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Greece Closes 204 Post Offices Overnight, Prompting Political Backlash

A special finance-committee session will review the abrupt move after protests from mayors and MPs.

Overview

  • State postal operator ELTA shut 204 of its 456 branches on Monday after a Friday announcement, including 40 in Attica and many in the provinces and islands.
  • Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis approved the closures under the HCAP holding structure and described them as difficult but necessary.
  • ELTA reported €249 million in revenue and an €8.4 million loss in 2024 with negative equity near €140.1 million, while the shuttered sites accounted for about €150,000 of last year’s deficit.
  • Local officials and opposition parties, joined by some New Democracy lawmakers, pressed for oversight that led to a special parliamentary finance committee meeting on Tuesday.
  • Employees and unions say staff received last-minute transfer notices and some temporary workers lost jobs, warning of weakened access to essential services in small towns and on islands.