{"id":2075,"date":"2026-04-22T21:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=2075"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:47:00","slug":"kostis-hatzidakis-on-package-of-measures-there-is-no-more-room-for-manoeuvre-what-we-have-given-is-the-ceiling-of-possibilities-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=2075","title":{"rendered":"Kostis Hatzidakis on package of measures: there is no more room for manoeuvre – What we have given is the ceiling of possibilities (video)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vice-Chairman of the Government<\/b> explains the benefit limits<\/b>, the EU<\/b> rules, surpluses and the need for fiscal balance in the midst of accuracy<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The government is taking a clear line on fiscal discipline<\/b>, with Kostis Hatzidakis putting an end to talk of new benefits<\/b>, stressing that the package of support measures is exhausting the available room in the economy<\/b>. He explains that European rules, surpluses and the need to reduce public debt drive decisions<\/b>, and warns about the consequences of an overshoot in international markets<\/b>. At the same time, he responds to opposition criticism<\/b>, insisting that there are no “hidden funds”<\/b> for extra aid, at a time when precision is putting pressure on households and businesses<\/b> and the economic executive is trying to balance between supporting society<\/b> and maintaining stability<\/b>.<\/p>\n

“With the interventions announced today, the government<\/b> is delivering what is allowed by the European fiscal rules which apply to all EU countries<\/b>. There is no government in the whole world that can give out money<\/b> and not do so.The discussion about why we didn’t give out more<\/b> is because previously there was a tidy economic policy<\/b>, which led to surpluses, and that allows us today to give out<\/b>. If there are no surpluses<\/b>, thou shalt not receive despite the lack of having<\/b>.”<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The logic of fiscal balance<\/h3>\n

This was pointed out tonight by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, in an interview on ANT1 television. “If it was true,” he added, “what SYRIZA says, that we had the possibility to give more and we didn’t, there are two explanations. Either we want to torture people, or we want to torture ourselves and pay political costs. That is, that we can give all the surplus and we do not want to do so. This is not serious at all. They are doing themselves an injustice and they have not learned at all from how the Greek people have dealt with these positions.”<\/p>\n

Kosti Hatzidakis noted that the logic of fiscal rules, for all countries, is to have fiscal balance, not to run deficits and debts. “And in case there are surpluses, a part is shared and another part goes to reduce public debt. When these rules were put in place, I was the finance minister and I know them very well. Why wouldn’t we want to give more, especially when we have the accuracy and the impact of the crisis in the Gulf.”<\/p>\n

When asked if these interventions are sufficient, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “We are not boasting about all that we have distributed, nor are we claiming that we have solved the problems of families. But let’s say a family with three children gets an extraordinary allowance of 450 euros. That’s something.” While referring to businesses, he stressed that 3 of the 8 initiatives announced (extension of the out-of-court mechanism, increase in instalments for overdue debts, lifting the seizure of bank accounts) mainly concern small and medium-sized enterprises. “Without solving all the problems again, hundreds of thousands of businesses are covered by a measure that can allow them to make a restart,” he stressed.<\/p>\n

“We have exhausted the possibilities because we are being judged both by Brussels and the international markets,” the deputy prime minister concluded. “In a period of crisis, if one crosses certain boundaries, the markets punish. We have seen this with various experiments that large countries have also tried to do relatively recently. That’s why we are sticking to the line of seriousness.”<\/p>\n

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