By Penelope Galliou

Run forward with the necessary recommendations to the members of the government and his faction, is the message that the prime minister sends out in all tones, closing the “elections chapter” and focusing on the next day and the work of the government, which according to the warnings of Kyriakos Mitsotakis should be accompanied by modesty and moderation in addition to efficiency. Recommendations that pointedly addressed the behaviors of government officials, declaring himself determined to be as severe with his associates as with himself; adding emphatically “I’m very strict with myself and I’m constantly trying to improve and set the bar higher.”

However, during his interview with Ant1, the prime minister admitted that “certainly there were some inappropriate statements”, he once again ruled out the reshuffle scenarios, giving time credit to the new government structure, recalling that he had said “from the first moment that when I made these changes I had to give some time to ministers to learn the news their duties” and adding that “it definitely needs a little more time, for each Minister to learn his portfolio”.

And of course the prime minister can to give the necessary time to his ministers, but he certainly expects efficiency and dedication to the government’s reform work, but it is equally certain that there is no second chance for arrogance. “Arrogance is, I would say, a condition which is very worrying. Because the citizens can forgive mistakes but they will not forgive you for bad behavior” he explained to those members of the Cabinet who showed such behaviors and in a kind of “yellow” card drew their attention. In fact, the Prime Minister’s warnings receive even less emphasis when they were made for the second time in the same day, as the “bell” was also resounding during the meeting of the Council of Ministers when Kyriakos Mitsotakis recommended “first we dip our tongues into our minds and then let’s talk” addressing everyone.

The repeated warnings came after what were deemed to be misguided statements by the Minister of Rural Development Lefteri Avgenakis in Thessaly and the Minister of Labour Adonis Georgiadis in Chalkida, which were used by the political opponents of the ND before the second round of local elections, reducing the government’s work and causing damage to the electoral result, as estimated.

Turning the page, however, the prime minister, gave an impetus forward by focusing on the government work that continues to prioritize the daily life of citizens and its improvement, “now, what interests me is the ballot box of everyday life” he told Ant1 referring to a series of policies that are being launched whether these concern political protection, the economy, or health. “You will see a series of bills which have a deep reformist character” announced the prime minister, returning the political debate to the projects and the result because as he concluded from his first government term and the second victory in the national elections “we prevailed politically because we implemented specific policies , because we brought development, because we did what we were committed to, because our policies had a social sign, because we demonstrated in practice the patriotism of responsibility”.