G. Economou: ‘We will not leave any Turkish challenge unanswered at the NATO Summit’

“At the NATO Summit, as we do in all fora, we respond calmly, substantiated and with determination and with arguments we deconstruct the absurd, unhistorical and vain Turkish allegations. We do not go to Madrid with the belt untied for quarrel, but we will not leave “No challenge unanswered, we are adamant in defending our national sovereignty,” said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou, when asked how the Greek delegation would act at the NATO Summit in Madrid, as long as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the islands of the Eastern Aegean. In another question, the government spokesman accused Turkey of “not stopping for a minute to instrumentalize refugees and migrants, not respecting the agreement it has signed with the European Union”. Asked how Athens handles the case of the detention of a Greek national by the Turkish authorities on charges of involvement in espionage activities, Mr. Oikonomou clarified that the man in question has nothing to do with any Greek service and that the ministry Foreign Minister is monitoring the proceedings in the neighbor, accusing Turkey that until the day before yesterday it had not provided any information about its fate despite the constant Greek requests.

Asked about the possibility of third elections, Giannis Oikonomou noted: “We have said that government stability is needed and the prolonged electoral contests do not contribute to that. was formed in 2019. Beyond that, the will of the Greek people will shape the conditions for the governance of the country after the second elections “. Asked about the lusts of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife, Mr. Oikonomou replied that there is no other politician who has been investigated as much as his lusts, as Mr. Mitsotakis and his wife. He added that the government is willing to make changes to the legislation on what you want. Regarding the energy crisis, the government spokesman insisted that the government is moving in two pillars, on the one hand it is pressing with all its might the EU in order to have a more active intervention against energy precision and reiterated that from July 1 the adjustment clause, which, as he said, means that consumers will see from 70 to 90% less increases in their tariffs.

Asked about an article in the newspaper “Dimokratia” about an espionage case, Giannis Oikonomou remarked that as long as it is valid, it concerns the period of SYRIZA’s rule and asked that “it is strange that no one understood anything”, stressing that the case has taken off of Justice and that everyone expects what is finally happening. Regarding the disgust of the president of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, in an interview on the Euractiv website, about “Mitsotakis inflation”, Giannis Oikonomou accused Mr. Tsipras that he is the only politician in the world who understands the international characteristics of the crisis and that key components of reality. He reiterated that the government has given the greatest possible support to society, has made substantial and targeted interventions. Regarding the predictions and estimates of Alexis Tsipras, the government spokesman noted that when the time comes, the people will take a stand and speak for themselves. Regarding the division of ERT TV time between the political forces, Mr. Oikonomou replied that for the mentioned period of time that ESIEA refers to, it was in the middle of a pandemic and the statements and announcements of government officials were aimed at informing the public. Finally, regarding the possible extension of the deadline for the power pass, Mr. Economou did not rule out such a possibility, he clarified, however, that at the moment there is no such issue.

“Athens is fully covered by the conclusions of the European Council”

“The government, as stated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the end of the Brussels Summit, is fully covered in terms of Turkish challenges by the conclusions of the European Council Summit, as they were adopted unanimously,” said government spokesman Giannis Oikonou. starting to inform political authors.

He reiterated that the European Council expressed its strong concern about the Turkish provocation and that Turkey must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all EU Member States, while calling on its neighbor to respect international law and reduce tension in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“There are, as the Prime Minister pointed out, two paths for Turkey: On the one hand the path of de-escalation and productive dialogue with respect for international law and on the other the path of escalation which will lead Turkey to a further distance from the European Greece is not going to play the game of rhetorical tension which is often aimed at the internal audience, but it will continue to promote its positions in all forums and to defend its national position calmly and resolutely. sovereignty and its sovereign rights “, underlined Mr. Economou.

He also said that “the government welcomes the unanimous decision of the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the prospect of a candidate country in Georgia and under certain conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

He also stressed that at the EU-Western Balkans summit, the Prime Minister reiterated the firm position of our country that the Western Balkans are part of Europe and on the one hand Europe should show real interest in rapprochement and on the other hand these countries should move with greater courage in necessary reforms to bring them closer to the European acquis by contributing to the stability of the region.

The government spokesman then referred to the government’s work since taking office, noting that it has implemented policies with a strong social sign.

He stressed that these policies were made possible by the opportunity provided by the financial plan, the professional data management and the studied legislative interventions.

These policies and their results will be presented in detail in a pre-agenda debate in Parliament on 6/7 at the request of the Prime Minister on all issues related to social policy.

He also referred in detail to 12 key points of the government’s social policy and its results for our employees, the unemployed and our vulnerable fellow citizens.

He stressed that the government has received a miserable situation and no one forgets it: high unemployment, low wages, mass migration of young people abroad, hundreds of thousands of pending pension applications, huge gender inequalities in the workplace, non-existent concern for quantitative but quantitative demographic problem.

“Our government has turned the fruit of its economic policies into a social acquis for work, insurance, social protection,” Mr Economou said. “Because our principle is, as we have said many times, political humanity, because everything must be done first for man.”

In particular, he referred to the reduction of unemployment, the utilization of every national and community opportunity and the creation of new funding tools to provide € 10 billion in support for the employed and unemployed during the pandemic period. Also, to provide 2.8 billion in programs for the integration of 380,563 unemployed in the labor market in the three years 2020-2022. He indicated that despite the pandemic, the rate of job creation through the Public Employment Service (former OAED) has tripled, as 31,661 jobs are created per year compared to 10,627 in the four years of SYRIZA government.

He added that the unemployed were given institutional opportunities to actively and effectively support jobseekers. The training was also upgraded and modernized.

“Sixth, we give strength to the employee with the law for the protection of work”, stressed Mr. Economou and mentioned typical cases.

As the seventh, he mentioned the crucial decision, the care for the increase of the employees’ salaries indirectly and directly.

“Along with the policies, we pay respect and justice to the elderly,” he stressed and referred to specific measures.

“With decisive interventions we have broken the heavy bond of the outstanding pensions”, he stressed and also referred to the reforms in the pension, the important work that has been done in the field of social protection but also in the modernization of Greece regarding policies of overcoming sexism. gender inequality and the promotion of gender equality.

“The scope and depth of the government’s work took place in conditions of successive and huge international crises. The problems are great and the effects of both the crises and the decade of the memoranda afflict the country and its people,” Oikonomou said. completing its introductory placement. “We will remain committed to the basic issue of politics, but also of governance in our time: To cross the ocean of crises safely and to achieve together more for each, but also for all, for the Homeland, for our people and for our Nation “, he concluded.