On the road to the next national elections —which, according to the prime minister, will take place in the spring of 2027– perhaps the government should also consider creating the pouthatavreite platform, so that the parties of the opposition parties can document not only the cost of the measures they propose but also where the resources for their funding of these measures.
It’s not just the free rides they’re promising for public transportation in Attica and Thessaloniki— —either for everyone or for young people—but there are also various other proposals being discussed, such as the reports that PASOK to submit a proposal for the provision of a 13th pension or for measures such as the restoration of the 13th and 14th monthly salaries, and the 13th and 14th pensions.
These are the promises made to various social groups and economic sectors. They also include promises regarding VAT and the special consumption tax on fuel, electricity, and energy in general, and, of course, the promises to address high prices alongside some 500-euro measures being touted as raises for healthcare workers, teachers, and housing.
And these are just the beginning. They are the… first “tests” of the bidding war that will reach its peak in the coming months, always in combination with the various “magic wands” being touted to tackle inflation, since it is also the biggest problem for citizens, as recorded in all the polls and as they themselves experience it in their daily lives.
Are there no problems? Of course there are. No one denies that. But the question is whether they are being addressed with promises that, taken together, amount to many billions in annual spending, and to what extent the government’s revenue can actually fulfill (the promises).
Just how much the measures promised by the opposition parties will cost may not be the central question —although their actual assessment, especially by an independent body, plays an important role. The issue is how the necessary resources will be found.
Because all this talk about taxing 1,500 taxpayers to raise 4.5 billion euros —on an annual basis—as suggested by an official from the new party of Alexis Tsipras—and which were later revised down to 600 million euros (in revenue) by another official from the same party. All well and good about increasing taxation on dividends—which the Left —including PASOK—have made this a cause célèbre, but it must also be explained what revenue will actually be collected, given that the tax cut has increased state revenue.
The point is that unless it is explained exactly how and where the money will come from to finance everything that has been and will be proposed, and unless it is clearly explained that we are talking about realfacts and not… illusions, then everyone’s mind may drift back to the recent past. When taxes were raised and the middle class was being dismantled in order to fund… initiatives and generate revenue for political agendas.
In this context, a “pouthatavreite” will be posed as a question and will demand clear answers from everyone.
