The day after they elections dated July 7, 2019 as Kyriakos Mitsotakis laying his hand on the gospel to be sworn in as prime minister in the presence of his family, nothing foretold the crises he would face during his time in government. Some are exogenous, such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, others are endogenous, such as the fire in Evia and the tragic accident in Tempe.

Pandemic

On February 20, 2020, the first case of coronavirus outside of China was recorded in Canton of Italy. Six days later, on February 26, the first patient with COVID-19 was identified in Thessaloniki, Greece. On March 22, 2020, a general quarantine was announced, which came into force immediately from the early morning of March 23. State and private enterprises were closed. Everyone knows the sequel. The number of deaths from coronavirus in Greece from 09/03/2020 to 03/19/2023 reached 36,532 people. Greece, according to a report by the European Stability Mechanism, allocated 29.5% of its GDP to support the economy over two years from 2020 to 2022.

Jew Threat

While the country lives out the first days of Stay at Home, thousands of immigrants gather at the Greek-Turkish border in Evros on the night of February 28. The Turkish government, reacting to the death of 33 Turkish soldiers in Idlib after being bombed by Syrian government forces, is unilaterally opening its borders to Greece and thousands of migrants gathered are trying to cross them. The work of customs in Kastanies-Evros was immediately interrupted, and the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine arrived to stop the “hybrid” invasion of people, mostly unarmed, but at the same time desperate and therefore determined. Greek forces managed to prevent the entry of thousands of migrants by reporting closed and guarded borders.

Fire in the north of Evia

On the afternoon of Tuesday, August 3, 2021, a fire broke out in the Krieza area in the municipality of Kyumi-Aliveri, while most of the fire brigade was working on the front of the Waribompi fire. The villages of Northern Evia were evacuated one by one, and the inhabitants experienced images of the apocalypse. Five days later, the fire was brought under control, and, according to Meteo, 1/3 of the forests of Evia were destroyed. In total, 508,000 acres and over 1,000 homes were burned.

Crises Maximos has been asked to manage since July 2019.

energy crisis

The rise in energy prices began in September 2021 due to the restart of the economy after the pandemic, when the demand for energy suddenly increased. The beginning of the war in Ukraine led to a sharp rise in prices. In the last week of May 2022, the national average price of unleaded petrol was €2,267. State grants to businesses and households in connection with the energy crisis amounted to 11.3 billion euros. The cost of the budget for 2022 amounted to about 4.8 billion euros. The energy crisis, combined with other factors, also contributed to inflation, which reached 12% in June last year. Rising prices for basic commodities, and especially for food products, led to a decrease in the purchasing power of households. In fact, despite the decline in inflation, the prices of some products remain high.

War in Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military attack on Ukraine. Initial estimates of a quick victory were refuted, and the war continued for thirteen months. Member states are moving forward together in ever tougher sanctions against Russia. The energy security of Europe, like Greece, is in constant tension. After several months of consultations, in December last year, the European states reached an agreement on the introduction of a maximum gas price of 180 euros.

Observations

SYRIZA interprets the resignations of the Secretary General of the Prime Minister Mr. Grigoris Dimitriadis and nephew of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and head of the EPM Panagiotis Kontoleontos on August 5, 2022, which were accepted by the Prime Minister, as “an admission of guilt for the monitoring scandal”. The government says the resignation was due to the toxicity surrounding the personality of Mr. Dimitriadis. “This has nothing to do with the Predator in any way, which neither Mr. Dimitriadis nor the government has anything to do with, as has been categorically stated.” However, the resignation of the commander of the EMP, in an official government statement, is explained by “wrong actions revealed in the process of legal relations.”

Accident at Tempe

On the morning of February 28, everything showed that only a few days remained before the announcement of the elections. But that all changed when a tragic accident took place in Tempi at about 12 o’clock in the morning, killing 57 people, mostly small children, students who were returning home after three days of Clean Monday. The mistakes of people in the wrong place at the wrong time were the hand that pulled the trigger on a weapon that had been ready to fire for many years. What came to light after the accident compromises the entire political system, but, of course, as the prime minister himself admitted, they mainly fall on those who are at the helm of the country at this particular moment: the current government.