The difficult January of Kyriakos Mitsotakis

To Dimitris Gatsiou

“Complexes” of “Omicron” mutation and pressure in the health system. But also other critical fronts that are also related to the daily life of the citizens. Such as, for example, the new increases in electricity that businesses and households are expected to see in their December bills.

The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis … walks in the first days of the new year, having to face on the horizon a series of cables, which, if nothing else, can have a strong political impact, in a 2022 that many have characterized as electoral. The decisions taken to stop the most aggressive strain from appearing against the pandemic virus close ten days of implementation and it is expected that as we tend to expire, the debate about what is to come in terms of measures will start. On the other hand, the opening of the country’s schools, next Monday, which was the subject of intense controversy with Koumoundourou, turns into the first … crash test in terms of the success and correctness of the government decision, at the moment next to the puzzle of COVID-19 accompanies the wave of accuracy. The scene looks explosive for a government that closes two and a half years in power. And, according to many, January may prove to be one of the most difficult months of Mr. Mitsotakis’s rule, since July 2019.

The next steps

With “Omicron” running at a frantic pace, breaking one after another the negative records in infections, as it is understood, the government is moving in the… tiles of the perfect coronavirus storm. Despite the fact that the optimistic forecasts of the experts speak of a de-escalation of the cases from the end of January, the … footprint of Covid-19 weighs on the hard indicators of the hospitalizations and the admissions in the Intensive Care Units. A big bet of Megaro Maximos and the competent Ministry of Health is to keep the National Health System upright in the following difficult weeks, as landmarks related to critical decision-making approach. First of all, what needs to be answered, as it is already being hotly debated among government officials, is to further expand the cycle of vaccine mandatory. On this front, it is not ruled out that the announcements will be immediate and, based on the age criteria, the obligation to … embrace this time the team of 50 to 60 years old. In fact, Italy showed the way a few twenty-four hours ago, making vaccination mandatory for those in their fifties. And in our country, everything shows that the countdown to the firing of the measure has begun. “The decision to include age criteria in the vaccine’s obligation also paid off, possibly if it is necessary to lower the age limits even further. This will be done in the coming days. Not in professional categories, but in old ones,” said Deputy Interior Minister Stelios Petsas. , giving a first stigma of government intentions.

Another measure

If, however, Maximos’s intention for a new impetus in the circle of the “Freedom” operation is taken for granted, another immediate move on the chessboard must be taken for granted and immediately announced. And this is the decision for the duration of the vaccination certificate with two installments in seven months. What does this mean; That, in all probability from the middle of February (as a relevant … grace period is expected to be given) if a citizen has not proceeded to the booster dose, then in the seven months he will be considered unvaccinated, losing the privileges of the certificate. The measure is already valid for citizens aged 60 and over. All this, in anticipation of the next round of meetings of the committee of experts of the Ministry of Health, which will … raise the curtain at the beginning of the week, when there will be a detailed discussion on the interventions in force before the New Year. In this area, too, the extension of the duration of the measures for the catering and entertainment stores is not excluded, with the attention being focused on both the opening hours and the fullness.

Heavy shadow…

If the vortex of the pandemic virus is the first obstacle that the Mitsotakis government is called to face, the second is related to accuracy, which … has hit and is hitting households and businesses. The electricity bills that cause … paralysis have a direct impact on the pockets of millions of citizens and on family budgets, being a point of friction that can play its own role in the political scene. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his statement yesterday, announced that the government will allocate another 400,000,000 euros in January, covering a significant part of the increases in electricity bills, while keeping … a door open for new support measures, provided that the world rally of energy prices continue. “We will monitor the phenomenon until its de-escalation”, he stated characteristically, with precision being a structural element of the closed meetings at the Maximos Palace.

With the scenario, then, being formed between the … Dogs of Covid-19 and the Charybdis of the energy crisis, it remains questionable whether the polls that will start to come to light will bring with them a decline in its percentages. government faction. And whether a possible downturn will be temporary and reversible, since the government staff is betting a lot not only on the successful management of the above fronts, but also on … unfolding the next phase of reforms, aimed at development, attracting investment and job creation. “Our focus may be on the pandemic and on accuracy, but our policy does not stop producing benefits for the citizens. As of January 1, we have already implemented another package of measures that reduces taxes and boosts incomes. And that “We will continue to do so,” government officials said.