A. Tsipras: We will live in moments of war economy

LAST UPDATE: 14.31

By Niki Zorba

Alexis Tsipras insists on the taxation of the super profits of the electricity generators amounting to 1.4 billion, who from the floor of the Parliament, said that in the coming months the conditions for the country will be “war economy” and again blaming the government for a policy that favors only the few and powerful.

He rejected the allegations that the measures he proposed for the energy crisis cost 15 billion, costing himself his proposals at 1.5 billion costs from the reduction of fuel VAT and 950 million for reduction of food VAT.

He also officially announced that SYRIZA would vote in favor of the government’s support measures and called on the prime minister to answer whether or not he intends to change the election law again, as leaked to the media.

In his deuterology, taking into account the announcement of the Prime Minister that the government will legislate an extraordinary contribution to the super profits of the Energy companies, the president of SYRIZA stated, among other things, that: ”

“You suddenly learned that there are profits and notoriety, this is also a step. We have been telling you for four months now. It will not tell us how much the profits are on the companies’ balance sheets but the Energy Regulatory Authority.”

Regarding the electoral law, he brought the issue back to his deuterology, calling on the Prime Minister “to stop these games. The electoral law can not be exploited according to what the polls say. And you know the polls fall out “If he had not fallen out now, the president of PASOK would be Andreas Loverdos”.

Concluding his deuterology, Mr. Tsipras said that SYRIZA does not want money trees but social justice that the government does not take care of with the measures it has taken.

Styling his speech, he said, among other things:

-My main feeling before going up to the podium was anxiety. Now my feeling is fear. Because you do not understand where we are and where we are as a country.

– Your meaning is not to touch the skyrocketing profits – the commission says not me – of the power generators. Outdated and absolutely dangerous logic, especially for the period to come: We will live in moments of war economy.

-You came and told us that those who have super profits owe a share. Will they submit it voluntarily? Aren’t you the governor? Why did you leave this bloodshed mechanism intact? You told us that you have not done the exercise yet and you are waiting for RAE. What are you waiting for to get these profits back? The top council? Is it a matter of EU decision? So many countries have done it. Who are you kidding? Based on data from RAE from July 21st to February 22nd, the average full cost of production in natural gas units was 153 euros per megawatt hour, while the average total price of the Greek wholesale market was 202 euros. So 153 cost, 202 sold on average in the last 8 months. Which means a super profit of 49 euros per megawatt hour, while last year the corresponding profit was 2 to 3 euros per megawatt hour.

-Don’t tell us again that you are in pain for prudent fiscal policy and that we want to blow up the economy. Where are the 15 billion that you say our proposals cost? 1.5 a year costs the fuel tax and 950 million the reduction of VAT on food.

– It is a joke for your faction to accuse us of wanting to blow up the country.

– Do you want to be compared with the measures taken by other European countries. Before the war, out of a total of 24 countries, 11 countries had tax cuts on either fuel or goods. 8 countries in regulating retail energy prices. 5 in regulating energy prices, wholesale and 7 countries what I ask you and you refuse: Taxation on skyrocketing profits. We are one of the few countries that have done nothing but subsidize the notorious profits of PPC and other power generators.

– An emergency plan is required. The country needs a government of responsibility. The country needs a government that understands that in this environment of war economy, the state will have the first say. It is not a matter of ideological and political difference but of survival.

-The last euro that will relieve the Greek citizen, we will vote for it.

-The charge of the middle class by us is equivalent to a electricity bill and three supermarkets.

-We are not in 2019 when you put in the middle class what you expected to give only to those who have and he believed you. We are in 2022. You are not the only one who leads the country in a period of challenges but your own precedent has never existed before: You are not looking for solutions, you are looking for excuses. Pandemics and war are international problems, but citizens do not elect governments to describe their problems and turn the wounds of the many into profits for the few.

-Since you mentioned pretending to be responsible that it is irresponsible to talk about elections, really who has been circulating for a month that you are preparing to humiliate yourself by changing the electoral law again and for two months now that you have decided to satisfy my request and go to the polls ; Do what you understand but do it quickly before the damage becomes irreversible for the country.