The President of SYRIZA-PS, Alexis Tsipras, launched a full frontal attack on the government both for the wiretapping and for dealing with the inflationary crisis in an interview with the interchannel show +NEWS, which is broadcast on the regional channels Flash, DION and Center. The opposition leader accused the government and the prime minister that apart from the democratic function, the surveillance now affects the «core of our national security», while he spoke of the «impoverishment» of the middle class, which «they are supposed to save». In this climate, he predicted that the prime minister «will not succeed» in completing his four-year term and that «it smells of change».
If someone asks for proof of the wiretaps, it is known where they are
Referring to the surveillance case, Tsipras said that developments in Greece in relation to the rule of law and democratic functioning are worrying and that the EU is monitoring them. He said he visited the Supreme Court prosecutor, Isidoros Doyakos, yesterday to express his deep concern about the developments.
He said in particular that «the revelations of the last few months regarding the surveillance of political leaders, MPs, ministers, MEPs, journalists, businessmen, judges, hit the core of democracy». He stressed that «the revelations concerning the surveillance of the heads of the Armed Forces change the level, here they hit the core of our national security». He noted that he would not stop fighting in order to shed light «on the smelly case and in order for those who committed this constitutional aberration and the diversion on the issue of our national security to be held accountable to the Greek people.».
The president of SYRIZA-PS said that the Justice has the sole responsibility for the clarification of the case and that things are specific. He said that he had a very frank and institutional discussion with Mr. Doyakos yesterday, that he expressed his confidence in the work of Justice and his assessment that it is known to everyone where the evidence is, «because the legislature has provided guarantees in the institutional functioning of the NIS.» In particular, he stressed that «there are provisions that prosecutors sign and that go to the NSAE, there are telecommunications providers who are required to keep a record for at least two years of all the connections they make.’ Therefore, Tsipras noted, »so if at this moment someone asks for proof, all they have to do is to go to either the providers, or to the ADAE, or to those who sign the provisions, that is, the prosecutor of the EAP Ms. Vlachou and they will give us answers.« »What is the national reason for the leadership of the NDF to be monitored and if there was a national reason why they remain in their positions?« he continued. He stressed that answers were due in Parliament, but »five times the Prime Minister refused to come and is hiding.«.
«Here we are moving to another stage now, because some data were produced from these interceptions that were made.» He said that «from all these conversations there are at this moment in the hands of some people critical data that, as far as political figures are concerned, is a flash bomb for the political system for the next five years, and as far as our national security is concerned, it is a bomb for our national interests and our national secrets, which are in whose hands.’ He noted that »Mr. Doyakos has a full understanding of the magnitude of the issue« and that »he listened very carefully to everything I told him, he has experience and knows where to turn to find the evidence.«.
Tsipras said, among other things, that «in a western liberal democracy, there can be no political and economic stability without the observance of the basic rules of democracy itself». «Stability by such methods exists only in dictatorships,» he noted. He argued that «wiretapping is the miserable method to implement a miserable policy», adding that «the policy of the horrific redistribution of income that is taking place cannot stand without these miserable methods, without the incineration by powerful media, without the “Update 108”, without the disappearance of the voice of the opposition and political opponents, without the control of the flow of money». He added that «it is obvious if you look at the list of those being watched, they had key positions from where the money moves.».
He argued that «there is not a chance in a million that the Prime Minister did not have a full picture of what was going on», that «the interceptions were done with both malware and the legal connection alternately, and at the same time, we have evidence now that the malware was in the same centre, in the NIS».
No provision from the Recovery Fund for regions such as Western Macedonia
Having completed his tour of Western Macedonia, Tsipras spoke of images of complete abandonment in cities and regions. «Unemployment, poverty, abandonment,» he said. He said the government has no planning for the next day of energy transition, no provision from the Recovery Fund for regions like Western Macedonia to be able to get resources and programs to get into a development strategy.
Asked about the interventions that can be made to “put Western Macedonia back on the map”, Al. Tsipras described as «feasible» the restoration of the «great injustices» done by the current government, in order to «stop impoverishment».
Specifically, he referred to the «redistribution system from the poor and the middle class to the few and powerful» that the government of the New Democracy has installed, through the energy increases. He said that while the average household needs 2-3 salaries to pay for electricity and the entrepreneur is in danger of being locked out, energy companies are making record excess profits, which are not even taxed. Similarly, he added, banks are making «a billion profit each per year» from interest rates. «Accuracy is a global phenomenon, but obscenity is not global. It has the name Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He lets them,» Al. Tsipras, stressing that benefits are part of the same mechanism. As for the household basket, he described it as a «communication fiesta» of the government and pointed out that the Consumer Institute confirmed that «it has no practical effect».
Patsis is the concept of the Southwest for the management of red loans
Continuing, the president of SYRIZA-PS launched a scathing attack on the government for its management of the problem of red loans, stressing that private debt is ballooning and is a «bomb to the foundations of the economy» as it has been shifted from banks to funds.
«One in two citizens are in debt up to their necks,» he said, stressing that «the solutions can only be radical», with the cancellation of part of the debt to the EFKA and the tax authorities, so that the rest can be paid off in instalments. He called unfair and dishonest what is happening with the banks and funds and pledged to state intervention so that the loan arrangements are prioritized and not the »crows« and »auctions« as is now done through the »funds, debt collectors and patsis«.
«Patsis is not an isolated incident. It is the concept of the Southwest for the management of red loans,» he said, noting that the MP's son, until recently a member of the Southwest, was in charge of the non-performing loans department and claiming that the government's goal was not the consolidation of the economy but the consolidation of the banks, in order «to enrich some eagle-eyed people, stealing the houses of the middle class, who were supposed to save them.» «This is the picture today. We will not perform miracles but we will bring justice,» he said, while expressing disgust because «the person who steals people's houses gets on the ballot paper and becomes an MP, while some child is struggling for 20 euros.».
Addressing the average citizen, even those who belong to the conservative party, despite their «ideological and political differences», he asked how «they can tolerate a family that only cares about its own party».
Regarding the tragic incidents with the death of the 11-year-old in Thessaloniki and the shooting of the 16-year-old in Serres, he stressed - apart from the «obvious» need to implement the rules - the need to support schools and the need to change the “culture” in the Police, through better training of police officers, control and accountability. «These kids are not well trained. They are kids who have been brought in with the culture of “you are the state”, they go through rudimentary training or none at all, like special guards. We give them the gun and tell them go and face crime,» he said.
«It doesn't just smell of elections, it smells of the people's desire to get rid of this government»
Asked to comment on the election scenarios, he predicted that the prime minister «will not manage» to exhaust his four-year term and will go to elections «soon». «It doesn't just smell of elections, it smells of the people's desire to get rid of this government, it smells of change, it smells of the people's need for justice,» the SYRIZA-PS president said, while revealing that the party's ballot papers will be ready and announced before the end of the year.
In conclusion, Al. Tsipras referred to SYRIZA's previous government and the political costs it suffered for some choices that were in the interest of the country, such as the agreement with North Macedonia, stressing, however, that what the party must keep in case it is called to power again is «honesty and the belief that we serve the people and not our own interests or self-interest».
