benefit. AURIO will change that.

€8.1 billion surplus. Education cut. Agriculture cut. Culture barely funded. Defence rising. Arms spending €30 billion to 2036. Who does this budget serve?

Where the Money Already Exists

Greece has access to over €70 billion in EU funds for 2021-2027. These are not hypothetical. They are allocated, available, and in many cases already disbursed. The problem is not the money. It is who gets it.

EU Funds Available to Greece (2021-2027)

Recovery Fund (Greece 2.0)
€35.9bn
ESPA Structural Funds
€21.2bn
CAP Agriculture
€13.4bn
Border/Migration
€1.6bn
REPowerEU Energy
€768m
LEADER Rural
€500m+

Source: European Commission, ESPA 2021-2027, Greece 2.0 Recovery Plan

Pillar by Pillar: How AURIO Redirects

AURIO does not propose new spending. It proposes different priorities within existing budgets. Every policy below is funded by money Greece already has.

01

Food Sovereignty

Domestic Agriculture budget: €1.8bn (being cut 25%)
EU Funds CAP: €13.4bn. LEADER: €500m+
AURIO Redirect CAP investment toward small cooperative farms. Municipal food procurement mandates (30% local sourcing). Oppose Mercosur.
02

Community Energy

Domestic No dedicated community energy budget
EU Funds Green Transition: €13.7bn. REPowerEU: €768m
AURIO Guaranteed grid access for community cooperatives. Allocate a defined share of green transition funds to community owned projects.
03

Local Economy

Domestic SME and regional development spending concentrated in Athens/Thessaloniki
EU Funds SME Support: €5.2bn. ESPA regional. LEADER
AURIO Local procurement mandates for municipal contracts. Redirect SME support toward regions outside Athens. Cooperative development via ESPA and LEADER.
04

Direct Democracy

Domestic Municipal budgets already exist
EU Funds No dedicated EU funding needed
AURIO Legislate participatory budgeting at municipal level. Allocate 10% of discretionary municipal budgets to citizen decision making. Administrative cost is minimal.
05

Education as Liberation

Domestic Education budget: €6.7bn (being cut 10%)
EU Funds Digital Transformation: €7.8bn. ESPA social/education
AURIO Reverse education cuts. Reduce standardised testing (saves money). Invest in teacher training. Use digital funds for craft based training delivered by SMEs.
06

Border Region Justice

Domestic LNG terminal revenue. Defence infrastructure in region
EU Funds Border/Migration: €1.6bn. Interreg cross-border. ESPA regional
AURIO Community benefit framework: when a region provides a border, energy gateway and military platform, it receives proportionate investment. Redirect border funds from security hardware to local development.
07

Culture as Infrastructure

Domestic Culture ministry budget: minimal
EU Funds LEADER/CLLD. ESPA cultural/tourism
AURIO Fund cultural programming from economic development budgets. LEADER can fund village programmes. Cultural events generate measurable local economic activity.
08

European Sovereignty

Domestic Defence budget: €7bn (rising). €30bn arms to 2036
EU Funds EU defence integration reduces national burden over time
AURIO Push for EU strategic autonomy. Oppose Mercosur. Adopt Spain position on Gaza. Reduced arms spending as EU defence integration progresses.

AURIO's programme is not a wish list. It is a reallocation argument. The money exists. The question is whether it serves communities or corporations, whether it builds villages or buys weapons, whether it funds cultural programming or surveillance infrastructure.