Sun. Mitsotakis: Economy and society will not be closed again

In the message that «The economy and society will never shut down again» but also in the encouragement «At a certain point, we ourselves become the guardians of our own health, and you become the guardians of the health of your employees and customers.», the prime minister said, Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the meeting he had earlier at the Maximos Mansion with representatives of the retail and restaurant sectors, aimed at improving cooperation in implementing measures to combat the pandemic.

Mr. Mitsotakis noted at the start of the meeting: «First of all, I want to thank you for the sense of responsibility that the restaurant and retail sectors are already demonstrating in implementing the new measures. I will say again that the economy and society will not shut down again.”. Vaccinated people will not be deprived of their freedoms, and those who have not yet been vaccinated should protect themselves. ». For all of this to happen at the same time, however, in addition to law enforcement, cooperation is obviously needed, and it seems that we are achieving this primarily through persuasion.".

The prime minister also emphasized: «I would say that, at a certain point, we ourselves become the guardians of our own health, and you become the guardians of the health of your employees and customers.". At the same time, I believe that this is also how you protect the reputation of your businesses, because It would be disastrous if, due to negligence, they were labeled as hotspots for the spread of the coronavirus. Under no circumstances, can a minor disruption—which I acknowledge exists in your work—be compared to the benefits that compliance with public health measures brings to the market and the country, and of course it cannot be compared to our decision to remain open and keep economic activities running throughout this period, in accordance with the rules we have established.» Regarding the economy, Mr. Mitsotakis noted that «The economic difficulties, at least, are behind us, thanks to the 42 billion in resources that were mobilized in total at all levels.". The big difference from the other waves is that we now have the vaccine. And that is why, proportionally, hospitalizations and deaths—though unfortunately numerous—do not correspond to the number of cases and, in the overwhelming majority of cases, involve our unvaccinated fellow citizens.». He also listed the three keys that will open the door to recovery:

– Vaccinating those who are not yet convinced to get vaccinated,

– The third dose, the booster shot for those who have already been vaccinated

– And daily hygiene measures.

The prime minister did not fail to mention the encouraging data from the past few days regarding vaccinations: «I want to emphasize that the policy we adopted last week appears to be paying off. We had 140,000 new appointments—first-dose appointments—and nearly 200,000 third-dose appointments. What does this mean? It means that There is no sharp divide between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. There are still many of our fellow citizens who have not been vaccinated for various reasons that I can understand and share, but who are nevertheless open to being persuaded and are willing to make the decision to get vaccinated, even at this late stage.» Government sources emphasize that during the meeting, it was pointed out that business owners, business owners, and workers in the hospitality sector are partners with the government, since they share a common goal and tackling the pandemic helps increase business revenue. For their part, market stakeholders emphasized that the goal is to keep businesses open at all times, and the prime minister was also unequivocal during the meeting—so that business owners could plan accordingly—stating that «we will not close.» It was also noted that business owners have contributed to enforcement efforts and that the initial implementation of the measures took place without incident. Representatives of the various organizations also raised specific issues concerning their respective sectors.

Also participating in the meeting were the President of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (KEEE), Yannis Hatzitheodosiou; the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA), Yannis Bratakos; the President of the Hellenic Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (POESE), George Kavvathas, the President of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE), George Karanikas, the President of the Hellenic Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SELPE), Antonis Makris, and the Governor of the Hellenic Bank of Greece (EAD), Angelos Binis. Representing the government were the Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis; the Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos; the Minister of State, George Gerapetritis; the Minister of State responsible for coordinating government projects, Akis Skertsos; the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection, responsible for Anti-Crime Policy, Lefteris Oikonomou, the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson, Giannis Oikonomou, and the Director of the Prime Minister’s Press Office, Dimitris Tsiodras.

The following is a detailed account of the Prime Minister’s opening remarks:

«Today we are launching a new round of consultations with market stakeholders so that the government and citizens can coordinate our efforts to emerge from the pandemic. First of all, I want to thank you for the sense of responsibility that the restaurant and retail sectors have already demonstrated in implementing the new measures. I will reiterate that the economy and society will not shut down again. Those who have been vaccinated will not be deprived of their freedoms, and those who have not yet been vaccinated must protect themselves. For all of this to happen simultaneously, however, in addition to law enforcement, cooperation is obviously needed, and it seems that we are achieving this primarily through persuasion. I think we all agree that it’s not feasible to have an inspector in every store or café, no matter how excellent a job the Greek Police and the National Transparency Authority are doing; so the responsibility for public health also falls into our own hands.

