Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent the message that Greece’s government majority is stable and that holding elections in 2027 is a personal commitment, during a discussion with journalist Francine Lacqua on Monday afternoon, as part of a Bloomberg event titled “The New Era of Greek Banking.”
“We have 2.5 years based on the people’s mandate to implement our policies,” continued the Prime Minister, adding that this way “we don’t need to get into discussions about complex political alliances.”
Asked about Samaras’ expulsion, he replied, “What happened, happened. The decision was clearly explained. My job is to look forward. We have a comfortable parliamentary majority. The last thing we want is to play with government stability. It is a sad decision, a ‘one-off’ (as it was originally stated). We leave it behind us.”
In this context, Mitsotakis added, “Investors trust Greece because there is no risk.”
The Prime Minister also noted, “We can proceed with tax cuts as long as we continue to be effective in fighting tax evasion,” expressing the belief that “we will perform better than some expect in terms of growth.”
Asked about the early repayment of debt, he said it “shows the stability of the economy,” announcing plans for 5 billion in payments in 2025.
“We still remember the trauma of the financial crisis and we have to deal with the issues we’ve inherited. Fiscal discipline is the foundation on which our policies are built,” Mitsotakis further stated, underlining that “if you look at the budget, we had an increase in revenues with tax cuts, and why did this happen? Because the economy is stable.”
The privatization cycle is nearing its end, the Prime Minister also said.
Asked about his phone call with Donald Trump, he said, “I spoke with President Trump, we had a friendly conversation, he recognized the great progress of the Greek economy with tax cuts and the creation of a business-friendly environment. We talked about the strategic cooperation between Greece and the U.S. Bilateral relations are exceptionally strong. We have a defense cooperation with the U.S. that will expand, and we have a strong economic cooperation, as you can see from the American capital being invested in Greece.”
Mitsotakis was also asked about Trump’s intention to impose tariffs, and he said, “They don’t create positive conditions. A trade war between the US and Europe would not benefit either side.”
The Prime Minister also addressed energy issues, emphatically stating, “We don’t have a European energy market; we have something that resembles it. It is unacceptable for countries in Southeast Europe to be penalized because of an algorithm that protects wealthier countries. Energy price reductions must concern everyone. We are pioneers in the energy transition, but we still haven’t seen the corresponding benefits.”
In the same vein, he added, “I can’t understand why the same product has a different price in Greece and a different one in Europe. This is not a single market.”
The Bloomberg journalist also asked Kyriakos Mitsotakis about Trump’s cabinet appointments, with the Greek Prime Minister mentioning the new U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, saying that “it’s good that he understands the complexity of the situation in our region.”
“It’s hard to explain that governance isn’t easy in the times we live in. In 2023, we increased our support because we fulfilled our commitments. People in such times want to feel secure. Finding solutions in such a chaotic period and telling them that as a country we can and will do these things is part of our work. Our number one commitment is raising wages and cutting taxes. We also want to support the middle class and help them understand the growth,” Mitsotakis continued.
“We must face this rise of populism and explain to the citizens what they should expect,” the Prime Minister added, emphasizing, “Greeks have tried populists, and it didn’t go well. What they want now is stability.”
