Interview with the President of the New Democracy (Nea Dimokratia)
MR. Kyriakos Mitsotakis
in grtraveller

 

Just before the June elections, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, having already received a strong message from the May elections, talks to grtraveller about his goals for the next four years and expresses his personal obligation to compensate the citizens’ trust.

 

Let me start by congratulating you on your electoral results in the May elections. Did they surprise you? And what do you think contributed to such a wide electoral victory?

The truth is that I did expect that we would have a good result. During the campaign I traveled all over Greece, and I saw the acceptance and positive energy of the people. I kept meeting many new people, who only recently came close to New Democracy. And day by day, my belief was strengthened that we would have a very positive election result.

I have to admit, however, that the margin was surprising. As was the fact that we exceeded the 40% threshold. But what was also surprising was the composition of this 40%. Of course, we had the trust of our loyal supporters, but we also gained new voters. Citizens of every age and income, from the cities and from the periphery, from traditionally “blue areas”, but also from prefectures that were usually won by our opponents.

I believe that we succeeded in gaining the trust of the citizens because we worked hard in very adverse conditions to support the people but also to bring real results that improved the lives of the citizens. I believe they saw that Greece has taken steps forward. They saw that unemployment fell, that the economy grew, that the state was digitized, that pensions are now paid quickly, that our Armed Forces were equipped after many years, that immigration flows were significantly reduced, that large investments came to Greece.

I think the people saw a government that acted seriously and responsibly. Implementing all our promises while simultaneously facing multiple unforeseen challenges.  That shielded the country and the citizens multiple times against existing or potential threats.

I also think that the citizens rewarded not only the philosophy, but also the style of government. We did not hesitate to admit our mistakes, but also to learn from them. And we chose a path of moderation, far from toxicity.

 

‘ Upgrading the National Health System is my personal bet. ‘

 

The second elections are upon us, what is your message?

The message is no different from that of the previous elections. The people on May 21st sent us a strong message of confidence, but the polls on June 25 are empty. Therefore, my message to the people is to go vote on June 25th, to not be complacent. The country needs a stable government to move forward. We went through difficulties in the last 4 years, but we pulled through, and we made progress. And we must continue on that path.

 

So what are your goals for the new four years, if the Greek people vote for you?

Our goals are summarized in our pre-election program. And summarized in a few words:  A productive Greece. A social, green and digital Greece. A fair and strong Greece

There is limited space here for a detailed presentation of our priorities. I will therefore limit myself to the main ones. First, the continuous and high growth, which in previous years brought the minimum wage from 650 to 780 euros. The goal is to reach 950 euros in 2027, while the average salary rises to 1,500 euros. And for unemployment to drop to single digits in the next two years.

I also attach particular importance to the reform of the National Health System. Reforms that are already bearing fruit, such as preventive examinations and primary health care, will be expanded to cover all major diseases and the entire population. The workforce will be strengthened with 10,000 new health professionals, mainly nursing staff. While 80 hospitals and 156 Health Centers will be modernized, with special emphasis on Emergency Departments. And First Response will also be restructured, in order to minimize the response time to incidents. I know this is a big and ambitious project, but I will not hesitate to repeat that I consider it my personal commitment.

 

 

You often talk about investment grade. You said, in fact, that the goal is to reach it in the first 100 days, if you are elected again. But what does this mean for the people?

The investment grade is not a destination, but a starting point, a new beginning. Because it is the most solemn validation of the long journey that the economy has gone through, of its final exit from the recession, but also a fundamental tool for uninterrupted high growth.

Let me explain, because perhaps the opportunities that emerge by the recovery of the investment grade have not been fully realized. Investment grade means more accessible borrowing and lower interest rates for everyone, for the Government, for households and businesses. It means better debt servicing and shielding interest rates from inflationary swings. It means convergence with our EU partners. And, above all, it means a very attractive investment environment, capable of attracting the much-needed capital to close the investment gap and create higher-paying jobs.

The investment grade is, therefore, a multi-tool. We will have it in our hands within the first 100 days of the new government mandate. And we are fully prepared to use it immediately.

You announced that you will establish a Ministry for families. What does this mean, what will its responsibilities be?

The creation of the new ministry for the family has a double dimension. Symbolic, as it demonstrates how high in our priorities it is to deal with the demographic problem, to support the family, of all its members, and on the other hand, to achieve the desired balance between work life and personal and family life.

