At the 9th Delphi Economic Forum, the president of SYRIZA Stefanos Kasselakis, stated: “We have renewed our party and we are a strong movement.” Expressing confidence, he said: ‘We will close this gap (with ND) in the coming months and surprise Greece and Europe in the next elections.”
Agreeing that there is economic stability in the country, he added: “If we look at the convergence in other EU countries, the results are unpleasant.” Pointing out the decrease in direct investments by 10%, he mentioned: “We are last when it comes to investments. This is not an outward-looking economy. A lot of work needs to be done.”
Regarding the model he envisions for Greece, the president of SYRIZA mentioned that strong party line is the rule of law and the regulation of open markets, stating that the government hasn’t done anything to regulate open markets, including the energy sector.
“The first banking crises in the West was in this country,” Mr. Kasselakis reminded, and questioned, “If the economy is growing, why did they disinvest from the banks?” referring to the government.
Regarding the ideological stance of his party, “I think here it’s a matter of labels,” he explained, adding that “people in the morning, when they wake up and think about paying their bills, they don’t care. For instance if the country had a positive economy we wouldn’t have the most expensive housing in Europe,” he continued, noting that “we need radical solutions to solve big problems. We will be center-left party but alone that’s not enough,” he said, adding , “however, we are the only party that fills that gap.”
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“We have a left-wing, interventionist party that the country needs.”
Referring to the governance of SYRIZA, “regarding the so-called U-turn, SYRIZA was elected to negotiate the austerity imposed by Germany,” Mr. Kasselakis noted, adding that “the Greek citizens gave Alexis the mandate to negotiate, and he tried and brought about changes.” Moreover, he mentioned, ” not only did he create a safety net but also managed to have support measures which was a first in the history of many Western European countries, and that’s why Greece was able to face the pandemic and many other crises.”
“The time has come to see that we have a left-wing, interventionist party that the country needs,” said the President of SYRIZA and continued by expressing, “Regarding foreign investors, I would like to assure you that I communicate with them better than my political opponents,” he noted.
Where he agree’s with Trump
As Mr. Kasselakis stated, “I am the only politician in Greece who has achieved these results,” and when asked about Donald Trump, he replied that what he agrees on is his policy towards China and the market distortions China causes on trade. But unlike Trump, Kasselakis noted that he does not overlook human rights violations expressing that “Trump is very selective in what he prioritises and agrees with.”
The president of SYRIZA also mentioned that “the EU must support Ukraine and to achieve this goal Greece has a role to play but it is up to other countries to provide the military assistance needed. We need transatlantic independence,” he concluded regarding NATO, noting that, “it must be a defensive alliance, and we must primarily focus on the independence of Europe’s defense capabilities.” When asked about his future in Greek politics, he said, “yes, I am in Greek politics for the long term.”
