Kassalakis to Economist: Tsipras is the reason I joined Syriza

At this year’s conference he dedicated the first part of his speech to Alexis Tsipras Economist The new president of SYRIZA-PS, Stefanos Kassalakis“He had absolutely no expectation” of being invited to the event a few months ago, let alone speaking as “the leader of the main opposition party, Syriza.”

Referring to this year’s elections, he said that “it was a great victory for the current Prime Minister, Mr. Mitsotakis,” and that SYRIZA’s defeat led to Al’s resignation. Tsipras “despite the fact that the majority of Syriza voters, including myself, want to maintain and renew the party”.

Watch the SYRIZA President’s speech:

“A young man, at the age of 49, decided to humbly resign. He may be the reason for the defeat – in fact, he single-handedly carried Syriza and made it the first party of the ruling left. Greece,” he characterized, “Alexis is the reason why many people joined Syriza”. Including him. “He has opened up SYRIZA to a progressive center that will take the party forward and ensure that the legacy of the 2015-2019 government is revived – SYRIZA took the country out of three severe austerity packages, while maintaining the social safety net for the most vulnerable.

All this will solve the long-standing European problem in our north, between Greece and North Macedonia, while protecting the country’s interests,” he said, and continued on his own path, starting with the fact that he was not a party official. And he doesn’t fit the “profile of the traditional left.”

“Those outside the so-called establishment have seen in me a modern fighter not only for their interests but also for the collective future of the country,” he said, adding that he wants “to be the next prime minister.” A country for all Greeks” – within and beyond borders.’

He wanted to assure “investors” that he was not a “populist”. He, however, said he was completely on the side of “the people” and “not blindly adhering to economic performance metrics”.

“Our fiscal and social policies will generate enormous social and long-term economic surplus,” he added.

As he put it, he had “a set of political proposals that would drastically reform the Greek state – ridding it of long-standing corruption and entrenched interests,” attributed to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, “with an American-educated prime minister and son of a right-wing prime minister he couldn’t deal with.”

“Human life gives meaning to the economy”

Underscoring the need for economics to be “human-centric” as “human life gives meaning to economics”, he noted that modern left and progressive forces should focus on “prosperity or happiness dividends with prudent fiscal policy”.

“Progressives in Europe and elsewhere need to reframe their core mission with the times. Of course we want to reduce inequalities. They are huge. But what we really want is equality in the right to pursue happiness – each of us in our own way,” he said, if this becomes Syriza’s “message”. He expressed hope that it would “win” and win together. and society, on a “co-development” basis.

So, while he was speaking at the same conference, Mr. Noting the level of investment that Mitsotakis was “proud of”, he commented that it was “undoubtedly a positive event where the sacrifices of the Greek people are finally recognised”. However, he accused him of “matching” the “almost 15 years of efforts of an entire people” and “the results brought by the Syriza government”.

In particular, he refers to the Standard and Poor’s analysis, which, among other things, refers to the period until 2019, the debt agreement and the 37 billion “cushion”, while he also mentions the name Euclid Tsagalotos. Later Finance Minister. He pointed out, at the same time, that the Greek economy has thorns today, some of which are visible in the S&P analysis, such as a high current account deficit, a huge recovery in tourism and “weak” exports. Among other things, he noted that Greek banks had “low interest rates on deposits” and high rates on household and business loans, while he denounced a “state-fed economy”.

“It is an economy that has a long way to go to integrate with the rest of Europe,” he stressed, while the three main sectors that show the situation society is experiencing are “housing”, “health” and “education”.

As he put it, “In investment grade Greece, we have the most housing in Europe”, insisting that now “one salary equals one rent”.

He decried the “huge staff shortages in the National Health Service, despite the large sums of European support packages for the pandemic”, resulting in “higher private spending on health”, while wondering if “it is too difficult”. “Finally to get the divisiveness of administrations in the NHS”, pointed to the Prime Minister’s recent announcements about changes to hospital administrations.

Regarding education, he pointed to the small percentage of spending in Greece compared to the European average, saying, “Instead of talking about an investment to join Europe in this area, we are talking about private universities.”

“Greece rises from crisis”

Subsequently, St. Kassalakis noted the period of Syriza’s government, stressing that Greece is “rising up from the crisis” and “standing up to face a new era of hope and creativity.” As he said, the SYRIZA government delivered in 2019: the National Development Strategy, the National Digital Strategy, the National Strategic Infrastructure and Transport Planning, accusing the ND government of “putting these three aside to serve only certain interests”.

He presented the “progressive solutions” needed to respond to the “major challenges before us” such as “regulation of private credit”, “equal participation of small and medium enterprises in support and financing instruments”, “implementation”. of Development Bank”, “Fight against Cartels”, “Fair and Stable Tax System”, “Labor Protection” etc.

For us, working middle age is not a solution.

Sustainable business means jobs, better wages, consumption, growth, innovation and outsourcing,” he stressed, distinguishing Syriza from the Mitsotakis government’s “strategy,” which “keeps energy costs and production costs high, leaving markets. Supervision, control and regulatory intervention when they fail, it fosters the financial straits of small and medium enterprises and cheap labour, liberalization of layoffs and de facto impoverishment of the worker is the only way out.

“Mr. Mitsotakis’ decision to meet only the Israeli Prime Minister was a strategic mistake”

In conclusion, Syriza’s president referred to the current crisis in the Middle East and stressed that “total condemnation of Hamas and its actions cannot be equated with a green light to confront it with Israeli actions that lead to even more civilian deaths.” .

He accused the EU and the US of “resolutely failing to intervene” to secure a ceasefire and warned that “Greece will deal with the flow of refugees before the EU takes over”.

In this context, Mr. He characterized Mitsotakis’ decision to “meet only the Israeli prime minister” as a “strategic mistake” and noted that it was a “break from the multidimensional foreign policy that our country has traditionally pursued.”

He also opined that it is “unacceptable to make these statements after the civilian deaths at the Agios Porphyrios monastery complex where he intervened a few days ago.”

As Greece has tried in the past to resume talks on a peaceful two-state solution based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state, it must do everything, no matter how difficult. “, concluded St. Kassalakis.

Source: Sky.G.R

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