“The first issue that concerns the citizens of my city is to be able to have security, to have a quality of life and a better future for their children. It is reasonable that this should be the priority for the average Greek family and the popular strata in Athens, but also throughout the country”, said the Minister of Tourism and ND candidate for Athens First, Vassilis Kikilias in an interview with SKAI 100.3 and journalist Yiannis Kolokythas.

“Those who can serve this policy are also those whom the Athenians and the Greeks will choose in the end in the elections of May 21” noted Mr. Kikilias stressing that decent living, health, education, internal-external security and of course freedom and democracy are the demands of the citizens, as noted in a relevant announcement.

He pointed out that the many words are tiring if they cannot be supported by corresponding projects and the citizens will judge based on what the parties and their MPs have done when they had a position of responsibility.

“I was the Minister of Health during the two years of the pandemic to deal with the first waves and the Minister of Tourism during this huge explosion and the economic boom experienced by tourism in the country, supporting the entire stratification of small and medium entrepreneurship,” he said, while in question specifically for Athens he answered that in the center of the capital trade and catering did not stop having work from tourism throughout the year.

“I think we have owed it to Athens for many years. It has faced a lot. You remember the times of December 2006 – 2007 when the entire commercial world of the city was destroyed with the violent incidents and demonstrations. Then with the restrictive fiscal policies and the memorandums , “outraged”, upper and lower square. The image of the city outside was as if it was telling tourists and travelers “don’t come, you can’t come”. We owe Athens a very big comeback and this has been happening for the last two years with tourism in the city but also in the country” said Mr. Kikilias, underlining that now areas of the center (Omonoia, Karaiskaki square, etc.) which had reached the point of being like a “bombed landscape”, with the tourism development were regenerated, illuminated, they have regained traffic, new shops, cafes and restaurants have opened, and the properties of citizens in these neighborhoods are gaining value again.

Finally, the minister, referring to the actions of the ND government and the reasons that citizens have to trust it for the next four years, spoke among other things about the 300,000 new jobs that were created, the reduction of taxes and contributions, the housing program for the young people with very low interest rates, the growth of the economy and stability, according to the same announcement.