He expressed his support for the agricultural movement the president of SYRIZA-PS, Stefanos Kasselakis, in an interview with TRT TV of Thessaly, saying that the farmers “have absolutely justified demands and they are fair demands”.

Stelios Kasselakis again referred to SYRIZA’s proposals to support farmers, which include, among other things, the abolition of the Excise Tax on fuel and the start of anti-flood projects, stressing, however, that long-term measures are also necessary.

“It is not possible for these people to take bigger risks than entrepreneurs. And to see their products for which they receive cents per kilo be euros on the shelf. This is unfair. There are solutions. And also we need to create a new program so that the schooling agricultural land can be redistributed. As well as turning the guarantees for agricultural land into a new Rural Development bank”, he said characteristically, while also referring to other issues that concern farmers such as bad loans and the need to settle debts.

Asked about the farmers’ support for the ND, in the last elections, he commented that “the farmers have obviously regretted it, as do too many citizens who feel betrayed by the New Democracy, which told them about tax reductions before the elections and suddenly imposes a tax, instead of it can deal with the enormous waste that exists from its direct assignments as well.”

Regarding the “change” process being followed in SYRIZA, he referred to the 29 think tanks, stressing that “instead of having a group of only 20 people who were known from party circles and saying, here are the technocrats, this moment we went straight to society” but also to the European ballot papers, commenting that “for the first time in the history of the Third Hellenic Republic, someone can claim a place on the European ballot paper of a party without a party affiliation”. He clarified, however, that it was not a “vague invitation” as it is based on the “values” that SYRIZA advocates.

In this context, he pointed out that the ND could not adopt the corresponding “section”, because “it is systemic”. “They owe 1 billion euros to banks, loans and unsecured loans. Their survival is based on controlling the mechanisms”, he underlined, contrasting that “Stefanos Kasselakis and SYRIZA are completely independent”.

“I trust society. I trust her judgment. I’m not afraid to say that I have no need to control things and give that power to society. I’m sure this will work. That’s progress. This means a progressive faction. And that’s why I believe that we will be the self-sufficient, independent, large, progressive faction of the country, which will govern”, he said characteristically.

Besides, Stefanos Kasselakis denied that he is “fighting” to “dominate”, clarifying: “I am fighting so that my weak fellow citizen can have a voice. That’s what I want. I’m the last person stuck to the chair. I have literally not received a single euro from this country. Not even from my party. And I don’t need it either. I am interested in my fellow citizens in the country I love.”

Regarding the law on universities, he emphasized that “what they are going to do is a mockery”. “They say it in the name of quality, as if it is a buffet where you go to get education, to order, instead of having a simple logic”, he said and continued:

“What is the simple logic: Why, why why don’t we study the Greek children in Greece and put arbitrary rules, supposedly minimal admission bases and drive the children out? You saw what happened to the hospitals, which have allowed the public hospital to be deconstructed, private clinics and catch patients who become clients.

“Neither Harvard nor Yale will come, nothing from them will come to Greece. It will become a revolving door of entanglement, in which someone enters with a private degree, allegedly with criteria, as if Greece can suddenly control something meritorious in our country”, emphasized St. Kasselakis, while he did not fail to characterize the bill as “unconstitutional”, stressing that “the main thing is that public Education and research together with public Education, is a driver of development and meritocracy in our country”.

“It is the only thing, entrance to universities, that works decently in our country. Have we realized this? And then you hit the job market and everything is lost. All is lost, it’s who you know. What do we expect from our country? So we are going to destroy the one meritocratic thing and that, instead of investing in public and regional universities?”, he said, while clarifying that SYRIZA will vote “no” on the bill “because when someone makes fun of you, you say no”. “Let these donations be made to public universities. To give space for partnerships, for autonomy in the budget. That’s where the donations should be made, instead of building universities supposedly for more alternative solutions”, he added, speaking at the same time about the need to support vulnerable students who study in the region, at a university.

“When you’re wasting €15 billion on direct grants, you mean to tell me you can’t find a few million to support public universities? It’s a matter of philosophy, political will, economic independence,” said St. Kasselakis, while also noting that “there is a huge difference” between him and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, characteristically saying that “he is from a fireplace”. “And when you are from a fireplace, the system, the mechanisms, is what keeps you going. I want to change everything. And in my party and in Greece. Because it is not possible to have Greek children in our country who go abroad to survive”, he said and added: “We have a huge economic issue in our country. Huge. Which is that the Greek citizen cannot excel in Greece. And this must change radically, from primary Education, secondary Education, tertiary Education”.

Regarding the Church’s position on the same-sex couples bill, he said: “I find it sad that there is hate speech, especially in the Church. The Church, our doctrine, our faith is about love for fellow human beings. It is that we are all creatures of God. So, I would honestly say that I don’t think these views express the Christian faith. But, at the same time, we are in politics and we have an obligation to give every child of this place the opportunity to be able to live, however they can be happy to move forward. This is my purpose. The rest, everyone will be judged by their attitude.”

Continuing, St. Kasselakis said that “there is a way for the Church, Christianity to have a positive role in the history of the Greek nation from now on”, clarifying, however, that this does not mean that his attitude changes regarding the “distinct roles of Church and State” . “I have said this from the beginning, from my pre-election campaign and it remains my will even now. It is not possible to be a modern European country without having distinct roles of Church and State”, he underlined.

Asked to comment on the incident in EEEK Kallithea, he repeated what he wrote in his post that “if it was a donation from someone from New Democracy or one of the sponsors of New Democracy’s propaganda, it would be a whole celebratory thing.”

“We have a huge propaganda, a New Democracy propaganda mechanism. They have been trying for months to deconstruct my character. They have failed, they will fail. I have nothing to hide, unlike many in the government, and I am here to be useful to society,” he stressed.

Regarding, finally, the critical resolution of the European Parliament, he noted: “We must realize that these issues of the rule of law, freedom of the press, justice are important, identity issues for our democracy. We cannot be proud to be the birthplace of Democracy, to complain to politicians about the functioning of the state and at the same time have resignation, when, to put it mildly, we are being spoiled in Europe”.

“Greek men and women must understand that what has been done in the European Parliament is a shame for our nation. And they need to highlight it, their message to the government must be clear, that this is unacceptable. We deserve a better fate. We deserve better than being condemned by European institutions. We deserve better,” he added, concluding with a reference to the region’s issues:

“It is a moral issue for our country in Western Macedonia to be able to reverse the population flight and in Thessaly to be able to get the agricultural world back on its feet. They are two special issues for two regions of the country that are very wronged by the state”.