SYRIZA MEP – PS/The Left and member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE), Kostas Arvanitis, held a press conference for the media in Kythira on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The interview took place on the sidelines of an event organized by the SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance of Kythira, with the MEP as a guest, on the afternoon of the same day in Potamos.
Mr. Arvanitis answered questions posed to him by the newspaper «Kythereia,» the newspaper «Kythiraika,» and Kythera.News.
Greek European Citizens
The Member of the European Parliament spoke about the importance of the European elections for Greeks, noting that the issues facing citizens are common to every country—such as the recent farmers« protests, which have taken place both in Europe and in Greece. He also mentioned policies that must be decided at the European level, such as the refugee crisis, the European minimum wage, the housing crisis, and the climate crisis, and concluded that participation is of great importance to citizens: »Not participating is a mistake.”.
The Future of SYRIZA-PS
He referred to the difficulties faced by the SYRIZA-PS party in recent months and outlined the goal for the election results, while also raising the question of how close it would be to the leading party, as well as how much it would widen the gap with the third-place party.
The Resolution on the Rule of Law
Regarding the European Parliament’s much-discussed resolution on the rule of law in Greece, he noted that it is not Greece that is being criticized, but rather its government and the policies it implements—such as those regarding the management of the refugee crisis in Pylos, the investigation into the murder of Karaivaz, the crime in Tempi, freedom of the press, and SLAPP lawsuits filed by politicians against journalists.
For Health
On the topic of health, he referred to the pharmaceutical scandal in Europe, such as the vaccine contracts. «We asked von der Leyen to let us see the documents, but the amounts had been blacked out!»
He also noted that healthcare in Greece, as well as in the island regions, is a matter of national policy, adding that, unfortunately, it is being privatized piece by piece in Greece.
Regarding the criticism of those who left SYRIZA-PS
Regarding the new SYRIZA, he said that «there has been no ideological shift.» Responding to the criticism SYRIZA has faced from those who have left the party, he also said: «I don’t give anyone the right to label me as more or less left-wing, just as I don’t do that myself. The main opponent is the Mitsotakis regime; that concerns us all. It is a huge luxury to put our »I’ above our ‘we’—the prominent party officials who, in short, are also professional politicians.”.
Insularity
Regarding the difficulties faced by islanders, he agreed with Mr. Kalligeros’s question, pointed out that it is a matter of national policy, and cited the transportation subsidy as a successful example for islanders that was implemented under SYRIZA but has since been scaled back.
The Bauhause housing subsidy program is an opportunity that we can implement in collaboration with local government. It will allow us to put the unused, closed buildings owned by the church, local government, and various institutions to good use.
Regarding the coastal shipping sector, he emphasized the need for the government to support local authorities in cooperative-based initiatives and to upgrade the class of ships.
Responding to Mr. Kalligeros’s call, he said that the local government could take the initiative on a resolution for the benefit of the islanders: «Let him tell us exactly what he’s asking for. There have been initiatives taken by other islands, by local authorities—that is, by mayors and regional governors.» He added that «this is something we can address in terms of strengthening the island character within the European framework. We are Island Europe. We’ve raised issues such as the school on Gavdos to prevent students from being transferred to Crete. It’s a national issue, but we say no—it’s a European issue. We want people to stay on Gavdos.».
You can watch the entire interview in the video we're posting.
