“From the beginning we had made it clear that it is unacceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, but from the first moment we also clarified – as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – that the answer is not war but self-restraint and finding a peaceful and sustainable solution. The impact on the Greek economy will be limited, if the attacks stop, something that remains to be confirmed as we are talking about a region with a multi-year tradition of multiple conflicts,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, in an interview with OPEN television station regarding developments in the Middle East.
“There will be a relative normalization in oil prices. Where there could be a more significant problem is in tourism, because we have hundreds of thousands of tourists from Israel every year, many of whom had made cancellations. We will see what happens in the coming days, if there is normalization and a sense of greater security, then the year that started very well I hope will continue.” In any case, he emphasized that market controls will continue decisively until there is normalization of the situation as any increases in international prices should not be immediately passed on to gas pumps.
Hatzidakis: “It is obvious that the strong side is Israel”
Expressing the position of the Greek government, Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized that what is sought in this region is peace. “From the beginning we had made it clear that it is unacceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, but from the first moment we also clarified – as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – that the answer is not war but self-restraint and finding a peaceful and sustainable solution. There was a display of power and modern warfare techniques by Israel, there was also support from the US with bombings in fields where it was believed there were nuclear facilities and a reaction from Iran with casualties in Israel and attacks in Qatar for which there was prior warning. It is obvious that the strong side is Israel while Iran is in a more difficult position,” he added.
Regarding OPEKEPE
When asked about the OPEKEPE issue, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed: “We will not hide anything, nor will we allow suspicions to linger, but we must first read the case file and where there is substantiated suspicion there will be further investigation. But we will not go on a witch hunt. Trials are already taking place at the national level for various operators who appear to have illegally received subsidies and in all these cases we will exhaust the possibilities provided by justice.”
Mr. Hatzidakis noted that this is not the first time penalties have been imposed for this specific reason in the country, as the phenomenon has existed since the 1980s, and many fiscal corrections have been imposed for periods of governance by both PASOK and SYRIZA. Nor is it a Greek “privilege” and it is indeed a problem more acute in Mediterranean countries. “At this time, investigations are being conducted by the European prosecutor’s office in 17 countries,” said Mr. Hatzidakis. “This does not diminish the importance of the problem nor the need to be decisive. Interventions were made after 2019, for example the subsidy for those who have pastures without livestock was abolished, arrangements were made for more effective organization of OPEKEPE, etc. However, the issue was not addressed, the reaction should have been manifested earlier and in greater depth. That is why by decision of the Prime Minister, the absorption of OPEKEPE by AADE is proceeding,” he added.
Regarding the fires in Chios
Finally, regarding the fires in Chios, the Deputy Prime Minister spoke of a strange situation, given that we had many fronts in a few hours and added: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but this is a fact. It is self-evident that there was mobilization of the state mechanism from the first moment.”
