In the accusations made by the president of PASOK responded with facts and in a sharp tone, Kyriakos Pierrakakis.
“The solutions we offer are tangible, realistic, within the country’s fiscal constraints, and at their core lie the truth—not exaggeration or the promise of everything to everyone” said the Minister Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Perakakis commented on points from the speech delivered by the president of PASOK-KINAL Nikos Androulakis in his speech to the Plenary Session.
Mr. Pierrakakis responded to Mr. Androulakis and to the personal jabs he made regarding his political background, saying “I have been a member of New Democracy since the end of 2015, and I am proud of that and of the government in which I serve. Precisely, because I don’t need to mention the populist rhetoric that you and the PASOK parliamentary group have cited” and added: “I’m reading the proposals, and we’ll adopt any that make sense, but as for some others, Mr. Androulakis, I feel that in your rivalry with Mr. Tsipras, you are ready to storm the Mint. I understand your hyperbole politically, but I do not understand it from a governmental standpoint, and I think it is a mistake that you should not continue to insist on.”
The minister, regarding the remarks made by the leader of the official opposition on the amendment that concerns the loans under the Katseli Law, pointed out to him that “certainly, if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that a law you might come to legislate on again, after 16 years, is one intended to redefine aspects of its implementation, as it had some gaps. But, in reality, we need a high degree of legal certainty in everything we do.” Mr. Pierrakakis also pointed out to the PASOK president that “obviously, the Supreme Court’s decision sets a legal precedent,” but he emphasized to him that “we, here, are going a step further; we are introducing retroactivity, which is not included in the Supreme Court’s decision. This is a government decision and is intended to be part of a broader draft law that includes provisions for private debt.”
In response to the PASOK president’s criticism that the regulation does not include those who paid off their loans under the Katseli Law, the minister said that “these homes have been saved, and in most of these cases, the remaining principal was paid off in a lump sum, so quite simply, there is no interest to be repaid, since we here legislate the calculation of interest on a monthly basis.” For those who lost their repayment plan, Mr. Pierrakakis said that “specific legal outcomes have already been established for both sides, and reopening these cases would create legal uncertainty, legal and judicial uncertainty, as it would require the retroactive review of thousands of old cases, some of which are based on final court decisions dating back a decade.”
Regarding PASOK’s proposal for 120 installments to settle debts, pointed out to Mr. Androulakis that there is also the out-of-court settlement process, which currently covers a total of 19 billion euros, an amount three times greater than those who entered the 120-installment plan in 2019. The out-of-court mechanism, he added, “can generally extend to 240 installments and, in some cases, to 440 installments,” and today, through a provision in the bill, we are also lowering the threshold for eligibility for the out-of-court mechanism to 5,000 euros from 10,000 euros.
Mr. Pierrakakis referred to why the Superfund continues to pay off part of the public debt , stating that “there is no greater principle of social justice than not passing the burden of debt on to the next generation. And there is nothing more positive than the fact that half of the Superfund’s companies have returned to profitability, contributing to the repayment of our debt in a way that is no longer a risk and is improving the country’s economic situation.” “We’re not telling you,” he said to the PASOK president, “that everything is going well, I’m not telling you that; I’m telling you that things are getting better, and our job is to improve these conditions for every Greek man and woman facing difficulties, within the limits of the country’s capabilities.”
The Minister of National Economy and Finance pointed out to the PASOK president that “the degree of legislative freedom depends on the degree of freedom we have achieved as a country over the years, so that we can now take these steps in the interest of our citizens.”
