«If I wore a hat, I would take it off in honour of Greece’s success,» European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen said on Tuesday, addressing the Greek parliament.

Katainen expressed the Commission’s satisfaction regarding Greek investments under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), also called the «Juncker Plan».

«Greece ranks first as concerns the use of funding backed from the EFSI», he said, and explained that over 22,000 small and medium-sized businesses have benefited from the funding.

«There is a lot of potential for this country for even more sustainable businesses», Katainen stated. However, he added, Greece could improve on the areas of non-performing loans, education and restoring trust in the banking system.