Response to the claims made by opposition regarding free transportation, which she herself described as “irresponsible,” was given by the press spokesperson for New Democracy, Alexandra Sdoukou.
Ms. Sdoukou also highlighted “the social support policies implemented by the government, without jeopardizing fiscal stability.”
Specifically, when asked about the opposition’s proposals regarding ticket prices in Athens and Thessaloniki, Ms. Sdoukou emphasized that “the opposition has adopted a ‘give me a piece of the pie’ tactic. In fact, as time goes on, the bidding war between PASOK and Tsipras’s party will become increasingly noticeable,” with the aim of boosting their election results.
She noted that promises of free transportation are misleading, as “nothing is free. In the end, someone has to pay for it”. Ms. Sdoukou also focused on the social inequality created by the opposition’s proposal, saying “Why should a young person in Alexandroupoli or an elderly person in Kalamata have to pay so that someone in Athens can travel for free, without any income criteria?” concluding that the measures must be fair and based on income criteria.
“It should be free for the unemployed, and heavily discounted for large families” but why “should it also be free for someone who earns many thousands of euros every month?”
Ms. Sdoukou highlighted specific results of economic policy by contrasting them with the economic performance of the Tsipras administration. As she noted, “in the period 2015–2019, we had cumulative growth of 6%, less than half the European average for the same period. In the 2019–2025 period, we had cumulative growth of over 12%, more than double the European average, while we achieved investment grade status, which enables a range of foreign investments that bring wealth and jobs. These achievements are no accident; they are the result of policies implemented within a very difficult international environment. Through this growth, we are constantly striving to increase citizens’ incomes so that we can converge with the European average in that regard as well, and whatever funds are available, we are trying to return them to those who need them”.
Commenting on what Mr. Tsipras said today, he reiterated that “he seems to have understood nothing, because when you shift the blame onto all your colleagues and absolve yourself, that shows you are incapable of learning” concluding that “you don’t ask the captain of the Titanic for sailing lessons”. Ms. Sdoukou, in closing, referred to the consequences of a return to the policies of the past, emphasizing that “the recipe for bankruptcy would be to return to empty promises whose sole purpose is to fill the opposition’s gap in the polls.”
