April 20, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

"Government action taken too late"

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, was accused of failing the policy and trying to explain it with the situation in Ukraine.

Televised address by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in which he reported on support measures of the population in connection with the increase in prices, caused a flurry of negative comments and criticism from the opposition parliamentary parties. They unanimously argue that the proposed measures are insufficient and belated, and the government wants to attribute its failures to the situation in Ukraine.

In his address, the Greek Prime Minister linked the rise in prices with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He announced support for 3.2 million vulnerable citizens and households with an income of up to 30,000 euros per year in the form of a planned 1.1 billion euros for these purposes.

While the media is reporting on a €52 electricity subsidy and €250 to €300 assistance for the poor, Greeks are talking on social media about “almsgiving” that will do little to help cope with rising energy and basic commodities prices, so how the bills that come to the inhabitants of the country are already calculated in 3 or even 4-digit figures.

The press service of the largest opposition party SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance says:

“Once again, the Prime Minister appeared with a statement in order to absolve himself of any responsibility for the social crisis. Blaming the problem of explosive high prices solely on external factors and the war in Ukraine, he tried to convince citizens that the wave of price increases that swept them from summer, appeared only in the last three weeks, that is, to convince them that they did not spend the winter in frozen apartments, that they were able to pay their bills and basic needs for months. fantasies.”

At the same time, the opposition draws attention to the fact that the prime minister did not say a word about limiting the excess profits of cartels and energy companies:

“True to the habit of narcissism, he praised himself for his letter to EUalthough he has not taken major measures within the country he rules.”

SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance recalls that Mitsotakis himself cut the additional pension for low-income pensioners introduced by SYRIZA, with a total annual budget of 900 million euros:

“Society no longer tolerates ridicule. Measures that should have been taken a few months ago: lower VAT on fuel, ceiling on electricity and gas tariffs, punishment for speculation, lower VAT on basic necessities, increase the minimum wage to 800 euros.”

Communist Party of Greece stated that the prime minister was mocking when talking about measures to provide assistance, the commentary of the press service of the KKE said:

“No measure that is part of this strategy will be able to offset even a small part of the significant price increases resulting from the EU’s energy liberalization policy, the abandonment of lignite and energy competition conducted by the Greek governments and for which the people pay very dearly. the current moment to make life easier for the working people and the masses is the abolition of VAT and excise taxes on fuel and other consumer goods, wage increases, effective measures to protect the self-employed, farmers and the unemployed.The real solution lies in the struggle for the planned use of all the energy resources of the country (lignite , hydrocarbons, geothermal, renewable energy, etc.) for the benefit of people’s needs, so that energy ceases to be a commodity.”

“Movement of Change” (KINAL) draws attention to the fact that government measures are taken very late and limited, they are not enough to overcome the adverse effects of the energy crisis. The party proposes to introduce taxation of excess profits of electricity producers, reduce VAT on basic consumer goods and fuel, and raise the minimum wage.

The consignment “Greek Solution” stated that neither the government nor the prime minister himself believes in what they say, and the people have ceased to trust them. The statement says:

“We have again heard the same bankrupt recipe with benefits (ie loans), which means new debts for Greece and the Greeks. Mr. Mitsotakis, who told us that he is concerned about the populist cry of the opposition, let him at least listen to the cry of the suffering Greeks. The prime minister and the government must understand that beyond the tearful speeches, there is a dramatic economic reality that the Greeks are experiencing. And she has a culprit: Kyriakos Mitsotakis and New Democracy.

The consignment MERA25 does not hold back emotions in his statement, noting that the prime minister is doing exactly the opposite of what the public interest requires, quotes GreekReporter:

When high prices touch essential goods a year before the war in Ukraine, the underprivileged need a constant increase in their meager incomes, what does Mr. Mitsotakis do? Announces an extraordinary benefit, that is, a tip! We know that your talent for doing the opposite of what benefits society is what makes you so likable in the oligarchy. Just as you have given away more than 1 billion euros to Fraport, Aegean, Energean, Eleftherios Venizelos Airport over the past 18 months, so now, behind the 1 billion euros that you have, supposedly to protect the vulnerable from high prices, hides the same desire keep intact the ability of the oligarchs to earn on the crisis.



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