A. Skertsos: ‘The debate on early elections is ineffective and disorienting’

The Minister of State, Akis Skertsos, characterized the discussion on early elections as ineffective, procrastinating and disorienting, in an interview with ERT, emphasizing the solution of the “serious problems” that the citizens are facing.

The debate on elections is “ineffective and disorienting at this stage,” said the Minister of State, while in the next point of the interview, he pointed out that “the Prime Minister has set a specific framework in relation to the horizon of elections, this is the end of four years “. At the same time, “there are other factors that have to do with international instability. We also have specific goals that need to be achieved, the investment level – all of which will be taken into account and decisions will be made in a timely manner.”

According to A. Scherzo, “this whole debate is paralyzing, people are facing serious problems, they have a lot of insecurity. The government is standing by every household and business, we have proved it. In the pandemic we gave a very big package of support, it managed to keep the Greek economy with his head above the water “.

Also, “we have the third fastest growth rate in Europe”, he said, presenting charts for growth, unemployment, the minimum wage, in which Greece is in 9th place, as he said.

“The government has succeeded in supporting the economy, we currently have the highest growth rates in Europe. We have the fastest declining unemployment, we have very high employment numbers. We have reached a point where the labor market and specific sectors of the economy do not find staff to meet the needs of their businesses, all due to the steady steering wheel we hold in economic policy, but also to the fact that we are implementing reforms that free the productive forces, but at the same time attract new investment “All this has created a positive climate in the economy despite the very serious adversity of the energy crisis.”

On the other hand, “the government, for three years now, has been moving with a stable plan in which we are achieving the goals, one after the other”, he said, citing examples with the lifting of capital controls, the withdrawal of the International Monetary Fund, the exit of the country by enhanced supervision. “Greece is no longer the ‘black sheep.’ For twelve years we have learned to be supervised, which was a disgrace to our country and our citizens,” he said. He added: “The executive state gives predictability, it gives security, so that the citizens know what is coming and the ministries know what they have to do.”

At the same time, the Minister of State underlined the government’s strategy of redistributing the development dividend, not horizontally but targeted at those in need. He concluded: “The Greek economy at the moment can support faster growth than other European economies. Everything contributes to the need for a government that is close to both business and workers. Constantly making reforms that will attract new , good investments, which will create new, better jobs “.

The three lies of Mr. Tsipras

Asked to comment on the speech of the president of SYRIZA-PS in the Parliamentary Group of his party, in which he spoke about three firsts of the government (pandemic dead, fuel and electricity prices, gap between salaries and needs), Akis Skertsos replied: “It is All three lies, Mr. Tsipras continues to do what he knows well.He fooled the Greek people with the “Thessaloniki Program” in 2015. “An image that is not confirmed by any evidence – I am quoting international figures, of the European Union, of the European Statistical Office, but also of ELSTAT. Mr. Tsipras is doing a selective reading of numbers”, accused the leader of the official opposition, quoting the government figures .

“Greece, according to the World Health Organization, has the 12th best performance in Europe in terms of excessive mortality.” He added: “Unfortunately, the opposition is speculating on a public health issue, which should not be the subject of micropolitics.”

As far as inflation is concerned, it is “an international phenomenon, it is wrong to make (s.s. the president of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance) an international crisis national”. At this point, he referred to the “very generous package in the energy sector, Greece has given 8 billion euros for direct and indirect aid. Mr. Tsipras and SYRIZA show the wholesale prices of electricity and are wrong again. “What matters is the final retail price, which is below the European average – and Mr Tsipras does not say that, because it does not suit him.”

He specifically mentioned the Power Pass as “another innovation of the government, while since July it has been approved – I will say solemnly because it is a national success – a new scheme in terms of the mechanism that will set the prices in households and businesses, and which it will last for at least a year “. “It will be a mechanism that will de facto abolish the adjustment clause,” he concluded on the subject.

For fuel, he reiterated that any reduction in VAT or Excise Tax would cause a budget hole, so “those who propose these proposals should tell us where they will get the money, what taxes they will raise to cover the public revenue hole “.

Finally, in Greek-Turkish, the minister said: “We insist on our firm line of peaceful settlement of disputes. The differences are real, we do not cause, on the contrary we shield our borders and defense. We have made significant reinforcements to our deterrent capacity, significant “We have internationalized Greece’s problem with the Turkish disputes – and the prime minister has done it in the best possible way so that our allies understand what the Turkish provocation is.”

In addition, he added, “appropriate pressure is being exerted by the allies on Turkey to lower the tone. What we want at the moment is calm, we have the tourist season that seems to be going great. We do not need to add fuel to the fire and “Greece certainly does not do that.”

He will not be a candidate

The interview closed with the personal question, whether A. Skertsos will be a candidate for MP: “I have stated that I will not be a candidate. We are not all for everything, I honor and respect the job of the MP very much. It is a job that does not suit me. My job is different and I am satisfied with it. that I do”.