Alexis Tsipras began his speech at the Economist and powergame.gr conference with sharp criticism of the government, focusing on inflation, taxes, and economic growth rates, while also addressing societal divisions and accusing the Mitsotakis government of corruption. “Very high incomes, regardless of their source, should support the country through the introduction of a Patriotic Contribution. This contribution would be directed to a special closed account, a Fund with one priority: Supporting the Younger Generations. That is, supporting Education, research and innovation, as well as youth housing,” he emphasized.
“We need a new national compass and all productive social classes must participate in this effort. What the country needs right now, in two words, is a new patriotism,” Alexis Tsipras underlined. Referring to the directions the Greek economy should take in the coming period, he proposes, among other things, the creation of a Fund with one priority: Supporting the Younger Generations. “With money that will be drawn from very high incomes through the introduction of the Patriotic Contribution and through redistribution so that the wealthy contribute to the future of this country. The goal is to support the new generation. That is, supporting Education, research and innovation, as well as youth housing.”
As Al. Tsipras characteristically emphasized, “we need a New Patriotism. One that understands a healthy economy, a solid and modern productive model, social cohesion, trust in institutions and the state, as a condition for the security and progress of our homeland.” At the same time, he proposes a new productive model and its financing through the creation of a National Convergence Fund aimed at directing and implementing investments in sectors of strategic priority, public-private partnerships, and leveraging private capital. Overall, he presented the 9 basic pillars of the National Recovery Plan with a five-year horizon aimed at prosperity, because as he noted, without social cohesion, there was not and cannot be development.
These pillars include: Strong and fair state, Change of the productive model, Support for labor, Resilience and energy security, Demographic resilience, Private debt reduction, technological upgrading and digital autonomy, Redistribution and National Convergence Fund, National Security.
“The country urgently needs a major developmental shock. A shock comparable to those of the Trikoupis and Venizelos periods. Otherwise, it will definitively miss the convergence train and find itself once again in conditions of existential crisis,” he emphasized, because as he noted, “if we persist in sowing social injustice, labor deregulation, corruption and profit greed, we will reap deadlock.”
