The president of SYRIZA-PS launched an all-out attack on the government for the actions of the past four years from Drama. Alexis Tsipraswho argued that “what our people are asking for is a big change,” while calling him Kyriakos Mitsotakis “prime minister of ignorance”.

Mr. Tsipras assured that SYRIZA “knows and can” together with the citizens bring about political change. He set his political goal: “The decisive vote for SYRIZA-PS is the first necessary step. Every vote of protest, opposition, anger, must be directed to SYRIZA-PS. Because only if SYRIZA-PS is the first party and by a margin, the people sign the defeat of the Mitsotakis government. This is what not only political logic says, but also mathematics. In order to have change, the ND of Mr. Mitsotakis must be defeated. And ND will be defeated, only if SYRIZA-PS wins. SYRIZA-PS is first, it means defeat and the end for Mitsotakis-AE”.

“Prime Minister of Ignorance”

Starting the attack he said: “What I feel everywhere, is a big ‘here’. So far with nepotism, with corruption, with precision, with insecurity, with the viciousness of the regime, with injustice”. He described the reality in dark colors saying: “In recent years we have been living a harsh reality. With income shrinking. Electricity, fuel and supermarket prices are constantly increasing. With the ‘legalization’ of profiteering. With corruption, Patsides and the blue invasion of public funds. With the auctions and the displacement of thousands of families”.

He accused the prime minister of committing the biggest redistribution of income and wealth in the post-colonial years – from the many to the few. Afterwards, he focused on Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying: “For everything, of course, someone else is always to blame. For every social wound, every tragedy, every injustice, every corruption scandal, every immorality, there is only one person to blame: Mr. Mitsotakis and his politics! Mr. Mitsotakis is the prime minister of ignorance. He didn’t know that outside the ICU, intubated people die helpless. But he had the Lytra-Ciodra report in his drawers. He didn’t know what his nephew was doing in Maximos’ office next door. But he agreed to export the malware, which he allegedly did not know existed, to Sudan. He did not know that the energy crisis was coming when he privatized PPC. But it provided for an increase in the positions of managers with rich salaries plus bonuses. And he made sure that his chosen Mr. Stassis was paid a thousand euros a day. Plus bonus too. He did not know the state of the railroads that led to the Tempe tragedy. But it would launch non-existent remote control systems the day after the tragedy. He did not know what Patsis is doing, what Nikolaou is doing, what Lignadis is doing, what the excellent people he appointed, supported and supports are doing. But he made sure to promote and support them. Mr. Mitsotakis did not know, nor does he know anything. So I’ll say it again: Since he didn’t know, let the people declare him subject to election. And let him send him home to study and learn what country he ruled for four years. And where did he lead her? What he received and what he delivers.”

Mr Tsipras opened up even to moderate right-wingers, saying that “even conservative citizens are uncomfortable with the government’s downgrade”. After noting that the ND has a democratic history, noting that it legitimized the KKE, he added: “Is it possible for the ND to be expressed by ministers like Mr. Pleuris, Mr. Georgiadis and the former secretary of the EPEN youth, Mr. Voridis? Is it possible that this party, with this history, has led to this collapse of the rule of law and democracy? This government is turning into a government of a company, Mitostakis SA”.

He repeated the challenge-invitation to Mr. Mitsotakis: “Since he says that the dilemma of the ballot box is ‘Tsipras or Mitsotakis’, he should not be so afraid to face me and come to fight over our proposals for the future of the country.”

Justice is our soul

Mr. Tsipras underlined that “Justice is not just a slogan for us. It is not a flag of opportunity. Justice is our soul” and referred to his program: “A program that boils down to: Raise wages. Price reduction. Debt settlement. A fair and efficient state”. He then raised the question, “are these goals realistic and are there any possibilities for them to be put into practice?” Are they, as the regime’s propaganda says, just pre-election promises? Giving the answer, he made it clear: “We are determined to fund justice. Not the oligarchs.” He assured that the implementation of his program is possible: “Yes, it is” he said and added: “We will cut waste and corruption and finance the needs of the people. Those who waste billions on direct assignments, grant immunity to bankers, funnel billions to the oligarchy, have no right to claim that it is unrealistic to invest the people’s money for the people.”

He then asked, “Is a just and effective state a realistic goal?” and looked back from the Simitis era: “We can and will refute all the stereotypes that this state does not change. Simitis promised to modernize it and failed. Karamanlis promised to reestablish it and failed. Mitsotakis promised a staff state and ended up creating a privately owned, ineffective, unjust, and even dangerous state for people’s lives. We, however, are neither judges, nor owners, nor distributors of this state. This is why we can set transparency and equality rules. To abolish the sick ties of the state with the parties. Together with our own party. To upgrade the role of civil servants without the demonstration of certificates of social opinions. To shine a light of democracy and transparency on the dynamic supports of the state – the EYP and the Police. To move forward and complete the digitization of the state, thus upgrading and simplifying its relationship with citizens. To give the men and women of our Armed Forces the respect, dignity and pay that their vital role in protecting the homeland requires.”

Responsibilities for Turkaegean

The head of SYRIZA-PS referred to the national issues, blaming the government for Turkaegean: “A year ago, we were all surprised to see Turkey’s advertising campaign for the Aegean, with the title ‘Turkaegean’. Our unprepared government then had said at the time that it was the fault of… an employee, and supposedly they would investigate and find him. So, last year they had promised that they would do everything to stop the Turkaegean campaign and revoke the mark. This year, Turkey is regularly promoting the “Turkish Aegean” to the whole world. After the US press, yesterday we had full page listings in the French Le Monde! Mr. Mitsotakis feeds the super-patriots with equipment of several billions, but at the same time he is unable to defend the national interests, leaving Turkey to plunder the Aegean internationally, as a tourist destination. Finally, Mr. Mitsotakis managed to register two trademarks within 4 years:

-The Turkaegean to advertise Turkey.

– The spoon for his government”.

Speaking about national issues, he noted: “In 2015, we received a country on our northern border that everyone called ‘Macedonia’. In 2019 we handed over the Macedonian solution, taking back our Name, Symbols, History. In 2019 they received Aegean from us. In 2023, we warn them, we will not receive a Turkish Aegean – we will not tolerate a Turkish Aegean. This story of incompetence, of uselessness presented to us as excellence, ends on 5/21.”

Mr. Tsipras emphasized that he is not asking for a second chance, as is often said, but a first, since he will not be in charge of the Troika. He emphasized that, even so, no one can argue that his government handed over scorched earth, since he took the country out of the memorandums and handed over a full fund of 37 billion and a clear horizon to the next government.

Only together we can

He then asked another question that he is usually called upon to answer: “They tell us, we know what you want. But can you? Can you stand up to big interests, unscrupulous profiteers, decades-old evils that are considered normal, stereotypes that nothing changes?’ to give the answer: “We cannot do it alone. You can. Only together, you and we can. We can bring change and justice. Today, and we know how, and we can bring about change and justice.” He underlined that the crucial and decisive ballot box is the ballot box of the simple and unadulterated proportional ballot and added: “If SYRIZA is first in the elections with the simple proportional ballot, a progressive government will be formed and the country will not enter the adventure that Mr. Mitsotakis wants.”