PM announces 8% increase in disability benefits (OPECA) Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Speaking at the Finance Minister’s event “Greek Economy: Sustainability – Progress – Prospects”, the Prime Minister said that this is the last symbolic act of the current parliamentary term, which concerns 200,000 citizens.

Investment grade by 2023 with strong government

At the same time, he noted that over the past four years, the national economy has been modernized 12 times and is one step ahead of the investment level. “If the elections result in a strong and stable government, Greece will regain investment status in 2023,” Mr. Mitsotakis stressed.

As for inflation, he said that it is declining, but we have seen the worst, and today it is much lower than the European average. Mr. Mitsotakis also mentioned that Greece successfully issued five-year bonds just a day after the election was announced.

Accounting for government work

“In less than 45 months, and in fact through many successive crises, our country has managed to integrate national needs into the requirements of the times, quickly catch up, so today Greece is a pleasant surprise for Europe,” the Prime Minister stressed.

He said that nothing in 2023 is like a country with over-debted memorandums, with a wounded and divided society. “In the summer of 2019, we started a new life. Four years later, we have covered the losses in average income, we have dramatically increased our productivity, investments, exports. The national product is returning to the level of 2010, and we are in second place in terms of growth in the eurozone,” he said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the growth rate is not an end in itself, but a parameter of collective well-being and individual progress. He stressed that this is why it is important that unemployment fall by 7 percentage points and that 300,000 new jobs be created.

He also talked about a threefold increase in the minimum wage and an increase in pensioners.

“The above did not happen at the push of a button. I didn’t promise miracles in 2019. I laid out the vision and talked about the specific plan. I have dedicated myself to much and hard work. I talked about bold reforms that will make our economy more competitive. A lot of these have been implemented,” the Prime Minister continued, specifically mentioning the Greece 2.0 project.

He also talked about changing the fiscal structure. “We promised to cut taxes, and we are cutting taxes. We have reduced more than 50 taxes, including through the de-escalation of contributions,” he stressed. “We have pursued a flexible and developing tax policy. We have done this without compromising financial discipline. will be much lower than expected. And my commitment that in 2023 the country will generate a primary surplus that will be obtained through development, and not through overtaxing, is completely true,” he stressed.

Bank Consolidation

He also spoke about the consolidation of the banking system. He said “red” loans had fallen from 45% to single digits. “All banks are fully protected from international shocks,” he said. “Yesterday it was announced the expansion of the circle of beneficiaries under the housing loan subsidy program,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that all this indicates that our country is no longer a problem, but part of the solution to European problems.

“It is important that the citizen feel that his own, better life is also the result of these indicators. I believe that Greek men and women honestly acknowledge this. Society actually saw tremendous support during the crisis. Small and medium businesses remember the returnable deposit. Workers remember that the state protected jobs. Citizens see surplus social wealth returning to the average income. These are the results of the policy that we are defending,” he stressed.

“Greece has become a good example of Europe. The Greeks are armed with more confidence and optimism. Our national initiatives have always been accompanied by European initiatives. We have contributed to the formation of a more sustainable European policy. Remember the digital vaccination certificate and the Recovery Fund. We were also present as Greeks in the recent formation of a natural gas price control mechanism. We are a bit late, but Europe has proven that it can finally find solutions for the benefit of Europeans. The same goes for the big trials of the coming months. I mean the new stability pact. Greece submitted very detailed proposals. One thing is clear that the old rules are ineffective. To learn from the crisis, not to repeat the mistakes of the past,” he said.

Finally, Kyriakos Mitsotakis dwelled on the new Stability Pact, emphasizing pointedly that the old rules are ineffective in the current situation.

“Our Motherland suffered from a crisis that lasted almost a decade. In some areas we are still separated from the European reality by a distance. Look at the example of Ireland. This national necessity requires that the country be kept on the same upward trajectory with the same confidence. I believe that this will soon be confirmed by the choice of the Greeks in the forthcoming elections. Citizens will compare and judge, weigh and decide, considering what we have discussed today not as a reckoning, but as a stop on an exciting journey that may bring many more successes. With an important milestone on May 21, when the united Greek men and women will give the second command to advance so that an independent Greece can move forward as it deserves: firmly, boldly and only forward.

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