Her need for more support to small and medium enterprises pointed out president of SYRIZA-PS, Stefanos Kasselakis in a speech at his conference Economist “European Business Summit – How can SMEs innovate and compete in a volatile economic environment?”, while criticizing the government for its policies.

St. Kasselakis first emphasized that common economic policies based on common interests give real meaning to the EU. especially against the background of the successive crises.

The government “cannot and does not want to face” these crises, he said, but “exploits” them to implement its strategy. As he said, small and medium-sized enterprises suffer the “result” of an “authoritarian neoliberal policy”, which puts “the future at risk”. He accused the government of presenting this “as growth”, but actually “laying the foundations for the next crisis”, as “the middle class is being strangled” and all these options “do not lead to real growth”.

Specifically, he referred to the lack of liquidity for SMEs, the increase in indirect and direct taxes and their exclusion from the Recovery Fund as a “political choice”. As he pointed out, only seven companies with less than 10 employees had access to loans through the Recovery Fund, while they make up 90% of the Greek economy. “Where did the big money go?” he asked, only to reply that 9.5 billion in soft loans were concentrated in 150 very large companies, as “the invisible hand of government” led them to that source. “And this is how the Recovery Fund becomes another lost opportunity for the country”, he underlined, noting that for the ND, SMEs are a “problem” for the economy.

Referred to in the proposals of SYRIZA for the support of SME noted among others the tax exemption up to 10,000 eurosnon-seized business account, reduction of VAT from 22% to 17%, regulation of private debt and non-performing loans and access to the Recovery Fund.

St. Kasselakis accused the government of going to the European elections “with a hidden agenda”, as it hides a package of new taxes from the citizens and promised that if SYRIZA becomes the government “it will not fool” the people.

He also noted that the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe are “common” and emphasized the need for a “new model” that would “guarantee modernization”.

In closing, O president of SYRIZA-PS referred to “a photo from 2015, after the crucial July 2015 Summit, showing the embrace of Holland and Tsipras after the difficult long hours of negotiation”. “It is the impression of a relationship that has strong claims and an effort to mediate, support and compromise, and solidarity and stubbornness of common cooperation and understanding of the just demand that one party cannot bear the burden of broader crises,” he said, stressing that it should not let “small and medium-sized enterprises fall over the cliff”.