His promise that Greece will regain its credibility among its lenders gave New Democract leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a press conference in Thessaloniki on Sunday, and reiterated his call for snap elections.
“We paid the price for lying,” he told reporters and said that a ND government will implement swiftly the reform program agreed between the country and its lenders along with additional reforms that are needed.
On the issue of taxation and economic policy, the leader of ND said the contingency mechanism has already been implemented by the government “if we consider that the state pays solely public sector wages and pensions”. This chokes entrepreneurship, while over taxation and high insurance contributions send many businesses abroad.
Asked about the low pensions, Mitsotakis said the inequalities will be restored gradually but said he cannot promise immediate changes, while he admitted that some wages are very low and should be corrected.He also noted that even if ND achieves a clear majority, it will still seek wider alliances with other parties. Responding to a question about the tv licenses issue, he pledged to abolish the law limiting the number of TV licenses. Mitsotakis refused to comment directly on the ongoing investigation into the communications firm of the wife of Greece’s central banker, Yiannis Stournaras, but noted that the Attica Bank report prepared by the central bank and SSM must be presented in parliament.On the issue of migration and the reactions of a parents association in the northern city of Oreokastro who refused to accept refugee children in their school, Mitsotakis said: “I will not allow xenophobic comments in ND and I want to be clear on this. However, we have to know what the government’s intentions are, as none of what was agreed in the party leaders’ meeting was observed, such as the separation between refugees and economic migrants and accommodation centers.” “When there are gaps, xenophobia tries to fill them,” he added.