At the March 19 summit, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had addressed two issues related to the ongoing crisis caused by the military conflict in the Middle East.
One was the need to create a toolbox at European level and in coordination between member states, and the other was interventions at national level to support social cohesion.
Yesterday we saw what we call “two by two” unfold with the Prime Minister announcing series of measures – in addition to those already in place – to support society in a prolonged crisis and the Commission presenting a toolkit for the relief of European households and industries while referring to the coordination needed at all levels. Once again, two facts are on record
On the one hand, the interventionism at EU level by the prime minister, and on the other hand, the crisis management capacity of the current government. It is even characteristic that the Commission’s toolkit includes measures and proposals that in Greece are already being implemented to support consumers in the energy sector and beyond.
Even the reference made to the transition to clean energy in Greece is a sector that is running at high speed, despite the criticisms and obstacles that some are trying to put up. Yesterday, the prime minister announced a package of measures that – as expected – was described by the opposition as crumbs, but also as a communication ploy to change the political agenda.
The question that arises, however, is how much this … agenda, which is attempted to be shaped through scandalology, concerns citizens and to what extent. For example, in the polls, accuracy and the economy are top of mind in terms of citizens’ anxieties. Corruption issues register “fluctuations”, depending on the topicality as it is shaped or attempted to be shaped in various ways.
But let’s also see whether the Prime Minister has gone ahead with the announcement of pre-election measures. In other words, whether he suddenly came out and presented a package of measures with an eye to the elections and the voters who, as Nikos Androulakis said, he treats as customers.
Let’s get past the fact that this reference is reminiscent of other political leaders who argued that voters are treated according to… offers. Let’s see if Kyriakos Mitsotakis did something he hasn’t done before in dead political time. Last year, for example, when the surplus was announced and ended up in… surplus, didn’t the current government announce a package of measures – and permanent ones, like this time – to help society in the context of the position it has expressed regarding the return of the growth dividend? Last April, did we not witness similar criticisms, while measures were being taken for pensioners, tenants, vulnerable groups and families?
Has anything changed this year?
When the surplus was announced, were there not announcements of measures to which crisis measures were added?
Now as for the crumbs that were heard, the answer has already been given by Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, that it is “the best we can do, without disturbing the economic balance that we have so hard won.”
* This article was published in the print edition of “Manifesto”
