Democratic Left (DIMAR) party released a statement saying that the creation of a surplus must be based on development policies and not on painful recessionary measures.

The statement mentions that the Finance Ministry announced a primary surplus of 2.3 billion euros while the state’s overdue payments to the private sector exceed 5.3 billion euros, based on data released by the General Accounting Office.

“Instead of creating an artificial euphoria, the government must realize that the country needs a change of policy that includes shifting the fiscal adjustment from the austerity measures to policies related to development, social protection and job creation,” the party said.