On inflation, foreign policy, Greek-Turkish relations and immigration, Maria Karystianou spoke among other things, emphasizing that “the country’s rights are above our lives”. In detail, the president of “Hope for Democracy” spoke on Alpha 989 radio and initially referring to foreign policy said: “it’s not a recipe for cooking, it’s a difficult situation that requires great respect and attention. Foreign policy should be a consistent line, a ministry that won’t change according to the government. The country’s rights are above our lives”.
Karystianou on Turkey: “When you go to negotiate you should even have psychoanalyzed the people you’ll meet”
Specifically about Turkey she said “when you go to negotiate you should have a complete picture of what you want and what others are asking for, even have psychoanalyzed the people you’ll meet. The key is your own agenda, and to leave having satisfied 80% of your own agenda”. She added: “We don’t ask anyone to tell us if we’re right or wrong. Everything in diplomacy is a matter of understanding and discussion. We always talked about the 12 nautical miles. After Mitsotakis’s seven years, the Turks come and discuss co-management of the Aegean. Everything is a matter of discussion but I don’t know with what agenda Mr. Mitsotakis goes to the meeting with Erdogan”. As Maria Karystianou emphasized: “war is the last card and for me it’s a diplomatic failure”.
On inflation
She then referred to inflation and when asked what she would do if she became government tomorrow to address inflation and reduce food prices, Maria Karystianou answered “the first thing is the will to change some things. Political will is a prerequisite for this”. She continued saying: “It’s not a matter of strategy, it’s not that economists don’t know where money should be directed. Inflation is a multifactorial issue: it’s VAT if it’s fair, it’s middlemen, if there are cartels and of course wages. Wages must rise but it won’t happen just by itself but there must be real growth. We’ll have real growth when situations like OPEKEPE stop and money goes where it should. There are no magic things, there is rationalism and proper distribution of money, there is love for society and citizens”.
Regarding her party’s detailed economic program she said “the announcement will depend on the election announcement”, emphasizing that “people will be excited by the way we’ve built the economic program and how easy it is to implement”. Previously she had added: “we want a Finance Ministry that will consist only of economists and bankers. We won’t put someone who has a journalism degree from distance learning”.
Maria Karystianou also referred to the government’s deputy prime minister, Kostis Hatzidakis saying: “he has never worked. When you haven’t earned social security stamps how can you make correct decisions. Since when do we not consider being experienced in work at all? For us experience means experience in work and in the subject matter”
On immigration
Regarding immigration, Maria Karystianou noted that “we must protect the borders. It’s our obligation. We can’t consider ourselves a serious state if anyone enters the territory whenever they want. When I went as an immigrant and left for livelihood reasons to England I went with a passport. Wherever you move you must move in a specific way. Border protection is an obligation while at the same level is the obligation to help someone live. No, we don’t sink any boat and we don’t drown anyone because we are human. I should be able to transfer people to a center for registration to see if asylum conditions are met, otherwise deportation should occur”
What she would ask Mitsotakis, Androulakis, Tsipras
In the hypothetical question of a debate with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Nikos Androulakis and Alexis Tsipras and referring to the questions she would ask them, Maria Karystianou said “there’s one question: why were you lying to us, mocking us and driving the country onto the rocks? New Democracy and PASOK governed until the memorandums and then we entered this and chaos came. For all this, those who poorly managed the country’s future are to blame. I would ask why so much incompetence and irresponsibility? I would ask them how we have been destroyed and they have become richer? Let them share with us the secret of their success”.
On polls
Finally, Maria Karystianou was asked about polls, initially saying that the dilemma is “either I’ll stay with the old that knows how to make one entanglement after another or I’ll choose catharsis, a different country with the presence mainly of simple people, inexperienced politicians. For me polls don’t represent what I feel when I go out to the world, what I sense. I don’t know how polls come out, they have no relation to reality, I don’t know how sample collection is done and if it’s from all social groups. A large percentage is completely indifferent to the country’s social life, these people might not participate in hearing a poll. Do they show us what citizens feel? I don’t believe it”
