Athens Puts Grocery Vouchers Back on the Table as War Rattles Consumers

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has stoked fresh concerns about energy costs and consumer prices, while existing relief measures are increasingly fall short of what households need.

However no new decisions will be made before Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis returns from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, which will begin Monday, April 13. Formal deliberations on any new support package are expected to begin the week of April 20.

Watching and Waiting

The scope of any intervention will depend on the trajectory of the fragile US-Iran ceasefire and its implications on energy prices. According to government sources, several scenarios are being examined, though no concrete decisions have been made, given the uncertainty surrounding the duration and severity of the crisis.

Greek officials also acknowledge that the current support measures that have been announced, such as price caps and fuel subsidies, have not kept pace with actual household needs. This is vividly illustrated in opinion polls that increasingly reflect the widespread dissatisfaction most Greeks are feeling with the prevailing economic situation.

Any response will also be shaped by how much fiscal headroom Athens has, and whether European leaders can finally agree on a coordinated response.