Mitsotakis: Accuracy is the number one issue for Greek society

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Aspropyrgos of Attica and the new logistics center that is being created in the area at the facilities of Hellenic Steel on Saturday morning. Afterwards, Mr. Mitsotakis met with residents of the area.

In his greeting, Mr. Mitsotakis said:

“Dear Nikos, Mr. Mayor, friends, New Democrats, I thank you once again for this warm welcome here in Aspropyrgos.

In a square and in a place, which has turned out to be extremely magical, because who would have expected, friends, that the New Democracy would be the first force in Western Attica in the recent elections of May and June 2023. And this the vote of support for us is at the same time a vote of responsibility.

And from the first moment we assumed the governance of the country again, in full cooperation with Nikos Hardalia and all the Mayors, we prepared a holistic program of interventions for Western Attica, which unfolds at the national, regional and municipal level.

From the Region alone we will mobilize more than 500 million resources, guaranteed resources, for a series of projects that will change the face of Western Attica. But obviously we don’t just stop there. I know very well – and you have told me this many times every time I came to Western Attica – how much of a problem security and crime are for you.

And I think that you too will recognize that steps have already been taken in this direction, steps have been taken to increase the presence of the Police. The presence of the Police will be further strengthened and I want you to feel that you are at the center of the state’s care in terms of security and everyday issues.

But of course, I also want to talk a little about the very important investments that are being made here in Aspropyrgos and which are changing the appearance of the area as a whole. A week ago I was in India. Will you tell me why this conversation and why this trip is related to what is happening here in Aspropyrgos? I’ll tell you.

When we talk to our Indian friends, they come and tell us: “we want to send our products to Europe”. How will these products reach Europe and where will they enter the European market? From GREECE. And where exactly from Greece? From that point, which can combine sea, land and train transport at the same time.

A while ago, I visited a very large investment, which is underway here in the area, in the old Halyvourgia facilities, where one of the most modern logistics centers in the world will be built. More than 1,000 jobs in this center alone, so that we can give perspective, good jobs, well-paid jobs to the young children of Western Attica.

And this is not the only investment that is being made and turning Aspropyrgos into a pan-European center for logistics and combined transport. The whole of Western Attica will benefit from the development of the sector.

So, many things are happening and the country is changing and Western Attica is changing and Aspropyrgos is changing. And in this great effort we need your help.

And of course, I want you to know that the attention of the Government is not only focused on the large infrastructure projects, which must change the appearance of the area. One issue, for example, that local MPs keep raising with me is the traffic problem in Aspropyrgos, which I understand has gotten a lot worse.

Along with the investments we will make in combined transport, we must also see those interventions that will be made by the Ministry and also by the Region so that the necessary road infrastructure works are done to relieve traffic in Aspropyrgos. And we will do that too, because, as you know, we implement the commitments we undertake and honor the trust contract we have signed with the Greek citizens.

But, at the same time, friends, we are still concerned with everyday life, the economy, punctuality, health, education. Just a word on the issues of accuracy: those of you who go to the supermarket will start to see, from the coming week, that the government’s policy of price reductions is already starting to bring measurable results.

Already in baby milk, with the intervention we made, we see significant price reductions. And this is something that is the result of a concerted political intervention in the functioning of the market that will ultimately have positive results for each and every one, reducing the burden of the supermarket basket and the overall burden of each household.

See your electricity bills. Do you remember the big discussion we had a year and a half or two years ago about how much electricity is burdening the household and the small and medium-sized business. With the intervention we made in the market, today we have electricity prices that are now approaching the pre-crisis prices. This means less burden on the household bill overall, more money to spend elsewhere.

Why am I saying all this, friends? Because I know very well that the problem of accuracy is the number one issue that concerns Greek society today. And I want you to know that the Greek Government will be constantly present with checks on the marketwith structural interventions, so that we not only contain inflation, but we can also start to see real price reductions that will have an impact on the household basket and how much money you spend each month to support your families.

