Former New Democracy MEP Stelios Kympouropoulos has welcomed the launch of a new application cycle for Greece's Personal Assistant program for disabled citizens.
In a post on social media, the former politician said that seven years ago very few people in Greece understood what a personal assistant was. He noted that an initial concept has now developed into a working reality serving thousands of individuals across the country.
Kympouropoulos explained that he had previously made a personal bet with himself not to leave this world without seeing the personal assistant institution established in Greece. He stated that this bet has now been won, as an idea turned into advocacy and words were translated into political action.
Kympouropoulos, a psychiatrist who uses a wheelchair, served as a Member of the European Parliament for Greece's ruling center right New Democracy party from 2019 to 2024. New Democracy, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, introduced the state funded personal assistant framework as part of broader social welfare reforms aimed at supporting independent living.
Historically, care for disabled people in Greece depended largely on informal assistance from family members. The introduction of official personal assistants represents a major shift toward self directed living, allowing individuals to receive funded support for daily tasks and community integration.
Program criteria and public debate
Addressing the current state of the initiative, Kympouropoulos asserted that Greece is no longer at zero and that the program offers disabled people greater freedom, choice, and control over their lives. However, he acknowledged that the system is not perfect and highlighted several reasonable questions raised by critics.
These questions include why the program restricts eligibility to individuals up to 65 years old, why income criteria are applied, and why access is limited to those with lifetime disabilities. Kympouropoulos stated that such questions are valuable when they drive the next steps of reform, but warned that they become an obstacle if used to invalidate initial progress.
Defending the initial design of the program, he explained that the government had to start somewhere to help the state and society learn the meaning of disability and independent living. He added that no mature social system is born fully formed on its first day, but must be built, tested, corrected, and expanded over time.
During his tenure in the European Parliament, Kympouropoulos frequently advocated for accessibility standards and disability rights across Europe. His work focused on removing systemic barriers and promoting policies that grant equal opportunities to disabled citizens within public and professional spheres.
Personal experience and future development
Kympouropoulos revealed that he does not employ a personal assistant through the state pilot scheme, but noted that he has worked with personal assistants since 2009. Drawing on his long personal experience rather than theory, he emphasized that a personal assistant is neither a caregiver nor a luxury, but the fundamental tool that allows a person to decide when, where, and how to live.
Concluding his post, Kympouropoulos urged lawmakers and the public to set the foundation for the next stage of the scheme starting tomorrow. He called for collective efforts to make the personal assistant institution better, fairer, and accessible to every individual who needs support.
