Interview with CNN and Christian Amanpour Granted to the Prime Minister and President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Asked if he was appalled by the magnitude of the electoral victory, Mr Mitsotakis said he expected victory, but “we haven’t reached the self-confidence yet,” which he stressed the ND would seek. in the June elections.

“The results are encouraging, the Greek people have rewarded our program for the future,” he stressed and added that New Democracy won a second consecutive victory over New Democracy.populist opposition“, and this is “an encouraging message for Europe as a whole”.

Priorities for the new four-year period

When asked about his priorities for a second 4-year term if re-elected, he insisted that he had big ambitions for the next term, stressing that transforming Greece requires at least two 4-year terms.

“High growth, more investment and of course more jobs are big priorities for us. We are also promoting a progressive agenda regarding the reform of the National Health System, the modernization and digitalization of the state, as well as the reduction of social inequality,” he noted and recalled that in the previous 4 years, direct financial support was provided to those who needed it more.

“Our top priority is to increase the wages of Greek citizens if they trust us again,” he stressed and said he was satisfied with the performance of the Greek economy, since domestic growth “is” at a faster pace compared to the corresponding European one.

He reiterated that if a strong independent New Democracy government is formed, the country will regain investment status. “Our top priority is to increase wages. I understand that wages remain low and the cost of living has risen,” he said, adding that more needs to be done.

He made it clear that “I will not mortgage the future of the country, but I will move on the path of fiscal stability”, stressing that “I am proud that we have increased the country’s GDP while reducing debt.”

“Tough but fair border policy”

asked about it Refugee and NYT Publication Investigation Request – who spoke of the re-promotion – and footage of which was shown during the interview, Mr. Mitsotakis said, “To be frank, we have already launched an investigation, we have taken this incident seriously.”

He added that “Back in 2015, 75% of illegal migrants entering Europe came through Greece – we basically had an ‘open borders’ policy, and that put enormous pressure on the entire Schengen area.”

“I support a tough but fair border policy,” he said, adding that “we have essentially ended smuggling of migrants.”

“We have done important work with unaccompanied minors,” he also stressed, noting: “We have informed the EU. that you can’t have an immigration policy without border protection. Very few talk about the Turkish breakthrough that is pushing desperate people into the sea towards our borders.”

Christine Amanpour repeated the question to the Prime Minister if Greece had anything to do with the deportations depicted in the video, to which Mr Mitsotakis replied categorically: “Our government has nothing to do with this”, even describing the practice as “unacceptable”, pointing out that the Greek authorities saved thousands of human lives in the Aegean Sea.

When asked about Greek-Turkish relations, he repeated that he was not naive, and that the foreign policy of states does not change from day to day, wishing, however, to “maintain the positive dynamics that have developed after the deadly earthquake in Turkey”, he insisted that Greece and Turkey can resolve the only dispute, namely the delimitation of the EEZ on the basis of international law, noting that the blue home doctrine is highly revisionist and that it “threatens our national sovereign rights”.