This means, friends, a Government that bends over the problems of everyday life and gives practical solutions that ultimately relieve your own life. In this way, we will continue to work: from the big reforms to the small changes that make your life better, in complete consultation with the Local Government of the B’ and A’ degree.

The Regional Governor and the Mayor know very well that our doors are always open because we want this cooperation. You know the local problems better than we do and I am sure that we will continue to see this progress which you are already seeing. We are only at the beginning of this journey. The Regional Governor is right when he said that “Western Attica is for us a bet that we must win”.

I will respond to the trust you showed us in the last election. Keep this as a contract of truth that we sign and you will constantly see things going better despite great difficulties, everyday life improving and the country as a whole progressing and moving steadily, boldly, forward.

Thank you very much for your attention and your presence today, on this sunny day.

And because of course, so we don’t forget, we still have an electoral contest ahead of us and I am also addressing party officials with great experience, to repeat the great importance of the European elections for shaping the balance in Europe the next day.

Brussels is closer to Athens than we often think and decisions made in Brussels, in their way, also affect what is done in Athens, in Western Attica, in Aspropyrgos.

And Greek citizens should think very carefully about which MEPs they will send to the next European Parliament in order to be able to claim and fight for national rights in the complex environment of Brussels.

Our faction does not need to advertise its European credentials. We are celebrating 50 years since the founding of New Democracy, the faction of Constantinos Karamanlis. It is the faction that put Greece in Europe. Of course, our faction is the one that kept Greece in Europe during the very difficult times of 2015 and our faction is the one that step by step makes Greece a truly European country at all levels.

So, I want to ask everyone to treat the European elections with the importance they deserve. Let’s remind our fellow citizens that this time we also have the option of voting by mail. This is of great value to our elderly fellow citizens, our disabled fellow citizens, our young fellow citizens who may want to work seasonally, be on an island in the summer and not be able to return to their permanent place of residence. The platform of the Ministry of Interior is open. Anyone who has the right to vote in national elections can also vote by mail.

It is yet another important reform that our Government has made to strengthen democratic participation, which is the foundation on which any well-functioning democracy rests.

So, I want us not to forget that we have this important match in front of us and I am sure that in this match, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of our faction, New Democracy will again be victorious and will continue to be the protagonist not only in Greece but also in Europe.

Good morning and thank you again very much for your presence here today.”

In Western Attica the largest Logistics Hub – investment of 300 million euros with 1,200 new jobs

Earlier, the Prime Minister visited the former facilities of Hellenic Steel in Aspropyrgos, where he was given a tour of the area purchased by HIG Capital in order to be transformed into a Trimodal Transit Trade Center, since it will be connected to the transport networks both by sea and by land, as well as with the OSE network.

This specific project, the first of its kind, makes Greece a Logistics Hub and paves the way for companies that want to come to our country to set up distribution centers for their European operations here, with Piraeus as the port of entry. It is a green investment in a particularly burdened area that will provide growth prospects as it will create over 1,200 jobs while it is expected to have a net annual economic footprint for Greece of over 100 million euros (taxes, fees, contributions, etc.).

At the same time, it signals the prospect of the regeneration of burdened industrial areas. The project includes the creation of warehouses of 180,000 sq.m. and 20,000 sq.m. accompanying areas, with the possibility of manufacturing activities. The supply chain currently contributes to Greece around 10% of GDP and employs 200 thousand workers. With new public and private investments in critical infrastructure and transport networks and the improvement of the business environment, it can contribute even more to achieving the goal of Greece becoming an international transit hub

It should be noted that according to the recent evaluation of the World Bank, Greece records a significant improvement in the Global Ranking of Greek Logistics: From 42nd place in 2018 to 19th place in 2023. The Government’s goal is for our country to be ranked in the top ten worldwide by 2030 to be an important link in Global Supply Chains.