Criticism of Alexis Tsipras<\/b>, who aspires to return to power, was criticized by Kostis Hatzidakis<\/b>, noting that \u201che\u2019s back and promising the moon and the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now, Mr. Tsipras is making a comeback with the same slogans and dogmas of the past, reminiscent of what he was saying in 2015, in 2019, and in 2023, and his poll numbers also resemble those of 2023 when he resigned<\/b>. Yesterday he told us that, while adhering to the European Union\u2019s fiscal rules\u2014and thanks, of course, to our own efforts to promote growth and combat tax evasion, we were able to distribute\u2014as we did\u20141.76 billion euros, he would have distributed 6 billion. It\u2019s the same old story, just like what he\u2019s said in the past<\/b>. He\u2019s back again, promising the moon and the stars,\u201d said the Deputy Prime Minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, in an interview with ANT1, responding to a question about the remarks made by the former prime minister on Alpha.<\/p>\n
He emphasized the commitment of New Democracy to addressing problems and challenges. \u201cWe must focus on addressing the challenges of the present and the immediate future. On the one hand, we have a party, New Democracy, which has helped Greece rise significantly higher than in 2019 in terms of the economy, foreign policy, and defense. On the other hand , within the opposition there are some parties that stand out for their toxicity and hostility, and parties that espouse far-fetched theories, such as the \u201cLetters of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/b> And there is a common denominator among all opposition parties: our national cancer, which is the well-known populism from the past. Endless promises and lies.\u201d.<\/p>\nTsipras raised 30 taxes<\/h3>\n
Kostis Hatzidakis pointed out that Mr. Tsipras, contrary to what he is now saying about taxation, raised 30 different taxes and didn\u2019t lower a single one\u2014except for one: the casino tax! <\/b>\u201cNew Democracy reduced taxes and social security contributions\u2014in fact, in 83 different ways<\/b>. And this September at the Thessaloniki International Fair <\/b>, the prime minister\u2014always taking into account the resilience of the economy and the budget\u2014 will announce new initiatives that will have as their common thread further tax cuts, particularly for the middle class, and support for vulnerable groups. The TIF \u201cpackage\u201d will be as substantial as possible without entering into a bidding war with the opposition parties. Obviously, in such a contest, the opposition will promise much more. We promise less and then deliver on everything. That is what sets us apart,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\nLow tax rates as an incentive for growth<\/h3>\n
\u201cTaxation,\u201d he added, \u201cmust be fair. Citizens should feel that there are no underdogs or favored groups.<\/b> And for that reason, in fact, when I was Minister of Finance<\/b>, we implemented 11 different initiatives to combat tax evasion, which sparked some backlash at the time. It wasn\u2019t just about the self-employed; it was about linking POS terminals to cash registers and other modernization efforts, which, in my view, also carried a message of social justice. All of our efforts are based on a common-sense approach. We want to have low tax rates because they are an incentive for growth.<\/b> On the other hand, there are requirements related to budget execution, reducing public debt, the country\u2019s creditors, and the European Union. So we have to find a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n