Pyre against her government and of the former prime minister, Costas Karamanlislaunched the Achaia MP of PASOK and former prime minister, George Papandreou, speaking today at 27th Development Forum which is organized in Patras.

“There is money – but where does it go?”, asked George Papandreou, and as he continued, “it goes to the looting that we feel every day from the huge profit-making practice of the big energy companies, supermarkets and banks”. “And this”, as he noted, “with the backs of the government”.

“Why,” he added, “even today they are still lost in the dark paths between the client state and all kinds of interests – and wasted in unfair practices, just like then, 20 years ago, when one scandal followed another and the European Parliament accused the then government of accounting fraud, due to the false data”.

“Something”, which, as he said, “finally led us to forced borrowing”.

“And unfortunately,” he continued, “from what I’ve heard recently, here in Patras, the protagonists of that tragedy continue to appear unrepentant.”

“And I use the word unrepentant,” he pointed out, “because they may again lead the country and the people into financial adventures in the way they manage the property of the Greek people.”

Speaking then about development, George Papandreou said that “serious, sustainable development cannot be understood if it does not include, beyond the economic side, the goal of well-being, ensuring access to quality health for all, democratic and modern education, housing, mental health, and a society of solidarity and humanity”.

“Unfortunately”, he stressed, “current politics, the government of the ND serves anything but these principles, values”.

Then, citing “an example from the case of Achaia”, he said:

“In the last few days it was announced that in the Directorate of Development Planning of the Region of Western Greece, no proposal was approved in three proclamations of the Development Law. That only 2% of the resources of these announcements were directed to our region. And that less than 20% of proposals in the country were approved. And we wonder: where are the resources that have come to our country in abundance in recent years finally being allocated? The European Court of Auditors talks about the “increasing trend in irregular spending in the management of European resources”, underlining that “the findings reveal critical challenges for the EU”. And Greece takes the lead in opacity, unfortunately.”

Also, George Papandreou said that “and the Central Bank warns about the Recovery Fund’s “significant delay in the execution of expenses”, as “only 45% of the total funds of the grants that have been collected so far have been channeled into the real economy” (Report Bank of Greece, June 2024), with under-execution “costing” the country approximately 1% of GDP per year”.