Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced during a press conference in Kozani that he will provide a special allowance of 200 to 300 euros to pensioners who have not seen increases in their pensions due to personal differences. «There will be an extraordinary aid for pensioners who did not see an increase in their pensions as of 1/1/23,» the prime minister said in response to a question. «It will be between 200 and 300 euros, depending on the amount of pension each person receives,» he added.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also said that the announcements will be made tomorrow by the Economic Staff, adding that: «The benefit will be a one-off payment and we estimate it will total close to 300 million euros», however, he said our economy is growing better than expected and the fiscal cost of this benefit has been calculated.
Breathing space for new and old debts - Specification tomorrow by the Economic Staff
A scheme of 36 to 72 instalments for new debts of prudent borrowers is expected to be announced tomorrow, as announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a press conference in Kozani. The specification of the new arrangements will be made tomorrow by the government's Economic Staff.
Also, as the Prime Minister said, for all those seeking to revive their participation in previous instalment schemes, they will be able to do so through the payment of two monthly instalments.
The Prime Minister visits the new power plant of PPC «Ptolemaida 5»
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the new power plant of PPC «Ptolemaida 5».
«It is a very important project, a very important project for the country's energy security, for PPC, a project with significant domestic added value,» the Prime Minister said during his visit. «In the future, this plant will be a strategic reserve plant for the country, but it is a plant which I would say closes a cycle of almost 70 years of PPC's presence here in the Ptolemaida region. It will continue to operate in this form for many years to come and will of course continue to provide jobs for many years to come, not only for the workers at the plant, but also for those who work in the mines that will supply the plant with lignite.
«The strategy of moving towards a green future is a given and I would say it is non-negotiable. But at the same time, we must not forget the importance we attach to the country's strategic sufficiency in domestically produced fuels,» Mitsotakis said.
The Prime Minister congratulated the company's management for its consolidation and its participation in the green transition: «It is a strategy that is currently being served by PPC itself, which is making its own transition towards a greener future, investing significantly in renewable energy units, such as the large photovoltaic park that is being built near this unit,» said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
«I don't think I need to explain here, in Western Macedonia, what a possible bankruptcy of PPC would mean for the local economy, apart from the disastrous consequences it would have for the country's energy security. Not only did we prevent this eventuality, but we actually achieved something very impressive, adding capital to PPC and enabling it today to be able to discuss significant investments outside Greece», the Prime Minister noted.
«Ptolemaida 5»: 43% more energy with 7% less fuel
Ptolemaida 5, with a capacity of 660 MW, is the most modern and efficient lignite plant in Greece. Thanks to the use of the best technologies in its design, it is able to compete with gas-fired plants, with the lowest possible carbon dioxide emissions, and can produce 43% more energy with 7% less fuel consumption.
The new plant will help to shield Greece's energy security, especially given the challenges to Europe's energy supply caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, without affecting the steady implementation of the green transition.
With the operation of «Ptolemaida 5» 800 new jobs are created in the region, while 2,000 people were employed in its construction and more than 100 Greek companies participated in its construction.
The unit is undergoing a trial operation period and is expected to be fully integrated into the network within the next three months, with the ability to provide thermal energy for the district heating of the city of Ptolemaida.
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited the «Alpha’ wine production estate, where he was given a tour of the facilities and was informed about the production stages of the 14 varieties of wine produced.
The Prime Minister was accompanied on his tour by the Minister of Environment and Energy Costas Skrekas, the Deputy Minister of Development and Investment Nikos Papathanasis, the Deputy Minister of Interior responsible for Macedonia - Thrace Stavros Kalafatis, the Deputy Minister of Transport and MP of New Democracy Michalis Papadopoulos, the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Yannis Economou, the Secretary General of Energy and Mineral Resources Alexandra Sdoukou, the MPs of Kozani of the New Democracy, Stathis Konstantinidis, Paraskevi Vryzidou and Giorgos Amanatidis, the MP for Florina of the South Democratic Party Yannis Antoniadis, the MP for Kastoria of the South Democratic Party Zisis Tzikalagias and the regional governor of Western Macedonia Giorgos Kasapidis.
I believe that something better can come out of this drama in Greek-Turkish relations.
