Iliopoulos: Mr. Mitsotakis is a prime minister with an expiration date

“Mr. Mitsotakis is prime minister with an expiration date“, emphasizes the press representative of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Nasos Iliopoulosin an interview with the “Newspaper of the Editors”.

Referred to surveillance scandaldeclares that “the government has lost all democratic legitimacy” and notes: “we had two resignations of people reporting directly to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis». “Until yesterday, the general secretary of the prime minister, Mr. Dimitriadis, was the person of his absolute trust, the strong man of his government and related to him”, says Nasos Iliopoulos and adds that “the commander of the EYP, Mr. Kontoleon, was placed in this position illegally, because he was simply a highly trusted person of Mr. Mitsotakis».

In the wake of recent revelations, he speaks of “a labyrinthine web of companies orchestrated by Mr. Dimitriadis, in order to cover the control of surveillance by the prime minister’s office”. “These cases concern the prime minister himself. The surveillance was done on the orders of Mr. Mitsotakis“, points out.

Asked about her judgment of accuracyreiterates that “the government coordinates looting against citizens». “While Macron and Soltz are nationalizing energy companies, the neoliberal Taliban of the Mitsotakis government are celebrating the privatization of PPC“, emphasizes Nasos Iliopoulos.

Announcing that Alexis Tsipras at the TIF will present “the pillars on which political change will be based”, he lists some key points: “a development model that will be based on the strengthening of the rights of the world of work, regulation and cancellation of a significant part of the pandemic debt, regeneration of a series of public tools such as control of PPC, substantial restoration of the rule of law and democratic norms against the institutional parastatal decline where we live today».

The full text of the interview follows

The surveillance scandal led yesterday to the resignations of the governor. of the prime minister and the commander of the EYP. I would like your first comment on this matter.

The government has lost all democratic legitimacy. And I explain myself. We had two resignations of people reporting directly to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The general secretary of the prime minister, Mr. Dimitriadis, was until yesterday the person of his absolute trust, the powerful man of his government and with a close relationship with him. Anyone who wanted to secure a privileged relationship with Mr. Mitsotakis had to first have the favor of Mr. Dimitriadis. The commander of the EYP, Mr. Kontoleon, was placed in this position illegally, because he was simply a highly trusted person of Mr. Mitsotakis. Thus, Mr. Kontoleon – and he – personally addressed Mr. Mitsotakis without any institutional mediation. After your investigation in the “Newspaper of the Editors” together with Reporters United, as well as the inside story, it was shown that a labyrinthine network of companies orchestrated by Mr. Dimitriadis has been set up, in order to cover the surveillance control by the prime minister’s office . Here, therefore, we do not have cases concerning the dangerous associates of Mr. Mitsotakis, who resigned under the weight of the political stench of surveillance. These cases concern the prime minister himself. The surveillance was done on the orders of Mr. Mitsotakis. No politician, journalist, businessman or anyone else can know if it was being monitored all this time and to what extent. No one can know today how Mr. Mitsotakis exercised his power for three years and what indecent means he used. Explanations should be given in every way and SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance will take initiatives in the next period in this direction. It is a matter of democracy.

There are many citizens who are out of allowances for dealing with energy accuracy. At the same time, the holidays look like a midsummer night’s dream for thousands of our fellow citizens due to price hikes in transport, accommodation costs etc. The forecasts for the winter are also extremely ominous. What is your assessment and how can this situation be addressed?

The Mitsotakis government is coordinating the looting against the citizens. Its refusal to reduce the VAT on fuel and the VAT on basic food items has brought for the first 5 months increased revenues that exceed 3.5 billion. So when prices don’t fall, the government falls. Instead of the government propping up the energy cartels, it should be propping up the citizens, with caps on wholesale and taxing the super profits of providers. From the first moment we pointed out the criminal error of the privatization of PPC. Mr. Mitsotakis then congratulated himself by looking at the PPC share price on the stock market, ignoring the risk of financial exhaustion for citizens and businesses. While Macron and Soltz are nationalizing energy companies, the neoliberal Taliban of the Mitsotakis government are celebrating the privatization of PPC. The control of PPC should be immediately returned to the Greek State. Excise duty and VAT should be reduced, strict controls should be made on the energy market and at the same time households and small and medium enterprises should be supported. This means political change and not the management of misery by Mr. Mitsotakis.

You accuse the government of having failed to manage all the key issues (pandemic, punctuality, etc.) for three years now. However, the opinion polls show it to withstand and maintain a substantial difference from SYRIZA. Given that elections are likely to be held in the spring of 2023 and with the government taking the risk of another difficult winter, how can this be reversed?

The scene has already been turned. Mr. Mitsotakis is prime minister with an expiration date. The only thing left is to either set this date prematurely, as SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance has been asking for since December, or to wait for the end of the four years. Alexis Tsipras at the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki is going to present the pillars on which the political change will be based. A political program for a fairer society, with real security against the multiple crises we face. With a development model that will be based on strengthening the rights of the world of work such as collective agreements and effective control mechanisms. By regulating and erasing a significant part of the pandemic debt and abolishing the bankruptcy brought by the ND. With the regeneration of a series of public tools, such as the control of PPC, but also more generally with the creation of a new NHS. Finally, with a substantial restoration of the rule of law and democratic norms against the institutional parastatal decline that we live in today.

The government, in turn, has repeatedly accused you of populism, betting on the reflexes of the anti-SYRIZA front. At the same time, he is trying to mediate any common opposition line you maintain with PASOK-KIN.ALL. What are your countermeasures to this tactic?

The concept of populism has been abused in the context of political confrontation. In fact, what we are experiencing from political and media centers is an extreme demagoguery with alt right characteristics and a vulgar elitism that tries to accuse as populism the request to satisfy the basic needs of the social majority. Let’s also not forget that the criticism you refer to comes from those who wore helmets and met with neo-Nazis during the time of the Prespa Agreement. Our defense against this mud is our specific program proposals, with the issues of Democracy and social rights at the forefront. Mr. Mitsotakis’s Balkan mix of Trump and Orban will be defeated by a large majority stream of social change.

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