Following agreements that place Greece at the center of the emerging energy and geopolitical map, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave a comprehensive interview on Tuesday morning on the “Connections” show on ERTNews, with Kostas Papachlimitzos and Katerina Douka.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces new support measures
Initially, the Prime Minister addressed traffic issues, focusing on strengthening public transportation. As he said, «the metro helps facilitate movement, but it’s more long-term. In the short term, we focus on buses». He added: «We have added 800 new buses, the goal is to increase route frequency. I have given relevant instructions to the ministry and the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations».
“There is high cost of living, but it’s a global phenomenon”
Speaking about high prices and Nikos Androulakis’s reference to legume prices, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he couldn’t confirm them. «It’s very unfair for someone to take prices selectively and argue. There is inflation, but it’s a global phenomenon, something that matters for imported products. The Prime Minister refers to the need to establish an Independent Consumer Protection Authority, but the solution is increasing income. For rent, all citizens will get one month’s rent back, equivalent to an average rent reduction of about 8%».
He emphasized: «Priority is supporting disposable income, the tools are specific: when we calculated the Thessaloniki International Fair package at 1.76 billion euros, we said that’s what we can give. We chose to support specific social groups, there isn’t money for everything».
“There will be additional housing measures”
As the Prime Minister later emphasized, «the goal is also to increase available housing, to open closed apartments». He reminds that from January millions of citizens will see income increases, while also referring to measures concerning tax relief for young people.
“Basic support from OPEKEPE by end of November”
For farmers, Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentioned that regarding basic support, the goal is for farmers to receive it by the end of November, one month delayed compared to the usual period. Real farmers and livestock breeders will benefit from the ongoing reform. However, there’s the problem that animal culling due to foot-and-mouth disease coincided with OPEKEPE’s transition to AADE. By year-end, immediate, supplementary support to livestock breeders who lost animals due to foot-and-mouth disease. The money will come from the state budget. “I fully understand the livestock breeder’s difficulty in reconstituting their herd while not being paid simultaneously,” the Prime Minister said.
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On postal service: “If they don’t recover, they will close”
Referring to the postal service, the Prime Minister states that if they don’t recover, they will close, benefiting private interests, so those opposing the recovery plan are working in favor of private interests. This recovery must consider certain specificities, beyond the need to shrink the postal network (as correspondence has changed), ensuring no one remains isolated. We are in consultation with the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations. There are possibilities for postal stores to be housed in spaces belonging to the state’s core. There must be consultation and agreement with local communities, this should have been done earlier, I believe we will reach a satisfactory solution.
On energy: “Greece emerges as a central gas transit hub”
Regarding energy and criticism mainly from PASOK about over-dependence on natural gas (from the US, Diamantopoulou statement) and concerns about high costs, Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentions that Greece emerges as a central gas transit hub northward, becoming an energy security provider for Balkan countries and Ukraine.
Beyond agreements concerning the Northern Natural Gas Corridor, more important is Exxon’s choice with two Greek companies to proceed with extraction after 40 years. If positive (as there appears to be an interesting deposit), the economic results will be enormous.
Regarding prices, throughout recent years,
