Mitsotakis: As nationalisms reawaken in the Balkans, Greece must come from a position of strength

The citizens are right when they consider high prices as the biggest problem for households, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday in an interview with Open TV.

The prime minister noted that the problem is mainly observed in food inflation and he made a special reference to olive oil prices, in particular.

Mitsotakis said that the government has taken a series of measures which have brought results. For the products of multinational companies, he said that there are different practices, resulting in different prices in each country. The prime minister referred to his request for the intervention of the European Commission to address this issue.

“No measure will by itself solve the problem. It is realistic to expect something from there. The most structural intervention, however, concerns the increase in wages,” he emphasised.

He noted that wages in Greece have increased, while unemployment has decreased.

Conversely, he said that the reduction of VAT was not under consideration as there are reasonable grounds to suppose that the reduction would not reach consumers, while adding that public finances cannot bear it.

The Greek premier emphasised that the government will not jeopardise fiscal stability. “The reduction of inflation is a reality. I believe the worst in terms of inflation has passed,” he added.

Commenting on the president of North Macedonia, he said that the neighbouring country must understand that the pre-election period is over.

“Greece is not isolated. Skopje is. I believe they will adapt,” he said. Asked what will happen if they persist, he stated that “the issues concerning the name do not change.”

He added: “They have to realise that this policy will lead them to international isolation. We are not naive. We know how to manage such petty party games. That’s why we didn’t ratify the memoranda that some people are asking for. We saw that VMRO was coming to power with a far-right rhetoric. Memoranda are another weapon. Under these circumstances, we will not ratify the memoranda.”

“Today, nationalisms are awakening in the Balkans and Greece must come from a position of strength, having Europe and international law at its side,” he added.

The prime minister stated that 33% of the vote is the target he has set for the European elections and his belief that New Democracy’s base is rallying and can make Greece’s voice strong in Europe.

SOURCE; ANA-MPA