In an interview with the magazine “Economic Review”, former Prime Minister Kostas Simitis takes a position on the course of Greece under the conditions of the geopolitical and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, the future of Europe and the challenges it has to face.

It also makes critical observations about the government’s economic policy and the dangers of electioneering.

Kostas Simitis as co-founder of PASOK supports the effort of Nikos Androulakisemphasizing the need to be strengthened as it is a critical and useful factor of political life.

For the economy, he estimates that “the big picture is in a positive direction” however he observes some “worrying phenomena of delay in the promotion of the necessary reforms”, in “the search for a modern production model for example, which is often mentioned as a slogan, but no one has been formulated a clear picture of what its content should be, its aim and in particular with which public interventions, structural reforms and business practices, but also with the mobilization of which forces, it can be implemented”.

“The investment climate that the government seeks to create is an imperative goal which, without at all underestimating what has been done to date, has yielded inconsistent results. In most cases, real estate investments and speculative fund deals dominate, which are often financed with loans from Greek banks! That is, with our national capital foreigners gain control of our economy. This is not called foreign investment, but speculative opportunism,” says the former prime minister.

He then assesses how “mass benefits are positive for the family budget, but harmful as a whole, as they widen the public deficit by creating conditions for the imposition of new tax measures”.

It underlines as a basic condition for economic development social cohesion which “must be a government conscious priority and therefore common values ​​should be cultivated, in order to build a relationship of trust between the State and citizens. Only in this way does society become coherent and can properly respond to the crises that break out more and more frequently in the restless world we live in.”

About how he sees PASOK-KINAL and Nikos AndroulakisKostas Simitis is clear:

“I was a co-founder of PASOK and this is an identity that accompanies me throughout my life. I always believe in the need for political expression of this space, whose exclusive goal is the continuous effort for a better society. Despite occasional cases of corruption, social democracy has historically been born to promote the level of moral consciousness of society and to shape a society capable of effectively managing its problems.

The program of PASOK-KINAL is a convincing program of action. It can contribute to the development of a creative dynamic. Stable and balanced is the attitude of Nikos Androulakis in this turbulent period. PASOK is a useful – and crucial – factor in the political scene.”

Regarding the national issues and in particular the relations between Greece and Turkey, Mr. Simitis mentions how the main national goal is to maintain peace, based on certain principles and rules that are commonly accepted. He adds that Mr. Mitsotakis has generally maintained a correct attitude with their appeasing positions in the high-toned speeches of Ankara and avoids causing the “accident”. At the same time, it extols the responsible attitude of the opposition parties, although sometimes the tone is different.

On the occasion of the war in Ukraine and its multi-layered consequences, he notes the need for a new architecture of global governance, which should build a solid framework around security and democracy and its various dimensions: respect for borders, fundamental rights, the protection of cultural heritage, the rule of law. Also, in the new geopolitical strategy, Europe and America must detect the fields of common understanding and develop the relevant synergies. And in any case, Europe’s role should be to deter a new US-China bipolarity.

He argues, finally, that whatever favors the functioning and role of the EU, favors our national interests, and advocates changing the unanimity rule and how Europe’s role should be a deterrent to a new US-China bipolarity.