April 19, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

K. Mitsotakis: “We helped citizens through Power Pass”

After the anecdote about the government returning “fantastic” amounts of 10 and 20 euros to citizens who suffered from “electroshocks” when they received thousands of euros in electricity bills, Kyriakos Mitsotakis insists on continuing in the same vein.

The prime minister boasts about the measures his government is proposing to citizens and that the exact same subsidies will be applied next month.

He defiantly mentions that this subsidy “easing the burden of price increases due to the war in Ukraine and the global energy crisis” having no idea what a powerful tsunami of rising prices has swept over our country.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the subsidy covers 60% of the increase. This means that if someone had 1,200 euros in their account this year, and last year they had, say, 600 euros, then they have an increase of 600 euros. 60% surcharge is 360 euros. We would very much like to know if there are consumers who have had such money credited to their accounts.

The most surprising thing is that he says: this is how “we restoring justice.” In other words, he himself admits that the citizens were severely offended when, unprotected because of their own choice (he decided to put the country in the block of enemies of Russia), they saw electricity bills higher than their salary, and then … he is curious (let’s just say, politely) tell them how to make amends (we already showed yesterday how people actually react to Power Pass: Greeks Don’t Know Whether to Laugh or Cry at Benefit Amounts).

That is, the one who paid 1,000 euros for electricity, and received back … fifty, should be satisfied.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis Statement on Power Pass

“From today, the state is activating another weapon in the fight against the high cost that besieges all countries and all households: the Power Pass application begins to retroactively compensate consumers for part of the increase in electricity from December last year to June. This is how we restore justice.

Within a few weeks, 3 million applications were processed. And almost 2 million households are already receiving subsidies ranging from 18 to 600 euros. Which, combined with other discounts and subsidies also in place, alleviates the burden of price spikes due to the war in Ukraine and the global energy crisis. In total, 260 million euros are credited to the accounts of citizens, as reported on the platform or by a message on their computer. While another 40 million euros will be provided immediately to cover the invoices issued in June.

This is another helping hand. However, this has been made possible by developments that offer us more financial space. But also thanks to our choice to return the benefits to society. Because I know well the daily pressure of imported inflation. On it, we are now climbing another step up. Which is obviously how I wish it was even higher. But this must be compared with reality and our national capabilities.

The new community support is also a targeted intervention. After all, it is accompanied by the de facto neutralization of the sanctions clause, which will come into force in August. However, I would like to remind you that natural gas prices have already increased 6 times compared to last year. No government can cover such an increase. We can only limit it. And that’s what we’re doing with initiatives like today’s, which covers 60% of the increase that was achieved through mediation.

We are at war. And this is the price of our national defense against a global challenge that requires a European response. Which our country will claim until an answer is given. In the meantime, however, the government will exhaust all fiscal options to protect the purchasing power of citizens. But all this has its limits. And anyone who promises easy solutions is just lying.

I will not hide the fact that the situation in the world is not easy. And everywhere every measure seems small in the face of great need. But I am also well aware of the skills we have demonstrated in the trials we have had to go through. As well as the strength of unity and stability. Then I can promise one thing: that we will be with every Greek woman and every Greek man until this storm passes. Until we emerge victorious again. Together!”.



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