K. Mitsotakis: Auctions of vulnerable borrowers ‘freeze’ – Support for households, businesses

The meeting of the cabinet, under the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is in progress from 11 in the morning at the Maximos Palace.

During the meeting and on the front line are the developments on the Ukrainian front and the consequences in our country, with the Prime Minister, twenty-four hours after his speeches in Parliament, announcing a “freeze” of auctions of 3,000 properties, which belong to vulnerable borrowers but also that in addition to the 2 billion that have already been allocated to support households and businesses, this support will always continue with an emphasis on our most vulnerable fellow citizens.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, assessing yesterday’s debate in Parliament, spoke about a common message sent by the country on the developments in Ukraine, talking about a minimal common national stance, which emerged yesterday in Parliament. “Because, despite all the objections that were heard, the main message is that Greece is on the right side of history. Next to its expatriates, next to a country that is receiving an invasion.”

The Prime Minister’s suggestion to the Council of Ministers is as follows:

“As we had an extremely rich agenda, we chose to divide the issues of the Council of Ministers into two meetings. We will cover half the issues today and the other half in an extraordinary meeting that we will do early next week.

We are meeting today in the shadow of the dramatic developments in Ukraine, but also in the light of, I think, a minimal common national stance, which emerged yesterday in Parliament. Because, despite all the objections, the main message is that Greece is on the right side of history. Next to her expatriates, next to an invading country.

Faithful to International Law and determined together with its allies, together with the European family, not to allow Europe’s borders to change, nor for the world to rediscover violence and spheres of influence. Freedom and democracy not to become hostages of authoritarianism and the clock of the 21st century not to look back, but forward. A message shared, I believe, by all Greek women and all Greeks.

Developments justify the government’s political choices. Policies that serve the national interest. Let us not forget that the revisionism continues to hurt Cyprus but is also lurking in our neighborhood.

And our choices prove that equal distances from perpetrators and victims ultimately legitimize crime, making abstinence, complicity. And the easy “no to war” is a wish, but it is not political.

It is a policy to propose, as we have done systematically and methodically, the strengthening of the national defense but also the building of strong alliances.

It is a policy to prioritize strategic European autonomy in response to this complex new geopolitical environment of the future.

And in this area, I think the national position has become more than clear. We are on the eastern border of Europe, knowing full well what is happening beyond that. And precisely because Greece is on the edge of our continent, it is also in its heart. Eastern Europe but always in the center of the West. We are the West and we belong to freedom.

However, there is also the field of politics. Here, too, I think, it is clear that international stability and legitimacy are certainly being tested on the borders of Ukraine, as are the principles of democracy against those of authoritarianism.

But at the same time, they are being judged all over the world, and here in our country, who are truly the exponents of progress today and who are the backwards.

Finally, there are obviously the financial consequences of this unprecedented crisis – we will discuss the issue and the Minister of Finance will give us an update – we will not hide them. We have to manage them and we will manage them.

Yesterday I explained why the convenient myth of the supposedly cheap lignite does not apply. I presented our multi-level energy program, and assured that in addition to the 2 billion already available to support households and businesses, this support will always continue with an emphasis on our most vulnerable fellow citizens.

We are promoting a Greek proposal for European support for the absorption of price increases and of course the protection of income, which must be our first political priority. It is also served by two of the pieces of legislation that we will examine and approve today: the even lower ENFIA and the protection of the first home and the most vulnerable.

As far as ENFIA is concerned, the basic regulations have already been described. They include greater relief than we promised. An intervention that is becoming extremely relevant now, given the pressure that households are facing and their income.

What I can say is that in total Greek owners will pay a little more than 30% less tax on their property than what they paid in 2019. There will be more relief for those who live in low and medium price zones. A small increase will only be borne by a small minority of homeowners in high value areas. In this way, injustices of the past are corrected.

And of course, this is how the government continues its policy of relieving the burdens caused by the taxes and levies of the past. A policy that thus reduces household expenditures increases their ability to defend themselves against accuracy.

As for now the first home of the weakest, the new bill freezes any auction process of 3,000 properties, which belong to vulnerable borrowers. And so an additional safety net is spread around those who are most tested.

Finally, at the institutional level, allow me to highlight the major cuts in Justice from the issues of the Council of Ministers. Large sections introduced with the new Code of Organization of Courts – will be presented to us by the Minister of Justice shortly.

For the first time, clear criteria are being established for the formation of the judicial map of the country. Which courts and in which seats should operate based on real needs. For the first time, court decisions will also be digitally accessible to anyone interested. And, perhaps the most important Mr. Minister of Justice, from now on the judicial officers will be upgraded based on their continuous training but will also be evaluated. I repeat, they will be evaluated by their colleagues based on the speed with which their decisions are made. This is a multilevel intervention that solves problems of decades of Justice.

Above all, however, it comes to address the big issue of its rapid award and at the same time to guarantee the validity and transparency of its decisions. In other words, it is a very important reform that strengthens the citizens’ trust in Justice “.