G. Economou: Ensuring the quality of life of citizens is our primary goal

“Supporting society, ensuring the level of quality of life of citizens is our primary goal,” said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou, in today’s briefing of political authors in Thessaloniki, referring to the measures that have been taken and those that continue to be taken by the government to halt the accuracy, due to the global energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.

At the same time, he stressed that “no European budget can cover the burden of unprecedented price increases on its own”, as no government in Europe alone can solve a pan-European and global problem.

“That is why Prime Minister K. Mitsotakis has developed initiatives for a European solution and continues in this direction in order to have a tangible result at the May summit,” said Mr. Economou and continued: “At the same time, of course, with the initiatives “We are also working on our own national plan, which the government is developing at European level. Another national plan, another decisive intervention, aimed at supporting society in the face of large increases in electricity prices and more.”

Mr. Economou pointed out that since September the government has taken measures in excess of four billion euros.

“We are determined to continue for as long as this crisis lasts. This month the measures exceed 1.2 billion euros. They include in addition to the increased subsidy for electricity and gas, the subsidy for fuel, the measures to support our farmers, the “Extraordinary financial aid of two hundred euros just before Easter to our vulnerable fellow citizens” said Mr. Economou and added:

“All this proves in practice the social sensitivity of the government, caring for the problems and difficulties faced by the Greek society. They have a social sign, they are choices that bring results, not by zeroing the price increases, but by mitigating the imprint of accuracy.”

The government spokesman stressed that “no Greek government in the last seventy years has faced so many external challenges in such a short period of time” and that “it has managed to manage them in such a way that social stability is not disturbed, national security, nor the course of the economy “. He noted, as an example, the government’s handling of migration, the pandemic and the measures taken since the beginning of the global energy crisis to support society.

“This is a success, an indisputable, a large share of which is credited to the Greek citizens, the Greek society” stressed Mr. Economou and added:

“Citizens, after the crisis of the memoranda and the experience of 2015, have understood that foolish and hasty choices are easy to lead to tragedies, which we all want to forget. That is why Greek society closes its” ears “to sirens of populism and authoritarianism, trying to take advantage of the crisis by turning the economic crisis into deep politics. ”

Mr. Oikonomou also pointed out that at European level “some naive, or even suspicious political circles” are trying to take advantage – as in the 1930s when people paid dearly in Europe, of questioning its basic political and moral values. to turn the economic crisis into a structural, political and state crisis.

“We must not allow such circles internationally, on our continent, Europe, to return to the forefront in the guise of a so-called pro-people politician who is anxious about everyday life,” Oikonomou said. to exploit the legitimate indignation of the people of Europe to undermine democracy, to challenge the values ​​of freedom, human rights, humanism that characterize the European way of life, and to cause even more chaos. the culture with the inability to promote totalitarianism and despotism, and they do not say that the multiple and burdensome crises, the great difficulties faced by the citizens of Europe, crises that we pay dearly all triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. to give space to these forces that are working on the collapse of Europe to achieve their goal, because then the cracks will be worse for all of us. ”

The government spokesman also referred to the appearance of the official opposition leader Alexis Tsipras at the SYRIZA congress, saying that fifteen years after assuming the leadership of his party he appears “with exactly the same slogans, with the same political positions” and continued:

“Mr. Tsipras proved yesterday that he is far from the needs and problems of Greek society. He proved it with his speech, he proved it with basic characteristics of his presence at the SYRIZA conference. What did we see yesterday? Instead of a substantial self-criticism “In a world that has changed completely and continues to change, Mr. Tsipras is trying to find answers through ideologies that have historically gone bankrupt.”

“A figure of yesterday and himself and the protagonists of the front line themselves and unchanged since they failed to find and attract not a single new person, he and his party, expect to restore what society what the country is struggling to leave behind… They prove to be insufficient and out of date for Greece in 2022 “added the government spokesman.

Mr. Economou described as “naive” and “superficial” Mr. Tsipras’ findings on the problems of society and his speech “deeply divisive” and “Manichaean” and “with insults” for the Prime Minister, for whom Mr. Economou recalled that “he was chosen by a large, broad social majority.”

“Of course, he put everything back on everyone, without measure and without measure,” Mr. Oikonomou said of Mr. Tsipras, adding:

“ND expresses the middle ground between extremes, the path of security, stability, justice, democracy and freedom.”

The government spokesman also referred to the government’s legislative initiatives, such as the law passed yesterday for the rapid issuance of outstanding pensions, the housing policy for the new generation, with emphasis on the creation of many new jobs. He also mentioned the signing of a contract yesterday between the Greek state and TRAINOSE for the barren railway lines, amounting to five hundred million over a decade, of which “453 million will return to the Greek state for investments”. He noted that in May the new TRAINOSE trains will start on the Athens – Thessaloniki line. Innovative element as he said that most of the annual compensation returns to public railway companies, with an investment annex on the implementation of which depends the duration of the new contract.

In particular, Mr. Economou stood in his meeting with the management of the TIF and in the plan for the renovation of the Thessaloniki International Fair, describing the “emblematic project”, which will contribute to the development of the city as a business hub and stressed that “the benefits are obvious “, starting from the end of 2022 when the studies will run and the relevant building permits will be issued, until its completion, which is planned until the end of 2026.

He noted that only in the first phase of its construction the economic activity will reach seventy to eighty million euros per year, with one thousand to one thousand five hundred jobs, with open spaces that will be given to Thessaloniki and with an environmentally friendly construction.

“We will, we become, witness the greatest urban regeneration in the center of Europe’s big city,” the government spokesman added.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