“I am sure that the ND will exceed the 33% target set by the prime minister for the European elections, because the citizens realize that the presence of the ND in the European Parliament must be strengthened. My previous experience as secretary of the PE of the party and the picture I get from my contacts all over Greece, make me optimistic”. This was stated, among others, by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, during a press conference he gave today, Saturday May 11, at noon, in a central hotel in Patras.

Mr. Avgenakis, who has assumed the role of the head of the electoral campaign of the ND in the Region of Western Greece, noted that “the ballot box of the European elections sends a different message, but just as important as that of the national elections” and added: “A message trust, but also the need for changes and improvements towards realism and the credibility of the entire European community, the entire European edifice. The ND, firmly committed to Europe, to a strong functional Europe, which has as its focus the man himself, seeks and claims support and above all a strong percentage, in order to be represented by the largest possible number of MEPs in the European Parliament. He also wants to send a message that the work Kyriakos Mitsotakis has produced as Greek Prime Minister, but also as a leader at the level of the European Union, is strong, understandable and above all supported by the majority of the Greek people.”

Furthermore, he emphasized that “the European elections are an extremely important election” and added: “It is not a vote of protest or havale. It is a vote of responsibility towards all the citizens and interests of the country”.

When asked by a journalist if he fears a leak to the right, he replied that “it was the Prime Minister’s choice to turn to the Center Right, leaving aside forces that express populism” and called on “voters of parties to the right of the ND to think logically and responsibly and vote the ND which has been proven to be the European party par excellence”.

Referring to the president of PASOK, he said that “Nikos Androulakis, in his anxiety to find an opponent and rally his party, so that he can keep the third place, forgets to wear the Greek shirt in major issues, such as that of the farmers” , adding at the same time: “Instead of developing his party, as everyone expected, Nikos Androulakis is shrinking it.”

He also pointed out that “the president of PASOK was refuted when he argued that the OPEKEPE payments would not be made, which not only were made before Easter, as I had promised, but were also 85 million more, reaching 785 million euros”.

At the same time, he called on Mr. Androulakis “to clarify his party’s position towards the initiatives taken by the government for changes to the CAP”.

During the press conference, the Minister of Rural Development also spoke about the primary sector, underlining: “We fought and we will not stop fighting.”

He also analyzed the efforts that – as he noted – “the Ministry of Rural Development has made for changes in the CAP, an element that is decisive for the future of the primary sector in our country and in Europe in general”.

At the same time, he criticized the opposition parties, which, as he said, “have not taken a clear position against the 19 proposals for revision of the Common Agricultural Policy, submitted by our country”.

As he added, as Minister of Rural Development he will continue to fight to achieve as many changes as possible, for the benefit of Greek farmers. “We took the voice of the farmers of Greece and made it the voice of the European farmers in the European Parliament,” he noted.

At this point, Mr. Avgenakis criticized the attitude of the representatives of the opposition in the European Parliament, who, as he mentioned, “either abstained, like SYRIZA, or voted against like the KKE, or voted against but then declared that they were wrong, like PASOK MEP Nikos Papandreou. “This bilingualism must stop,” he stressed.

Immediately after the interview, Mr. Avgenakis presided over a party meeting of ND Achaia executives, in his capacity as head of the party’s election campaign in the Region of Western Greece.