Opposition leader calls government economic policy “irresponsible”

The center-right government’s policies to tackle the country’s economic problems are “irresponsible, if not criminal,” opposition leader Alexis Tsipras told business and industry representatives in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Thursday.

“The government’s strategy of simply following coordinated action, especially in the energy sector, but not interfering, while constantly claiming that the market can regulate itself, is irresponsible, if not criminal,” said the head of SYRIZA.

As the cost of energy soars around the world, he said, Greece is facing “a wave of price adjustments that threatens not only the purchasing power of citizens, but also the small and medium-sized enterprises that should follow this wave, precisely because that the horrendous growth to be dealt with, in addition to their debt and lack of liquidity, will drive the country’s population into poverty. “

This price increase problem is most evident at the consumer level, with “declining purchasing power and stagnating wages,” he said, adding that, from the point of view of entrepreneurs and manufacturers, higher prices would lower demand.

“We are entering a vicious circle, so I think it’s time to explore how we will intervene to address the problems that arise before they become insurmountable,” he said.

Tsipras also proposed a series of measures against what he called “an explosive set of circumstances.” These include the suspension of excise taxes on natural gas, agricultural diesel and fuel oil, significant reductions in excise taxes on transport diesel and gasoline, and the expansion of heating allowances to higher income levels, especially in northern Greece, due to colder climates. and a longer winter.

“I find it incredible how, given the state of the economy, the government is making announcements, noting high growth rates,” Tsipras said.

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