Regarding the economy, scenarios of early elections, the possibility of a party being founded by Samaras and the party Tsipras was discussed by Maximos Charakopoulos on Realfm 97.8.
The Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Group of New Democracy, referring to the state of the economy, prompted in part by the front page of the Journalists’ Newspaper, titled “7+1 Signs of Internal Bankruptcy,” stated: “I think this is a very distorted interpretation of the reality we are experiencing. I won’t claim that there are no problems, but the mere fact that a decade ago, the country’s finance minister was the scapegoat in the Eurogroup, and today the Greek finance minister is the president of the Eurogroup, shows just how far the country has come in terms of economic progress. The fact that other countries are entering procedures for budget deficits and supervision, while Greece has emerged from such procedures, also attests to the truth of the statement that we are on the right track. I won’t even mention where the minimum wage used to be and where it stands today, nor will I mention that the country’s purchasing power is at 80% of that of the average European citizen— that is, ahead of six other countries, and that it has more than doubled its growth rate.”
“This certainly does not mean that there are no problems. Efforts are certainly being made to address the problem of high prices, which is real, inflation, which, however, is largely the result of external crises—initially the war in Ukraine and now in the Middle East. We hope that the agreement the U.S. appears to be finalizing with Iran will lead to a significant decline in energy prices, which have a major impact on inflation in our country as well. Beyond that, there are no magic solutions. In the past, when we were led astray by promises of magic solutions, we paid a very high price. We are now also witnessing the reappearance of Mr. Tsipras, with a different political vehicle, because the party through which he entered politics and came to power has been irreparably damaged…” Mr. Charakopoulos emphasized.
What he said about Tsipras and ELAS
When asked whether New Democracy’s main opponent in the elections is Mr. Tsipras’s ELAS, he said: “In the polls that are being published, it appears that his party is coming in second. Obviously, PASOK will have to engage in some self-criticism, but that’s not an issue that concerns us. What is worth noting is the fact that Mr. Tsipras truly has a talent for communication, because he left SYRIZA with 17% of the vote after the last elections in 2023, and is now returning as something new and promising, following the so-called rebranding, and in the polls he is below the percentages with which he left as a failed leader.”
Regarding the new faces appearing to represent ELAS and the proposals they have put forward, he said, among other things: “He obviously doesn’t want to be identified with figures from SYRIZA’s leadership team, whom he had sidelined, but the real issue goes beyond who is speaking and what they’re saying. Has anything changed in his political rhetoric or in the proposals he’s putting forward? We’re hearing an auction of free benefits, such as free tickets. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the “I won’t pay” slogan—and you saw the result.”
“I’m hearing talk of taxing dividends. Let me remind you that the Mitsotakis government, which reduced or abolished 83 taxes, also reduced the dividend tax and ultimately succeeded in doubling revenue compared to the previous dividend tax regime. As we head toward the elections, we’ll hear a lot. It is significant that, for the first time in an election, it is possible to cost-estimate the parties’ campaign platforms. Under a law we passed in 2023, parties can submit their pre-election platforms to the independent fiscal council for cost estimation. “It remains to be seen how many and which parties will do so,” added Mr. Charakopoulos.
Regarding the proposal by a senior Hellenic Police official to tax 1,500 high-income taxpayers, he stated: “We’ve heard a lot. As they say in my homeland of Thessaly, ‘He who has been burned by porridge blows on the yogurt, too.’ That is precisely why, regardless of what Mr. Tsipras and his officials say, it is important for this to be costed and verified by an independent fiscal council. In other words, let’s see if what they’re presenting as potential revenue is actually accurate. I gave you an example earlier regarding the taxation of dividends. By reducing the tax on dividends, we doubled tax revenue. The question is also what message Mr. Tsipras’s policy will send.”
“The country has managed to double its growth rate compared to the European average by attracting investment. If he intimidates the business community, who will come to invest in the country? More prudence is needed. In the coming period, let’s wait and see if there will be a comprehensive economic proposal. In any case, as we head toward the Thessaloniki International Fair, where the government presents its economic policy for the coming fiscal year, and opposition parties typically present ideas and proposals, “most of which are not costed”, added the Secretary-General of the New Democracy Parliamentary Group.
As he said, the New Democracy’s goal is to increase incomes through wage hikes. “Under the Mitsotakis government, you saw wage increases and tax cuts, which meant an overall increase in income. If you factor in inflation over the past seven years along with the wage increases and tax cuts, you’ll see that there’s a net gain in real incomes,” he emphasized, while, although he acknowledged that the purchasing power of Greeks is low, he noted that it is “at a better level than what the official opposition wants to portray.” “We have a long way to go, but there are no magic solutions. This government has managed to achieve stability, and that is an intangible asset we must not lose. To continue attracting investment, there needs to be stability within the country,” he argued.
The timing of the elections
Regarding the timing of the elections—that is, whether he himself favors holding the election in the fall or in the spring— he emphasized: “Mitsotakis has proven that he possesses institutional responsibility. The elections should take place at the end of the four-year term, and I think this is also a different message—one that this Prime Minister and this government are demonstrating—that they respect the institutions, do not use them, and do not exploit them for political gain. Although I am absolutely convinced that next spring—as the Prime Minister himself has said—we will have elections, and the political environment will be better for the country, stability will have taken hold, and the economic results will be even better.”
“There is fiscal space of 1 billion, perhaps even more, at the Thessaloniki International Fair to announce measures to further support the middle class and our most vulnerable citizens, to further reduce taxes, and to boost incomes. “So we still have nearly a year ahead of us to fully implement our government’s program,” said Mr. Charakopoulos.
Scenarios for a Samaras Party
Finally, when asked whether New Democracy is concerned about the possibility of Antonis Samaras founding a party, prompted by reports indicating that he appears to be polling in the double digits in certain prefectures of the Peloponnese, he commented: “The gap between opinion polls for parties that haven’t yet emerged and reality is quite large. We’ve seen this with parties that, in the end, didn’t appear at the polls at all. I, too, have read the related news reports that there will be a Samaras party. I hope there won’t be one.”
He maintained that bridges with Antonis Samaras “did exist, but the issue is whether there is a willingness on the other side as well,” while adding: “After a tumultuous political journey, following the fall of Konstantinos Mitsotakis’s government and the political wilderness that Antonis Samaras himself traversed, he was given a second chance and truly became a good Prime Minister with New Democracy. I believe that, for the sake of his own political legacy, it would not be right for him to go ahead and form a new party; when wounds are opened, it takes a long time for them to heal.”
“In 2012, Antonis Samaras was the leader of New Democracy and was running for Prime Minister. It was announced that his former close associate, Sympilidis, would be joining the party’s electoral lists, and a few days later, under the weight of the New Democracy base’s outrage, the withdrawal of his candidacy was announced. Well, when wounds are opened, they take a long time to heal. I hope no new wounds are opened,” Mr. Charakopoulos concluded.