«I have never closed the door to dialogue with Turkey,» the Prime Minister stressed at the Kozani press conference, answering the question whether the earthquake in Turkey and the aid that our country rushed to provide immediately helped to improve relations, something that was proven by Mevlut Cavusoglu's statements.
«I keep Mevlut Cavusoglu's statement that things can get better, but I also understand the scepticism of some people that we may return to the bad habits of the past, and I hope and pray that this will not happen,» the Prime Minister said: «I never closed the door to dialogue. In Turkey they know that Greek foreign policy has now acquired depth and content. Greece will continue to strengthen its deterrence, which is not necessarily directed against Turkey.’
«I hope that something positive will come out of this,» he reiterated, adding that we will continue to support Turkey with aid, because we know that its people have needs. We will also be present in the reconstruction effort the next day.
I don't believe Mr Tsipras when he says he will not explore the formation of a government of losers
He does not believe Mr Tsipras when he says that he does not intend to form a government of losers, he does not believe anything he says, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a press conference he gave in Kozani for the media of Western Macedonia, and called on citizens who will go to vote at the first ballot box to know that numerically there is also the possibility of forming a government of losers.
“Mr Tsipras told us that he will not form a government of losers. I do not believe anything that Mr Tsipras says,” the Prime Minister replied to a question and continued: “In 2012 he said, at the time, that he would make a government of losers. And I want people to know that the reference I made to political monstrosity is true. Numerically, a government could be formed by the second, third and fourth parties. It is a possibility. Do I believe Mr Tsipras when he says he will not explore it? I do not believe him. I am very clear. So, the people who are going to vote in the first ballot box, know that numerically that possibility can exist. Such a government can come about, even though it seems very difficult at the moment, because the progressive front that Tsipras is trying to form does not seem to have many takers. In theory, however, it is a possibility that all citizens should be aware that it exists.”.
Regarding the high tones in the political debate and the opposition's accusations of “barbarism” and “undemocratic aberration”, Mitsotakis said that he was speaking positively and accused Tsipras of choosing the strategy of polarisation, in order “to rally his audience and reach the percentage he got in the 2019 elections”.
“I will continue to speak positively and it is a question for Mr Tsipras why he insists on this polarisation. Why does he spend all the time telling us how undemocratic and evil we are, presenting the black and white?;
Why is Mr Tsipras choosing this strategy? I personally have an answer: Because he is barely trying to rally his audience to get closer to the percentage he got in the 2019 elections. That's why he is doing it, not because he has a real ambition to win the elections and pass New Democracy electorally.”.
The prime minister refused to answer whether he has decided in his mind when the elections will be held and noted:
“I have said many times that the elections will be held in the spring. Plus-except for a few weeks-I don't think it will make that much difference in the timing of things.”.
Asked whether he believes that the Greek-Turkish rapprochement that existed after the catastrophic earthquake and the immediate Greek assistance to the neighbouring country will continue or will Ankara revert to its previous behaviour, the Prime Minister replied that he hopes and hopes that it will continue and stressed: “Indeed, I believe that through this drama something better for Greek-Turkish relations may emerge. And I keep the statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Cavusoglu, that things can get better. But on the other hand, I also understand the skepticism of some people who may believe that after the initial period of emotional turmoil, all of this can be put aside and we can go back to the bad habits of the past. I hope and pray that this does not happen.
In these three and a half years that I have had the honour of being Prime Minister, I have been struggling not to add fuel to the fire and not to poison relations between the two peoples.
I want to say again that I have never closed the door to dialogue with Turkey and I have always been open to talk to Turkey. Turkey knows very well what our red lines are, it knows very well what issues we are discussing, what issues we are not discussing and it also knows very well that Greek foreign policy now has depth and content. Greece will continue to strengthen its deterrence, it will continue to build its alliances, it is not necessarily the moves that are made against Turkey. Therefore, I hope that something positive will indeed come out of this disaster. I believe that Greece and the Greek citizens will continue to support the Turkish people, through their own voluntary contribution, by sending aid, which Turkey still needs today. And we will play our role as a neighbouring country to Turkey so that we can be protagonists in the effort that will be made the next day for the reconstruction of the regions.
Asked about the local elections, the prime minister said that New Democracy will support the incumbent regional governors, who were elected with its support, and in this context it will also support the re-candidacy of the regional governor of Western Macedonia, George Kasapidis.
