On Monday morning (13/07), Kostis Hatzidakis sent a clear message that “the Prime Minister’s announcements at the Thessaloniki International Fair next September will not only concern the coming year, but the next four years as well.”
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Speaking in an interview on Alpha Radio, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed: “I am responsible for coordinating New Democracy’s 2030 agenda, and we are already working intensively at every level to develop serious and realistic proposals based on international best practices — proposals that can actually be implemented and won’t deceive the public.”
Hatzidakis: “New Democracy is a force of continuous national renewal”
“We will highlight our work, which has been significant, but we do not intend to ask for a vote of gratitude. We will ask for a vote of realistic hope. New Democracy is a force of continuous national renewal — and it is the only force upon which Greece can rest its hopes,” he added.
“It would be wrong to read the polls as a sign of bad news for the government”
Commenting on the latest opinion polls, Hatzidakis noted: “At the end of every single survey, we see a percentage for New Democracy that is, naturally, lower than in the previous elections, but still significantly higher than all other parties. It would be wrong to read the polls as a harbinger of bad news for the government. Despite being in our seventh year in power — when voter fatigue is understandable — the fact that New Democracy leads by such a wide margin in the polls is proof that a significant portion of our fellow citizens can see that a great deal is being done in the right direction.”
“The polls reflect the problem of inflation”
“The polls,” he continued, “reflect the problem of inflation, which is a pan-European issue. We see it in everyday life and we are working to address it — as all EU governments are — through market controls, tax cuts, income increases, and a broader effort to strengthen the economy. The economy is moving in the right direction, the country is moving in the right direction, and our job is to keep pushing forward seriously, humbly, and effectively — staying well clear of magic fixes, because we simply don’t have any.”
“Tsipras is coming back the same as before, trying to look different”
Asked about the opposition parties, Hatzidakis said: “Mr. Tsipras is returning much the same as before — same style, same polling numbers. He’s making an effort to appear different, but he’s coming back with the same aggressive, nihilistic rhetoric, the same reckless promises, and largely the same faces. And PASOK is playing the role of SYRIZA. We know exactly how credible these parties are. We know that once again they are promising the moon. On one side, there is toxicity and hostility; on the other, unbridled populist handouts and an insult to the intelligence of the public. We will promise less. But everything we do promise will be delivered — as has been the case up to now. Whereas what Mr. Tsipras and Mr. Androulakis are promising, judging by their announcements so far, amounts to nothing more than a recipe for the same tired populism these two parties have peddled for years.”
“We should be a party of fiscal responsibility and common sense”
Responding to criticism from certain quarters that New Democracy has strayed from its core values, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “I’m not sure we’ve drifted from our principles and values given that unemployment has fallen from 18% to 8%, we have recorded the most significant investment growth in the entire European Union, and we are praised by every international organization. Because we made digital modernization a reality. Because pensioners in Greece now retire earlier than in Germany. Because we have finally resolved maritime zone issues with Egypt and Italy after many years, acquired Rafale jets and Belharra frigates, and are expecting F-35s from 2028 — while the Turkey issue remains pending. And because we have signed a mutual defense assistance clause with France. We have not strayed — not in economic policy, not in foreign policy, not in defense. We strive to work in a structured, methodical way — without reinventing the wheel — by applying sound European practices. To be a party of fiscal responsibility and common sense. Just as Konstantinos Karamanlis envisioned when he founded New Democracy.”
