By Penelope Galliou

The governmental restart of TIF and the political messages broadcast by the prime minister

During his speech at Vellideo Conference Centeron Saturday night, as well as against the press conference which the Prime Minister granted yesterday, giving a clear stamp for the rest of his second term.

The axes on which government policy will move, as described and announced by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, revealed a government restart, which puts the citizen at the center, not only with the economic and social measures he announced facilitating his daily life, but also with a range of other reform measures, from health to delinquency and security, in the same direction.

At the same time, the prime minister also gave a strong political content to his positions, sending messages with many recipients and within the political scene, with the main one being that the ND is the only force of stability in the country, which can provide solutions to the problems facing society and to push forward.

After all, he is the same one who for a long time, and especially after the message of the European elections, repeats the recommendations to his Ministers for speed, vigilance and efficiency. The same climate pervades the spirit of TIF’s announcements, to move everything with speed and plan so that citizens can immediately see the impact of the measures and actions on their daily lives, with tangible results.

It is also no coincidence that he chose to refer both to his political opponents and within his party, declaring in all directions that in this government term as well, he will move institutionally, determined to exhaust the four-year term so that the government and himself to be judged in total in 2027.

He even directed his arrows against the situation prevailing in the opposition parties, with SYRIZA and PASOK in particular as protagonists, speaking of the absence of an alternative proposal for governance.

“I don’t think there is any other governance proposal for the country, apart from the one expressed by the government. A structured proposal with a beginning, middle and end and mainly costed. I do not see an alternative government proposal, not even from SYRIZA, which is in a phase of policy aphasia. PASOK, a supposedly progressive and modernizing force, voted against all the important reforms we implemented in the first 12 months” commented the prime minister.

The internal members of the ND also joined the prime minister’s staff, responding to the criticism leveled at him by his predecessors Antonis Samaras and Kostas Karamanlis, assuring that the ND does not face a question of unity, “it is both strong and united”, he said, while rejecting suggestions within of ND to change course or turn right and insisted on defending his choices

“I will defend the political choices I make. And I will always try to convince even within ND those who have a different opinion are a minority – that what we say is the right one.
That is why I reject all this talk of a right turn” he clarified.

At the same time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis rejected the possibility of changing the electoral law in order to lower the bar of self-reliance for the first party, recalling the same conversation that had caused the national elections of 2023 “when many predicted that with the existing system it was almost impossible to I remember ND being at 31 – 32% and finally it went to 41%.

Eventually, self-reliance proved possible. To those who predict that self-reliance under the existing law is an elusive dream, I would advise patience,” remarked the prime minister.

The prime minister was equally dismissive of those who accuse the government of reform fatigue, repeating that governments are judged over a period of 4 years.
“That’s why I insist on presenting what we did in the first year to refute the argument about reform fatigue, the consistency of words and works and to insist a lot on what we have to do in the next 3 years” he said.

On a political level, however, the prime minister hastened to close again the open fronts for the Presidency of the Republic, which comes and returns to the political foreground with nomenclature and scenarios, setting a clear timetable for his plans. “This debate will take place in January and until then I will not say anything at all. Apart from the fact that I respect and appreciate the President of the Republic. But I consider it unfair for her and the institution that a debate about the next person is constantly being recycled President of the Republic before his time” he interpreted.

As far as his political future is concerned, Kyriakos Mitsotakis limited himself to the near future, and closed the scenarios of his transition to European office, clarifying that he will lead the ND for a third term, without this – according to one reading – meaning that it is possible that the ultimate political future will develop in Europe.

After all, he also ruled out a “sudden jump” as he said. “I don’t have any plans of any sudden jump to some other European position. I repeat and I am now the elected prime minister of the country for a full term. I intend to complete this term by Spring 2027.(…) I am Prime Minister, I am leader of the ND. And I have no intention of retiring” he concluded.