“We cannot do more with less”, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated on Thursday at the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on the European Union Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2021-2027.

According to government sources, Mitsotakis stressed that the current proposals of the European Council are far from those of the European Commission and the European Parliament. It should be noted that the difference in these proposals exceeds 200 billion euros.

Citing an example that is of great importance to European citizens, the migrant-refugee issue, he said that cuts in this area are not right and are in the opposite direction to the expectations of the citizens.

The prime minister made a specific reference to Cohesion Policy, noting that it should not be considered merely as a transfer of resources from rich countries to the poorest. As he said, “Cohesion Policy is a point of reference”. This is because these resources are, for many countries, important in order to implement infrastructure, modernization and human resources projects that enhance employment, growth and prosperity of citizens, government sources noted.

He underlined that while the proposals submitted offer Greece more funds, they are not, in their entirety, sufficient to cover the impact of the crisis. “The Cohesion Fund and the Common Agricultural Policy have helped to keep Greece in the euro,” Mitsotakis added, noting that the Common Agricultural Policy is extremely important for the primary sector in Greece.

source Athens news agency