Al. Tsipras: Mr. Patsis symbolizes the plundering of public wealth by the blue locusts.

Alexis Tsipras accused the government of a «process of major redistribution of wealth from the middle class and the weak to some powerful people», in an interview on SKY's main newscast, saying it was a «combination of a policy that deliberately wants to leave obscenity unchecked and not to hit big interests, but also the inability of the control mechanisms to intervene».

Tsipras attacked the government, accusing it of «giving the red loans of the middle class to the Patsis of the Southwest for auctions». On Greek-Turkish relations, he reiterated his proposal to extend the territorial waters to 12 miles southeast of Crete, while he was optimistic about the elections, arguing that SYRIZA is a factor of stability and has a governmental solution, while Mitsotakis, who has no political allies, is a factor of political destabilization.

Redistribution of wealth at the expense of the middle class

Explaining his position on the redistribution of wealth at the expense of the middle class, he explained that this process takes place through the maintenance of high VAT and fuel duty when inflation is 12% and at the same time «through the maintenance of obscenity in energy». «They take from one pocket of the taxpayer by maintaining high VAT on consumer goods and VAT on fuel, and from the other hand they give subsidies to keep this mechanism of obscenity intact,» he said. He said that the country's negative firsts across Europe (inflation rates, obscenity, wages, he said) are not the opposition's obsession and that «these are due to some political choices.» He stressed that SYRIZA is not saying that there should be a magic wand, but another policy. He accused the government of not taxing a single euro of the excess profits of about 3 billion - as calculated by SYRIZA from June ‘21-July ‘22 - or of the 900 million as calculated by the RAE for the last three months of ‘21 to the first three months of ‘22, he said.

Tsipras said that in the first period when there was no cap mechanism, there were excess profits that Syriza estimates at around 3 billion, but that since the mechanism was created ’we have excess profits that are transferred from wholesale to retail«. According to the RAE, in September we had an overpricing of the costs that the providers made in advance at 775 euros per megawatt-hour, while the cost at wholesale was 485 euros, this cost 485 million in one month of excess profits to the providers».

He noted that controls would be a serious intervention measure, as would a cap on withholding and tax on excess profits.

The SYRIZA president said that «public revenues in the first 8 months of 2022 increased by 7 billion, 4 billion of which are due to indirect taxation (VAT, VAT), from which mainly the middle class is being plundered», noting that «when we have a 7 billion increase in revenues and the cost of the measures we propose is 5 billion, you understand that we do not need to find the money somewhere». He said that at the TIF, he presented a comprehensive and costed programme concerning changes in taxation «in addition to the changes that were initiated on the basis of the fiscal possibilities that we delivered to the country». He noted that in addition to the necessary reduction of indirect taxes for as long as the inflationary crisis lasts, SYRIZA has proposed, among other things, the abolition of the tax on business and an increase in the tax-free allowance to 10,000 euros for all. He underlined that SYRIZA believes in a fair tax system, stressing that this redistribution of income from the middle class to a few and powerful should be stopped.

Greek-Turkish what is the strategy?;

Asked about Turkish provocativeness, he said that «there is no doubt that it is an escalating rhetoric that is worrying. He said one reason is related to internal instability, political and economic, in the neighbouring country. He added that there are also reasons of a strategic nature, noting that «Turkey has seen lately that there is a ground left for claims and an active diplomacy that possibly through rhetoric is not aimed at a military incident but at creating a fait accompli.» In this regard, he said in particular that some important opportunities had not been seized on the part of the country: in 2021 after Biden's election, Turkey was in a situation where it was weakened diplomatically, it had stopped the first cycle of both rhetoric and tension, and at that time «I had asked the government to take an initiative of active diplomacy and try to link Greek-Turkish relations with a positive agenda in Euro-Turkish affairs and to link the prospect of the EU-Turkey customs review with The Hague. In other words, to have a positive Euro-Turkish agenda as a precondition for the resolution of the Greek-Turkish disputes on the basis of international law.».

He argued that this is a mistake that «we are paying for» and that «it was wrong at the time that Mr Mitsotakis focused all his policy on strengthening armaments», as «it does not solve your problem if you do not claim it through appropriate diplomacy and alliances». He noted that «the country's defence adequacy is very important and some armaments are necessary, but we strongly criticised some armaments that were made without a plan and request from our staffs» side and they put our budget far beyond our capabilities«. »The big question is with what strategy we will go forward against a Turkey that, either with Erdogan or with anyone else, will be a regional power to be reckoned with for the US and for the EU," he said.

Stop the trade in patriotism

Tsipras also stressed that «it is not possible that every time we criticise the government's foreign policy we are accused of being Turkishophiles, of favouring Erdogan» and that «this trade in patriotism that began with the Prespa Agreement and continues today must stop». He stressed that «we are all united against Erdogan and Turkish provocativeness, but the country's foreign policy has a beginning, a middle and an end and there must be disagreements and we must discuss and present our views.» He added that he therefore says that «it was wrong what the government did in 2021 and that «furthermore, the strategy that our red line is the 6 nm is wrong, Mr. Gerapetritis said it and he even said it when Orwich Reyes was coming and doing research in the 7 nm off Rhodes, off Kastelorizo. It was a mistake and it is a mistake because it whets the appetite.’.