 

‘ We have worked hard under very difficult
circumstances to support our society. ‘

 

The Ministry of Labor, which deals with most family issues today, is a large government department. We will therefore “break it up” by creating an independent portfolio, which will bring together scattered responsibilities. Let me give you some examples. Over the past four years, we have implemented dozens of family support interventions. The aid of 2,000 euros and the additional tax-free of 1,000 euros for each child born. The expansion of nurseries and full-day school. The new paternity leave and the “Neighborhood Babysitters”. All these were, of course, pieces of a wider plan, but they were promoted by different ministries.

With the creation of the new Ministry, we will save in resources but, above all, we will achieve systematic planning and closer monitoring of policies. The new Ministry will furthermore have the responsibility for the implementation of the new housing policy, which is already in motion. As a reminder, our program of low-interest loans for the purchase of a house by young couples has had such a response that the beneficiaries will be doubled. And in the coming years it will be framed by new actions that have already been announced and planned, amounting to 1.8 billion and benefiting 137,000 young people. Isn’t it obvious that an independent ministry is needed to implement this?

 

 

Our issue has the theme “Discovering Greece with the five senses”. What is your vision for the future of tourism in Greece?

I will tell you in one word: transition. That is, to move to a tourism model that is sustainable, with high added value, interaction with the other branches of production and, of course, absolute respect for the country’s strengths, its natural beauty and its human heritage. You saw how decisive and immediate our intervention was regarding the abuses in Mykonos.

And let there be no doubt that we will not allow the natural or the residential environment to be harmed.

Tourism is an irreplaceable source of national wealth and employment. But it cannot be limited solely to the continuous increase in arrivals. These are, without a doubt, necessary. But they are also lacking, if they are not combined with increasingly high-quality services and if they do not leave the visitor with the aftertaste of a unique experience. This is what we need to highlight.

 

‘ Our country needs a stable government
in order to move forward ‘

Allow me to give you some examples: we have been talking for a long time about the synergies between tourism, culture and the agri-food sector. And yet, visits to archaeological sites fall short of expectations. We are already doing a lot in this direction, making the spaces accessible to everyone – I remind you how much we were criticized over the wheelchair routes in the Acropolis, as well as the elevator for disabled people.

On the other hand, there are many opportunities. From the inclusion of the Greek diet in the tourist product to alternative forms of tourism, such as diving, climbing, religious, spa, to name a few. We have to expand in these areas too. With frameworks, but also financing, provided by the Recovery Fund to small and medium enterprises, which make up the backbone of Greek tourism sector. But also with full protection of the labor rights of the hundreds of thousands of workers in the industry.

You mentioned protection of the environment. Indeed, Greece has a great natural wealth. What have you done and what do you plan to do to preserve it?

A “Green” Greece, as I already mentioned, is one of the five major pillars of our program. But it is also a field in which serious work has already been done. Today, Greece is the eighth country in the world in electricity production from Renewable Energy Sources. In May alone, 50% of the electricity consumed came from renewables. And our goal is, at the end of the four years, to produce 80% of electricity from renewable energy sources. Meanwhile, our islands such as Astypalaia and Tilos are acquiring complete energy autonomy, exclusively from clean sources. And the electrical interconnections from mainland Greece to our islands are speeding up the retirement of dirty diesel power plants.

This is only one aspect of the package of actions already in place. Clean energy is also framed by the change of the waste management model. Today, 6 integrated urban waste treatment units are operating, with a large percentage of materials being recovered, 11 are being built and another 34 are in the pipeline.

And in the protection of the natural environment, I will mention one important aspect: forests. Our program for the protection of mountains drastically limits human activity in 8 mountains with a distinct environmental and historical weight. The large reforestation program, which in the next two years will enrich our forests with 20 million trees. But also the ongoing reformation of forest protection, with the constant readjustment of fire prevention planning and the strengthening of the Fire Brigade in both manpower and equipment.

 

 

Perhaps one of the phrases that the opposition uses most against you is that of “Mitsotakis supremacy”. What do you say to that?

Only the people are supreme. They are the one who decide, and we all have to respect their decisions, whether we like them or not. So, if the people vote and give a large percentage to New Democracy again, they have decided and judged that they trust our program. And they understand that the country needs a stable government to continue forward. In the past, when governments with percentages of 45% or even more emerged, no one spoke of supremacy. And New Democracy does not speak of supremacy either, but of a party majority. Asking for a strong mandate for stability and progress. Personally, I feel that the higher the percentage we get, the greater my obligation to repay the trust the citizens have placed in me. To proceed with big changes that will improve their lives. With better wages, a better health system, and fewer inequalities. This is what we want. And we will work hard to make it happen.