Mitsotakis: I want to know the truth about Tempe first

The issue of the security of citizens was raised as a primary issue of the government by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in an interview today.

Mitsotakis stressed that policing has been increased throughout Athens, while he said that its aim is to supervise and prevent criminal incidents.

«There is a general recognition that there has been an increased police presence in the neighbourhoods which has been an issue of concern to residents; it is important to have a police presence, the presence of the police is a deterrent. As we use technology and simplify the citizen's relationship with the state we can free up police officers. We have more of them than EU countries. There is an improvement but it is not reflected in the feeling of security and they form an image,» he told SKAI.

«I respect the pain of the relatives of the victims in Tempe»

The Prime Minister said about the tragedy of Tempi that the moment he arrived there was perhaps the most difficult moment in his life and added that the discussion cannot be conducted by spreading fake news. He stressed that there was no attempt to cover up and that it was difficult to believe in a scenario where train cars were vaporized. Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that justice will provide answers to all questions.

«First I want to know the truth about Tempe».

«Raising wages is the answer to accuracy»

Regarding the major issue of the price increase, the Prime Minister said that the government is responding to this by increasing wages. ’This is the structural response to the issue of accuracy,« he said.

It is right that it is the first and most important problem. How do we respond? With wage increases. I will insist on this because we have set a target in 2027 for the average wage to be 1,500 euros and the minimum 950. Businesses have to pay more to attract workers. That is the structural response, but it is not enough.

Why have we now intervened more drastically in the very functioning of the market? So that there would be no more price increases hidden in a complex system that benefited companies and supermarkets.

Prices increased because cost factors increased. There is no reason for this to happen if the rates are falling. Hence the intervention now.

Families who have a child in 2023 will receive additional support.

All these form an overall grid and among them are the controls on fines. Anyone who breaks the law will be fined. We have imposed fines of EUR 16 million. The fines are collected and the payment of the fine immediately constitutes permanent recognition of the illegality committed.

That is why we always support the weakest. There will be an increase in the minimum wage to more than 800 euros. The increase will be meritless.

«No Easter allowance will be given»

The Prime Minister clarified that no Easter allowance will be given, as he stressed that «our fiscal capacity does not allow us to make this move» and continued:

«We have a very difficult budget to implement and we have made additional interventions with the health sector. On April 1 we will have the minimum wage increase and if we have anything we will have it towards the end of the year. I could say election coming we will give something but we will not give Easter allowance.».

«People who cannot afford it will have free access to evening surgeries»

Among other things, he said that the primary goal of the government is the radical restructuring of the NHS, while for the afternoon surgeries he stressed that in the near future patients who cannot afford to pay will have access to them. The Prime Minister said that the costs of the surgery would be paid for by the Recovery Fund.

«We are making a lot of interventions on the issue of hospitals and health centres. Significant resources of the Recovery Fund are being directed to the CICs. We are emphasizing on personal physician and primary health care and a lot of attention is being paid to the issues of prevention and screening. Prevention saves lives.

I also say in the health sector that the Greece of 2024 is not the same as the Greece of 2019. The pandemic left us with more staff and ICUs. And we have significant resources from the Recovery Fund to improve infrastructure.

This is all part of a process of reforming the NHS that is now beginning. We are seeing the first pieces of a picture that will take four years to show results,» the Prime Minister said.