Extension of the territorial sea to 12 nautical miles

Asked about SYRIZA's proposal to extend the territorial waters in the Eastern Mediterranean and why it did not do so when it was in government, he replied, «It is Greece's inalienable sovereign right to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles. For the Aegean there is a casus belli. When we were in government, the Southwest accused us of dividing the Aegean in two. Why are we tabling it now? The new element is the Turcolibian memorandum. Just as Uruts Race did research in the 7 miles and the government was wrong and talked about a red line in the 6 miles, the same can be done now. So we ought to extend our territorial waters to the south-east of Crete. I put this in a broader strategy, it's a total package for delimiting the EEZ with Egypt and with Libya and Cyprus and Turkey with Cyprus.‘ He further explained that Turkey is looking for legitimate ways and footholds to do illegal actions, one such foothold is that we have not extended our territorial waters. »If we make the extension, it will not have a foothold,« he said. Asked how our country should react if Turkey attempts to conduct research in our territorial waters, he replied, »It is unthinkable. «It is impossible. It is impossible. If a thief enters your yard, what will you do? You will drive him away by any means necessary.».

Migration - Euro-Turkish issue

On migration he said: «The country can defend its borders while respecting international legitimacy and pursuing a policy that combines the security and humanitarian aspects.» He went on to say that «This is not 2015. We should not treat the migration issue as a Greek-Turkish issue because it is a Euro-Turkish issue. But if Greece likes to play the role of a prison guard in a fortress Europe, it will have a bad outcome.» He said that a new Migration and Asylum Pact from the EU is necessary and added: «The EU says it will accept 5 million refugees from Ukraine, can't it adopt a policy to accept migrants from Turkey?».

On the extension of the fence, he said that the main criticism is that «the fence is a symbol that is ineffective. In some places, at customs you will have one, but can you erect one everywhere?».

Andreas Patsis and «blue locusts»

Mr Tsipras commented on the current deletion of Andreas Patsis from the parliamentary group of the New Democracy Party: «Why was Mr Patsis deleted? I have a question. Mr. Patsis had set up a company based abroad, so he belonged, even though he is a member of parliament, to the so-called crows. He bought 63 million loans for EUR 4.3 million. This has been known for a long time. The government turned a blind eye and stopped turning a blind eye because the issue of red loans is taking on significant dimensions.» However, he argued that the issue is not limited to Mr. Patsis: «it is Patsis, it is Maraveyas, it is Ms. Nikolaou, it is the 7 billion direct assignments, it is Mr. Stasis of the PPC who is handing out salaries and bonuses. Mr. Patsis symbolizes the plundering of public wealth by the blue locusts.».

Asked why he is asking for the resignation of Mr.Pierrakakis, he replied: «Mr.Pierrakakis did not know what the CEO of ELTA was doing? Mr Pierrakakis» attitude reminds me of Mr Mitsotakis« attitude, who did not know about everything. Did Mr Patsis do all this on his own?». To a remark that he also covers his former ministers like Mr. Pappas, he replied that « It is one thing to accuse someone for political reasons like the tender for the TV licenses and another to accuse MPs like rodents. We need to focus on the fact that there are dozens of IKE companies taking red loans for a plate of lentils». Linking the issue also to the government's attitude towards the middle class, he said: "There is more deception than that. We with the Troika over our heads had first home protection and now without the Troika they are handing out middle class red loans to the Patsis for auctions.".

Optimism about the election result

Regarding the polls and the certainty that he will win the elections, he replied, «There is no certainty nowadays, we are in a volatile environment, we are in crisis conditions and it is good for everyone to be cautious. I express my belief that SYRIZA will be first in the elections. The polls - and I'm not going to debate their validity - systematically underestimate SYRIZA's figures». He went on to explain what he based his optimism on: «First, the polls show a constantly decreasing margin in favour of the New Democracy; second, they show that the pool of undecided voters is growing; and third, that there is a constantly growing dissatisfaction with the government. I think that what will decide the elections is whether SYRIZA will put forward an alternative solution to the problems and secondly, who will go to the ballot box».

He replied to the accusations that SYRIZA has not changed enough: «SYRIZA has made great strides recently, it has a think tank with technocrats, it has new faces, it has made the biggest possible expansion in the internal party election. All parties need reforms and modernization processes. I cannot say that the party is a problem.».

Tsipras also referred to the election: «Those who go to the ballot box will decide the result. What I believe and one of the reasons that make me optimistic is that this time the ballot box is different, it is a ballot box of simple proportional representation. The citizen will know who can govern and who cannot.».

Who he will govern with

Asked with whom he will form a government, he replied, «If SYRIZA comes out first, we will seek and succeed in working with PASOK, because Mr. Androulakis, when he does not have the hot potato, says he wants to, but after the elections he will also have the pressure. Mr Mitsotakis says that he has no one to govern with. Mr Mitsotakis is telling the voter to vote for me in the second elections and if I do not come out of the elections as an independent, we will go to third elections. So Mitsotakis is a destabilising factor. Asked whether he would meet with Nikos Androulakis and Yanis Varoufakis before the elections, he replied. We are all running in the elections to win as many votes as possible. After the elections we will have the data to discuss.‘ Asked whether he would form a government on the first Sunday if he is not the first party, he said, »I am contesting a government of winners and not a government of losers. Even if the pips come out there is a question of moral legitimacy.«.

Asked what he would do if he lost for the fourth time, he replied, «We are all judged, I was elected by the grassroots and I have a three-year mandate, but it will be the party's grassroots who will decide. However, it is not the crucial thing whether Tsipras or Mitsotakis loses, but that society wins. I think that a majority government and not the 30% of the whole will be able to provide solutions to the difficult problems».