The September Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) package, which will be finalised in August, will aim at reducing direct taxes for citizens and supporting vulnerable groups, as stated on Tuesday by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.

As he recalled, speaking on SKAI, “last year we relied on additional revenues from growth and tax evasion reduction, we abolished taxes for young people aged 20–25 and reduced them by 50% for ages 25–30.”

“The TIF package will be as large as possible, but make no mistake, opposition parties will certainly promise much more than New Democracy. We will promise less and deliver everything. People know this, which is why I believe ND will do well in the next elections,” Mr Hatzidakis added.

“We have been moving forward since 2019 with order, common sense and steady steps. We are not miracle workers. If someone is looking for miracles, they should look elsewhere. They should go to opposition parties that return with the same populist recipes and lies,” the Deputy Prime Minister continued.

Referring to the opposition, he spoke of “toxicity, hostility, extreme theories in some parties and populism that goes beyond all limits,” citing as an example proposals by Nikos Androulakis for free public transport for young people up to 24, which were followed by Alexis Tsipras with a promise of free transport for everyone. “These are not serious things,” Kostis Hatzidakis stressed.

In response to a question about opinion polls, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that after seven years in government it is natural for there to be fatigue in part of society, however New Democracy continues to lead.

“What is certain,” he concluded, “is that we are ahead and that we must continue our work with modesty, seriousness and effectiveness. Despite the mistakes that have been made, it is certain that the country in recent years has improved on many different levels. Unemployment fell from 18% to 8% and 560,000 new jobs were created. Deposits increased significantly, from €140 billion to over €200 billion, with three-fifths of the increase coming from households. In tourism we are among the top 10–12 countries in the world, with 40 million visitors, and the country is converging with the EU average. We will continue as effectively as possible, we will present our agenda for 2030, for which the Prime Minister has entrusted me with coordination, and we will proceed based on common sense and good European practices to respond to the needs of the country and the new era.”