I would say that, at a certain point, we ourselves become the guardians of our own health, and you become the guardians of the health of your employees and customers. At the same time, I believe that this is how you also defend the reputation of your businesses, because it would be disastrous if, due to negligence, they were stigmatized as hotspots for the spread of the coronavirus. And that is precisely why the general measures in effect throughout Europe—which, in essence, do not differ greatly from one another—the surge we are experiencing, this fourth wave, is a shared reality, and so are the methods of defense.

I am eager to do so, which is why I initiated today’s discussion with the relevant ministers—to hear your suggestions on how we can make day-to-day operations more efficient during this period. Under no circumstances, however, can a minor disruption—which I acknowledge exists in your work— can in no way be compared to the benefits that compliance with public health measures brings to the market and the country, and of course it cannot be compared to our decision to remain open and to keep economiceconomic activities have remained open throughout this period, in accordance with the rules we have established.

I think you are, after all, well aware of the government’s interest in businesses. Over the past two years, we have met many times in this chamber and discussed these matters. Let me remind you that, at least as far as the economy is concerned, the difficult times are behind us thanks to the 42 billion in resources mobilized in total at all levels. Coverage of furloughs, extension of debt repayment terms with repayable advances, preferential financing, and commercial rent relief. We have discussed these measures many times. This support, of course, continues as does the relief from tax and social security burdens through reductions in tax rates and employer contributions. It is, therefore, important for the market to respond in turn to the needs of society as well as to the development needs of entrepreneurship itself.

As I have said repeatedly, bringing the pandemic to an end is proving to be no simple matter. We are seeing a surge in the fourth wave across Europe. I was looking at some indicative data from Austria, a country with a population roughly comparable to ours and slightly higher vaccination rates, 9,000 cases, and a corresponding strain on the healthcare system, and it’s clear that we’ll face a few more difficult weeks here at home as well. However, the major difference from previous waves is that we now have the vaccine. And that is why, proportionally, hospitalizations and deaths—though unfortunately numerous—do not correspond to the number of cases and, in the overwhelming majority of cases, involve our unvaccinated fellow citizens.

There are, therefore, three keys that will open the door to recovery: vaccinating those who are not yet convinced to get vaccinated, the third dose, the booster shot for those who have already been vaccinated, and, of course, daily hygiene measures. Because we now know that vaccination protects against easy infection, but above all, it protects against severe illness, as the Minister of Development was the first to note. The booster shot, which is so important, prevents cracks from forming in the wall of immunity we’ve already built, and of course, masks and social distancing prevent the spread of the virus. The large number of tests being conducted—especially with the measures we’ve implemented— allow us to gain a very clear epidemiological picture of the pandemic and to isolate those who become ill—especially asymptomatic cases—as early as possible so that they do not infect their fellow citizens.

I want to emphasize that the policy we adopted last week seems to be paying off. I have the overall data here on vaccination numbers. In the last week alone, we had 140,000 new appointments—first-dose appointments—and nearly 200,000 third-dose appointments. What does this mean? It means there isn’t a sharp divide between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. There are still many of our fellow citizens who haven’t gotten vaccinated for various reasons—reasons I can understand and even share— but who are nevertheless open to being persuaded and, even at this late stage, are willing to decide to get vaccinated. On the one hand, they recognize that this is a necessity; on the other, their daily lives are becoming more difficult. There is greater inconvenience and a financial cost if they choose to remain unvaccinated. Consequently, there is no room for even the slightest complacency.

There is only one path: the path of responsible action, of social dialogue, and of dialogue among all professional groups. Only in this way will we be effective. That is why I would like to hear your thoughts on how our collaboration can become more productive, just as it has been in the past. I am confident that the retail and hospitality sectors will rise to the challenges of the current situation, which are also essential for the advancement of entrepreneurship throughout the country. I believe the overall picture we have—which is confirmed not only by experience but also by the data itself—is that growth in 2021 is very robust. I’m sure you’re seeing this in your own business operations as well, and this gives us a little more resilience to overcome yet another challenge like the one we’re facing now.’.