Sun. Mitsotakis: We are servants of all citizens

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described his second term in office as a period of efficiency and great leaps, at the first meeting of the new Cabinet of Ministers at Maximou Mansion, rejecting any signs of arrogance and complacency from the government's executives.

«We have no right to disappoint the citizens who trusted us,» the Prime Minister said, recommending few words and a lot of work, saying that our government's work should not be sacrificed on the altar of communication.

«Our only opponents are problems and any mistakes», he said, noting that «society has handed us the baton of its future» and that «we start responsibly and optimistically».

Kir. Mitsotakis reiterated that the first bill of the government will be the evolution of the Staff State, so as to become more effective and the second will reflect central financial commitments of the entire four-year period, such as the restoration of EYDAP and EYATH to full public control, as they had been put under the control of the superfund by SYRIZA, but also the mandatory costing of the parties' election programs.

The Prime Minister re-prioritized the four major priorities of the current four-year term, namely:

• Best Salaries

• Better Public Health System

• Better State and

• A better life in a strong Greece.

He stressed to his ministers that «the blue envelopes in front of you contain a total of 120 reforms, 79 Recovery Fund milestones and 959 operational actions with a four-year horizon».

«We are servants of the public interest, so we are servants of all citizens», he said.

Finally, referring to the election result of last Sunday and the entry of many smaller parties into the Parliament, the Prime Minister pointed out that many formations do not necessarily mean democratic plurality but often form a political cacophony.

Starting his introduction to the first meeting of the new Cabinet of Ministers, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that today's meeting is taking place in the light of a huge electoral victory, «a victory without precedent because there is indeed no other example of a government winning a second consecutive four-year term and with increased percentages and with huge differences from its main political opponents».

«We are proud but also grateful to the Greek people for their choice. But the responsibilities we are taking on are also unprecedented. Expectations are very high, you are well aware of this and we have a duty to express them as they come from a broad popular current which has put its trust in us», he added.

Mitsotakis pointed out that at the same time, Greeks condemned false promises and divisive tactics, opting for realistic policies based on a plan and always leading to a measurable result, while maturely approving behaviours that promote honesty and build relationships of trust.

He stressed that the country would have already had a self-ruling government since May if it had not been for the adventure of the simple proportional representation, a negative experiment with extremely negative consequences, he said, and made special reference to abstention, loose voting and the selection of some smaller parties.

Thus it turned out that, as he had pointed out during the pre-election period, «many formations in Parliament do not necessarily mean democratic pluralism but may cause political cacophony. In any case, however, our constitution knows very well how to protect itself and parliamentarianism always has the power to expose false idols,’ he said.

He then referred to the four main directions of the government: better wages, better public health, a better state, a better life in a strong Greece. «Obviously our programme is much richer and much broader. It will be extensively analysed in the programme statements. In front of you are already the well-known blue envelopes which include all the priorities by portfolio,» he said.

He added that «in total, these blue envelopes include 120 reforms, 79 Recovery Fund milestones and 959 operational actions».

He spoke of the establishment of a coherent and comprehensive government plan with a four-year horizon.

Mitsotakis then said that he will immediately begin his visits to the ministries, starting today from the Ministry of Finance, which is de facto at the heart of the government's planning for the new four-year term.

«The welfare state must be a state that rests on a solid economic foundation and we have proven that this is a policy that only we can serve,» he said.

He made a brief reference to the laws passed during the first term of the government, noting that now the goals are more ambitious and concern the implementation of the laws that have already been passed. «The mission does not end in lawmaking, it begins in lawmaking and is only completed with tangible work,» he stressed.

He said that the first bill will concern the evolution of the staff state, while the second will reflect central economic commitments (among them the restoration of the control of the State over EYDAP and EYATH and the costing by an independent body of the parties' programmes, as well as the coverage of very topical emergency social needs).

I am glad because the new format orders our forces based on our central objectives, he said, referring to the participation of more women, the redeployment of successful ministers and the opportunity given to young executives to distinguish themselves, underlining the great responsibility.

«A few words, a lot of work, a successful minister is the one who speaks about his work and the one who defends the government policy as a whole», he stressed, noting that the work should not be sacrificed on the altar of communication and the mind is made up!

Concluding, he stressed that the consequences of the death rattle of the simple proportional representation will be managed in the parliamentary field, while in the field of society the only opponents are the problems that have no colour.

He also stressed that «the opposition to ourselves is not a figure of speech», that the new term of office begins with responsibility and optimism, which he would like to call «a term of efficiency but also of the great leaps that the country must make to seize the great opportunities that are opening up before it».

«We are servants of the public interest, so we are servants of all citizens, faithful to our commitments, to the task for which we have been mandated, to build the homeland of all Greeks and all Greek women, in a prosperous Europe, a strong Greece, the Greece of 2030, a country that will move steadily, boldly and always forward. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we will face all the challenges. Again, good luck to all and to all», the Prime Minister concluded his introductory statement to the first cabinet meeting.