Why K. Mitsotakis put an end to the scenarios for ballot boxes for changing the electoral law

LAST UPDATE: 08.51

By Dimitris Gatsios

Last Wednesday’s meeting in the national delegation, which culminated in the bill of the Ministry of Finance for ENFIA, was from the beginning the appropriate stage for the Prime Minister to develop the steps of the government to absorb the multiple vibrations of the last three years and in households and businesses. And this is exactly what Kyriakos Mitsotakis did, through a speech that had as its front the reductions of taxes and contributions and the interventions of “shielding” in the two years of the pandemic virus, but also now. In these months when rising prices and waves of increases in goods ουν are squeezing the daily budget of the citizens, in the middle of a crisis, which is not only multifactorial. The dominant “unknown x” of the geopolitical and economic equation, which relates to the timing of dramatic events in Ukraine, keeps Europe as a whole on alert. Keeps the Maximos Palace awake.

Brussels’s gestures about a comprehensive response to the common problem become the key to the next stages of aid measures, the “key” to fiscal balance is projected, repeatedly, by executives as concepts such as stability and security become central. place in the government narrative. In addition to the interventions to address the crisis, the Prime Minister focused on these two concepts. How; Closing, once and for all, every scenario for elections before the summer.

Double goal

Despite the fact that Kyriakos Mitsotakis had never left open even a crack for an early ballot, the discussions not only within the government, but also in the opposition parties about an election surprise kept the dance of the last weeks. The answer, however (the multiplier is the truth within a few weeks) came from the floor of Parliament.

“Voices for elections can not be heard at such times. They are hours of rallies. They are not hours of confrontation. Much more so when these voices come from a party that threw everything at everyone, to finally get a lot from everyone. “Elections will be held, as I have told you many times, and so far the truth has confirmed what I say and not what you say, as the Constitution stipulates, at the end of four years,” he said. Mr. Mitsotakis. His reports, obviously, did not only touch on the president of SYRIZA and his repeated request. They also had other goals:

-First, to send a message of stability, especially in a period of multiple crises, which… has a deep imprint inside the country.

Secondly, to send a message to the inside of the government and, in particular, to the ministers not to slow down, but to continue, with the same intensity, the production of work and reforms.

At the present juncture, stability goes hand in hand with the result and together they lead to what Megaro Maximou bets. In recovery and from there in growth.

“Citizens demand work and results from us,” the prime minister said. “Stability” is the key word. A word that shows that, given that the next ballots will be double, they must be set up at a time safe for the country. And, somewhere here, come the next scenarios. And these are related to how close Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the New Democracy government will get to what is called the constitutional completion of the four years.

Autumn and Spring 2023

Given that next July the government will close three years of progress, walking towards the completion of its four years, the debate… ignites. In this context, one scenario is for the elections to take place in the two months of October-November, as it will be preceded by a tourist season on which the Maximos Palace bets a lot in terms of the added value it will have in the real economy and businesses. At the same time, the polls in the autumn can not be considered so early, since the constitutional limit is only a few months away. There are, however, those who… bet on… the pure political corridor. In the elections towards the end of the four-year term. That is, during the spring months. The institution of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is a “favor” in terms of leading this scenario, along with the impact that the θα unfolding of the resources of the Recovery Fund, the further implementation of the strategy of reducing the tax burden from… the backs of των citizens, but also the coveted conquest of the investment grade, in the first months of 2023. In the minus, however, of this scenario one can suggest the fact that from the autumn onwards the country will enter a prolonged electoral period, with the , what does this mean for government work as well.

“Ice in the discussions”

Were there any suggestions in the prime minister’s drawer for a change in the electoral law? The answer is “yes”. Was the script fired by reports from government officials? The answer is equally “yes”. An installation, for example, by Mr. Economos, at the beginning of last week, threw. Water in the mill. “The elections will take place at the end of four years and at the moment the government is not concerned with any change in the electoral law, but dealing with the consequences of price increases on the lives of citizens,” he commented. And the relevant discussion caught fire until Kyriakos Mitsotakis closed this door as well.

“With the existing electoral law, these elections will take place and with the new electoral law that we have passed, the next ones will take place, so that you can be completely covered. But you have to understand something, Mr. Tsipras. At the moment, the way in which you are leading the country to a double electoral contest, because it will be extremely difficult not to have elections after the first ballot box of the simple proportional – I am not saying that it is impossible, but it will be extremely difficult – it is your responsibility. “The country is first and foremost political stability. It does not need experimentation, it does not need ephemeral alliances, which will not stand the test of time,” he said.

“Brake”, therefore, in the specific scenario by the Prime Minister. And, as many observe, a move to change the electoral law would not only give the impression of defeatism, as it would be like the government admitting that it can not reach the level of autonomy, but would also provoke a storm of reactions from opposition parties. . Reactions that, especially in times of crisis, are unnecessary.

Meeting in Maximou

The current agenda of Megaro Maximos is structured around food security. In the aftermath of his two-day presence at the Summit of the “27” leaders of the European Union, Mr. Mitsotakis convenes a special meeting at noon at 19 Irodou Attikou, on the subject of food supply and the strengthening of the primary sector. This is another meeting, in the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the strong turmoil it is creating in the economy and energy, with the government, however, sending reassuring messages regarding the possible dangers.

“I have convened a meeting with all the competent bodies of the Ministry of Rural Development, to ensure food security in our country. There is no issue concerning Greece. But there is a very big issue for countries such as, for example, Egypt, which imports 80% of its wheat 100,000,000 Egyptians import 80% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, which is why President Macron’s initiative was so positive, so that we can globally see how we can now prepare for an impending crisis, which must not leave us unprepared.It will really be a tragedy if after COVID-19, after the energy crisis, a year from now follows, because then we will see the “results of a sowing that may not take place in Ukraine or Russia if a global food crisis follows”, is the message conveyed by the Prime Minister, in the context of the given at the end of the work of the European Council. During today’s luncheon, chaired by Mr. Mitsotakis and attended by the Minister in charge, George Georgantas, any shortages that may arise due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in food and generally raw materials will be put on the table. in the primary sector. “There is no food danger for our country”, comment sources, with the attention, however, being turned towards the front of taking measures, which will put embankments in case of any shortages on the shelves of the supermarkets, but, mainly, in fertilizers. and animal feed. A possible reduction in the use of fertilizers and the adequacy of feed would result in a parallel reduction of domestic production, but also a surge in prices for goods and basic necessities.