«When prices don’t fall, the government falls. The country needs progressive political change so that things will immediately get better for the vast social majority,» emphasized the press spokesman of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Nassos Iliopoulos, speaking on the main newscast of the Peloponnese-based television station «BEST TV.».
«This is the first time a household with two working adults can’t make ends meet. This is the first time a household with two retirees can’t pay their electricity bill,» he emphasized, adding: «In the first five months of the year, the government has collected 3 billion more in taxes than it had projected.» «And that’s because The New Democracy government has refused to lower the excise tax, has refused to lower the VAT, and is misleading the public by claiming that it is abolishing the adjustment clause», noted Nasos Iliopoulos. «In fact, The adjustment clause is incorporated into the variable-rate tariffs. »The RAE chairman himself told Parliament that under no circumstances will we return to rates prior to the adjustment clause. The government is lying,” he said.
«Right now, energy inflation in Greece is “soaring” at a rate of over 60%, while the European average stands at 39%. We're talking about plundering of society »And this plundering is being orchestrated by the Mitsotakis government,« he pointed out. ’A government that allows Greece to have the most expensive fuel relative to income in the eurozone, allows us to have some of the worst electricity rate hikes, and makes the country the only one in the eurozone with a minimum wage lower than that of 2010. »That is precisely why we’re talking about ‘Mitsotakis’s high prices,’” said Nasos Iliopoulos.
«This government is exacerbating the crises; it is not trying to address them. With the forced phase-out of lignite and the privatization of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), we’ve already seen some of the largest electricity rate hikes since last August,» he explained.
Regarding the measures that need to be taken, he emphasized: «A reduction in the excise tax on fuel is something that, if implemented for one year, would cost 1.5 billion—an entirely justifiable expense.» «VAT on basic foodstuffs should also be reduced by 1 billion,» he added.
Referring to labor issues, he noted: «For the first time this year, we are seeing The tourist season begins with 50,000 job openings, while 5,000 people quit in the first month.» «This is happening because—in the tourism sector as well—the New Democracy party has created slave-like working conditions. The fact that we have a Balkan-style labor market in Greece is destroying economic sectors and harming not only the workers themselves but also small and medium-sized businesses,» said Nasos Iliopoulos.
Stating that SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance is ready for elections whenever the government chooses to hold them, he outlined key points of the party’s policy proposal: «a restructuring of the pandemic-related debt, including the cancellation of a significant portion of it, to save small and medium-sized businesses and jobs, and an increase in the minimum wage to 800 euros.».
«When we raised the minimum wage in 2019 by 27% for those under 25 and by 11% overall, we saw that consumption increased. »A raise in the minimum wage to 800 euros today would give workers some breathing room, while also providing an overall economic boost,” said Nasos Iliopoulos.
When asked about post-election alliances, he reiterated: «The country could have a progressive government as early as the first election under a simple proportional representation system». «Based on our platform, we are extending a call to every political force that identifies itself as left-wing or progressive.» «This call excludes no one, nor does it single out any particular partners for preferential treatment,» he added.
«We want tomorrow’s government to fill the staffing gaps that currently exist in hospitals and schools, to repeal the Kerameos law, which kicks students out of public universities so as to send them as customers to private colleges», emphasized Nasos Iliopoulos. «We are willing to discuss this with anyone who agrees with such a progressive policy framework,» he concluded.
