Mr. Androulakis insisted that the Recovery Fund must acquire permanent characteristics especially for the Greek people, who experienced harsh economic policies.
Representing the European Socialists in the debate in the European Parliament Plenary with the prime minister as speakerthe president of PASOK-Change Movement, Nikos Androulakisproceeded with an intervention with programmatic features highlighting the progressive social democratic sign and its policy priorities such as the reduction of social inequalities, fair economic and green development.
“The world is changing and we must rise to the occasion. We have a duty to do more and to do it now. To defend through a progressive political plan social justice, solidarity, human rights, environmental protection. We must make citizens feel safe again in the face of the geopolitical, climate and economic challenges of our time” pointed out Mr. Androulakis. insisting that the Recovery and Resilience Fund it must acquire permanent characteristics especially for the Greek people, who experienced harsh economic policies.
“It’s good to remember the humiliating referendum of 2015, but let’s be fair. Remember also the humiliating era of 2009. You led the country to a 15.4% fiscal deficit and bankruptcy, as the European Parliament’s resolution attests, because it was these policies of the conservative faction that opened Pandora’s box in Greece” underlined Mr. Androulakis.
“THE purchasing power of Greeks is the second lowest in Europe. According to Eurostat data, Greek citizens are proportionally burdened much more than the rest of the Europeans, there is no provision in the Recovery Fund for the construction of social housing for rent at a low price as other countries with similar problems did. In the health sector, the fact that the Greeks are third in Europe in private spending is revealing of the needs that exist to strengthen the National Health System and primary care” characteristically underlined the President of PASOK – Movement for Change.
Referring to her treatment climate crisisMr. Androulakis emphasized that the Recovery Fund could be the main driver for the diffusion of RES through the residential photovoltaic and energy communities and called on the Government to seize the opportunity provided by the European Commission to review the national plans, “so that include even now investments such as the upgrading of the country’s electrical network and the means of storage that are necessary to strengthen our energy autonomy and the just transition”.
Mr. Androulakis emphasized the direction of adopting strong preventive measures at the European level: “Putin’s illegal and destructive invasion of Ukraine it is a tragic event for the Ukrainian people and a very expensive lesson for European elites on how to deal with authoritarian revisionist leaders. Appeasement as it turned out did not bring results. Strong deterrent measures are needed. There is no other path to a strong and self-reliant Europe, which will not be a follow-up to US foreign policy. That is why I invite you to take a stand.
The Greek people, after 10 years of continuous crises having lost more than 25% of their GDP, are forced to pay billions to shield the sovereignty of our homeland with weapons programs, while at the same time European states are arming the one who threatens it. This is where the decision to embargo arms on Turkey and anyone who does not respect international law needs to be made.
I am glad that even Mr Weber, who then voted against it, now seems to support it. It is also unthinkable that European heads of state adopt Erdogan’s narrative on terrorism, when anyone who disagrees with his authoritarian practices, such as Kavala and Demirtas, is automatically labeled a terrorist and an enemy of the nation.”
Describing the continuum of crises and their social effects, Mr. Androulakis noted that “as the opportunities for a better life decrease for millions of Europeans, as those who feel outside the walls increase, so will the threats to liberal democracy increase. The stagnation, imposed on the project of political integration by the Conservative forces, gave scope to the deniers of the European vision to exploit it to their advantage. This is the duo that is responsible, because we remain a “slow-moving boat”, Mr. Prime Minister. Some speak in the name of Europe without doing what is necessary and others throw stones at it with Manichean arguments at every opportunity”.
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