As part of his radio interview with Real FM, its President PASOK-Movement for Change Nikos Androulakis deconstructed the government narrative on this year’s budget and its surpluses.

“We don’t have more income because the economy is growing in a healthier way. Revenues are basically more due to indirect taxes. So, when the government celebrates more revenue, without having reconstructed the production model, without having a structurally sounder tax system, but mainly based on indirect taxes that are a product of precision, then these are half-truths” noted features.

Countering PASOK’s political targeting, Mr. Androulakis emphasized: “When we talk about development, we are talking about a development whose benefits spread to society. The profits of large companies are third from the top of the European Union but wages as a percentage of the country’s GDP are second to last. So this shows that instead of reducing inequalities, they are increasing. So, the policy mix needs to change. And that’s what I’m trying to do with our program, accountability and consistency.”

Asked about the parliamentary reshuffles, Mr. Androulakis underlined: “I am eager for more and more Greeks to see hope in PASOK. Our goal is – and should be – that more and more Greeks see a perspective in PASOK. A political choice that is reliable, serious, with political ethics and consistency, that can change and improve their lives. This is my anxiety.”

“This new period should find our squad with even greater expectations. More work, closer to the citizen. Because the goal is no longer if and when we will become the official opposition, but how we will defeat the New Democracy in order to change the central policy that multiplies the problems of the everyday life of the Greek people” completed.

The President of PASOK-Movement for Change underlined that “our strategy is bilateral expansion towards the Center and the Left always with political and value terms and only with dialogue in the foreground. And because this discussion is intriguing, due to the situation on the left of PASOK, I say it again: What some people did a few years ago and today they are condemning, I am not going to do. I never learned to operate in the background. Anyone who wants, politically, let’s come to discuss, to find areas of convergence, because the Democratic Party is not about how it will grow so that some candidates for ministers or parliamentarians will be comfortable again, but how it will solve and respond to today’s social challenges. I have answered many times. I don’t run in the background. There will be political processes in the foreground, political conferences. Any citizen who wants to, whatever their role, can come and contribute with their presence. But you won’t see power deals from me.”

“PASOK has only one goal: To win New Democracy in the next national elections. Anyone who wants to help in this effort to change the country’s politics, to have a better social state, a fair tax system, institutions that work and not arrogance and intemperance by the respective prime minister, respect for the citizen, a different governance culture. Really, I want to tell them today from your show that it is worth supporting the effort we are making. I think that a victory of the Democratic Party in the next national elections will rapidly improve the life of the Greek people. It will make our country really work on European standards and not what we see today.” noted.

As for Greek-Turkish, Mr. Androulakis reiterated his firm position: “Dialogue without illusions and without communication games, – I add – because in these New Democracy is a champion. In other words, it creates a climate that something important will happen, while those who follow things closely see that Turkey is escalating claims, escalating attitudes at the expense of international law, escalating its rhetoric towards Cyprus by clearly talking about the division of the island. My opinion is that Turkey will hardly accept us to solve the only difference we have, and I am talking about the issues of the maritime zones, based on international law and based on the Hague court”.

In addition, Mr. Androulakis, commenting on the happenings inside the government, said that “New Democracy has entered a difficult period and it can be seen from yesterday’s statements of Mr. Georgiadis for “hidden ministers”. The government has entered a path of decay with no return. The country needs a solid political pillar. The Greek people understood what it was about. The Greek people gave Mr. Mitsotakis very high tolerance for fear of not returning a 2015-19 type of government. Instead of making productive use of this tolerance, he made a closed system of power in the Maximus Palace. He called it a “staff state”, while he and his personal and family entourage rule the country.”