The festive Christmas season is just around the corner, with crowds of people already preparing for their holiday shopping. Private sector employees are eagerly awaiting their Christmas bonuses, while rumors about an emergency “cost of living allowance” continue to intensify. This would be a “festive benefit” worth 400 to 500 euros that could be given to vulnerable social groups. However, these reports are categorically denied by Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis. “We don’t need to cultivate expectations among citizens,” he noted characteristically.
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“Cost of living allowance”: “There is no fiscal room,” says Mr. Marinakis
The government has put an end to scenarios of granting a new emergency Christmas benefit, with Pavlos Marinakis clarifying that “I don’t think there is fiscal room. We don’t need to cultivate expectations among citizens that we cannot satisfy.” At the same time, the government spokesperson emphasized that “we have chosen not to be popular with other people’s money. And we have chosen to find the resources to be useful to society as a whole. The conclusion is that as long as we continue to follow this policy that grows the pie, that is, creates jobs, increases revenues without increasing taxes. Citizens will hear such positive news. But our emphasis will continue to be on tax cuts. And this is because tax cuts mean wage and income increases for the entire society.”
