Socrates Famellos is ready to present SYRIZA’s proposals for addressing the problems of Greek society in his speech tomorrow at Vellidio as part of the Thessaloniki International Fair (DEΘ). After meetings with all productive stakeholders, the SYRIZA president and his associates have developed the proposal he will present, while also expected to highlight all the government’s mistakes and oversights. What Socrates Famellos wants to demonstrate is that SYRIZA is in a state of normalcy after the difficult Kasselakis period and that the party has now returned to political and organizational restart following the June Congress.
However, Socrates Famellos knows very well that on Thursday at the traditional press conference he is expected to face many questions regarding Alexis Tsipras and the new party. He also knows that the answer he has been giving until now, that there is nothing concrete to comment on, can no longer stand, since just a few days ago Alexis Tsipras was at DEΘ and spoke at the Economist conference as a potential party leader.
Meanwhile, yesterday SYRIZA’s European group responded to the prime minister, who from DEΘ claimed he was unaware of the European directive regarding VAT abolition. “The prime minister in his press conference at DEΘ denied knowing anything about his government’s violation of the transposition of two European directives on reduced VAT rates for basic goods and the special regime for small businesses. In other words, the country’s prime minister claimed to be unaware that the European Commission has initiated an infringement procedure against Greece for non-incorporation of the directives. Let us inform him of the latest developments since – unfortunately for him – just hours before his DEΘ speech, Commissioner Hoekstra responded to a related question from SYRIZA’s European group.
- On January 31, 2025, the European Commission sent a warning letter to the Mitsotakis government and has received no response since.
- On July 16, 2025, SYRIZA’s European group submitted a question to the Commission on the disputed issue.
- On July 17, 2025, the Commission sent a reasoned opinion to the Greek government, moving to the next stage of the infringement procedure.
- On September 5, 2025, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra communicated his response on behalf of the Commission to MEPs. As he notes, Greece has not transposed the two directives within the deadline that expired on 31-12-24, that the infringement procedure is ongoing, and that Greece has two months to respond, after which the European Commission can refer Greece to the EU Court with a request for economic sanctions.
But beyond the government’s refusal to implement the directive and the prime minister’s evasions, the core of the problem lies in the fact that the government has no political will to implement reduced rates for very basic items such as food, medicines, transport, social housing, to reduce taxation by 30% in the country’s island regions, and to implement favorable regulations and VAT exemption for small businesses. While the EU legislates to address inflation and high prices, New Democracy not only refuses to transpose the relevant directives but refuses to provide relief to citizens, small businesses, and remote areas. And let him say he “doesn’t know about the issue”.”
