Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has underlined the government’s determination to press ahead with the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnector without seeking permission from Turkey and without making any concessions on the ground.

Speaking to OPEN TV, he also clearly distinguished former prime minister Kostas Karamanlis’s interventions from Antonis Samaras’s criticism of the government’s foreign policy, while announcing further measures to support households facing the energy crisis.

Referring to the message delivered by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the United Nations, Marinakis said the prime minister had defended Greece’s positions on the basis of international law and the Law of the Sea, stressing that the government’s foreign policy followed a long-standing national strategy.

On the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnector, he made clear that the licensing process was already under way with the Greek authorities and that there was no question of seeking permission from any other country.

“There is absolutely no issue of a permit, a request for a permit or a licensing procedure involving any state other than the Greek state,” he said.

Responding to reports that the French side had passed Turkey the coordinates of the research vessel’s route, Marinakis said a clear distinction had to be made between licensing and notification.

He explained that notification was a procedure followed by the company in similar projects and did not produce legal effects, unlike an application for a permit.

He also ruled out the possibility of France undertaking any licensing procedure, whether formal or informal, with Turkey.

Regarding Turkey’s renewed demands for authorisation, Marinakis stressed that Athens would not change its position.

“Greece does not allow others to determine its strategy or its policy,” he said, adding that the project would be implemented in accordance with international law and the established timetable.

Asked whether Athens was prepared to respond on the ground if Turkey obstructed the project again, he declined to outline specific actions, but assured that “whatever needs to be done will be done to ensure that the project proceeds without any concessions”.

He also rejected claims that Greece had backed down over Kasos, insisting that no such issue had arisen.

The government spokesman also addressed recent interventions by the two former prime ministers, Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, distinguishing between their criticism of the government’s handling of foreign policy.

He said Karamanlis had not spoken of a “national defeat” in reference to developments surrounding the Turkey-Libya memorandum, but had described them as an unfavourable development that produced no legal effects.

“Mr Karamanlis spoke about unity,” Marinakis said, adding that the government listened with great respect to his observations about Turkey and the stance of Greece’s allies.

By contrast, referring to Antonis Samaras, he reiterated that his expulsion from New Democracy had been an unpleasant but unavoidable development.

“There are certain red lines concerning the country’s foreign policy that nobody can cross,” he said, linking Samaras’s expulsion to the terms the former prime minister had used to describe the foreign minister.

Marinakis also rejected accusations that the government had been too conciliatory towards Ankara, pointing to Greece’s extension of its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea, maritime delimitation agreements with Italy and Egypt, maritime spatial planning, and the strengthening of the Armed Forces with Rafale and Belharra vessels, upgraded F-16s and F-35s.

He also recalled that Kyriakos Mitsotakis had raised the issue of Turkey lifting its casus belli threat in connection with the country’s participation in the European SAFE defence programme.

Asked about the possibility of Antonis Samaras establishing a political party, the government spokesman declined to predict what might happen.

“It is better to talk when he does it. The word ‘when’ also contains the word ‘if’,” he said, while expressing his opposition to one-man parties, which, he argued, had failed to solve any problems over the past 15 years.

He argued that New Democracy’s response to traditional voters who appeared dissatisfied should come through the government’s record, particularly on national security, migration policy and tackling lawlessness.

In this context, he cited a reduction of more than 80% in migrant arrivals compared with 2019, the handling of the crisis at the Evros border and the country’s defence upgrades.

New support measures: ‘Interventions will continue for as long as the crisis lasts’

Pavlos Marinakis announced that the government would make further announcements later in the day on measures to address the economic impact of the energy crisis, without disclosing their details.

“As long as there is a need, there will be support,” he said, clarifying that the scale and duration of the measures would be determined by the country’s fiscal capacity.

Referring to the increase in heating oil prices, he pointed out that the maximum heating allowance had risen from €350 to €1,200 and, in areas with higher energy needs, to €1,500. He added that the income eligibility criteria had also been widened to cover more beneficiaries.

On electricity, he argued that retail prices in Greece, relative to purchasing power, remained below the European average, citing government interventions and the option of choosing fixed-rate tariffs.

Refineries, taxation and payments to households

Responding to opposition criticism over the government’s decision not to impose a new windfall tax on refineries, the spokesman argued that the monthly support provided by refineries, combined with government measures, was currently considered the more effective option.

He did not rule out taxing excess profits as a policy tool, noting that the government had introduced similar measures in the past.

He also said that increased tax revenues came mainly from employment growth, efforts to curb tax evasion and higher VAT receipts.

According to Marinakis, additional VAT revenues amounted to approximately €850m, while measures to return money to citizens had already reached €950m.

He recalled that November would bring a one-month rent refund for 80% of tenants, financial support of €400 for pensioners, and a two-month rent refund for doctors, nurses and teachers who met the relevant eligibility requirements.

He also referred to reductions in tax rates for individuals and sole proprietorships, as well as a reduction in advance tax payments.

Criticising the opposition, he stressed that the government would not adopt the approach of claiming that “there is money available”.

“We first find the money without raising taxes, and then we give it out,” he said.