2015 Draft Budget Discussion: Administrative Reform Minister warns of “relapse”

He warned that Greece has institutional obligations to its lenders

Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of the risk of a “relapse” for Greece while addressing Parliament during the draft 2015 budget debate. He warned the main opposition Coalition of the Radical Left SYRIZA party that it would pay for this as they have learned nothing from the fact that their “views are openly mocked and treated with irony abroad.”

He noted that Greece’s exit from monitoring was dependant on a minimum consensus being reached concerning the framework of the necessary reforms.

“Greece cannot afford to wait for SYRIZA’s political ‘coming of age’,” he said. “It has institutional obligations toward its creditors and the implementation of the agreements is a prior condition for the country being able to borrow at favorable interest rates.”

Mr. Mitsotakis was crucial of SYRIZA’s call for a debt write off dismissing this as existing only in the realm of fantasy. “No one is going to give us 100 billion euros. The only way to be relieved of this debt is to stop servicing it by which time our cutting off from the European family will be accomplished,” he said.

Mr. Mitsotakis predicted that MPs would do their duty and fend off blackmailing when the time comes for the president of the republic to be elected.