By Gifts Antoniou

The government’s frontal conflict with PASOK, focusing on the economy, is just one parameter of soil preparation ahead of the prime minister’s speech at the TIF on Saturday. With a series of moves that are being made, it is clear that the government is seeking to reach the inauguration of the Thessaloniki exhibition, which functions as an informal launch of the political year every September, with positive developments in a number of areas.

During the week we are making the announcements have been made of the first results of OPEKEPE checks, for the IDs that received illegal subsidies, for the actions to be taken to commit the property of the perpetrators. The OPEKEPE scandal has hurt the ruling party, and certainly the announcement that the controls they had announced produce results, serves the narrative ‘We’ll get the stolen back’adopted by the government against revelations about the scandal.

On another front, that of the immigration, the debate in the House these days of the bill brought by Thanos Plevris and tightens immigration policy brings back to the forefront a matter on which the government invests and maintains high on its agenda, especially addressing the most conservative.

The doctrine of “security and order” is highlighted by the revelations about the dismantling of the so -called “Mafia of Crete” and the success of the law enforcement authorities in revealing the action of a circuit with organized crime features and multidimensional criminal activity.

In addition, the change of style and the highest tones in defense of foreign policy options and what has been done in this area in recent years has not gone unnoticed.

As the government is steadily moving in the direction of shaping a positive narrative, which will largely shape the agenda of the issues raised within the TIF, in addition to the narrow context of the benefits to be announced, the criticism of PASOK could not be left unanswered.

This role was taken by the Deputy Prime Minister yesterday Kostis Hatzidakisby posting on social media, where he accused the opposition party of spreading a series of fake news about the economy. And he quoted “four myths”, as he described them, arising from what PASOK’s said.

  • That ‘Surpluses are the result of over -taxation“: He said that no tax has increased, on the contrary, 72 different taxes have been reduced and the above revenue came from the growth of the economy and the fight against tax evasion.
  • That “Government gives crumbs to citizens”: He stressed that the government is moving within the limits of the strengths of the economy and European fiscal rules.“How responsible is it to be to the citizens of hares with rockets, when we all know that an uncontrolled benefit policy would wake up memories of the great crisis again? Memories certainly not very pleasant! “ added.
  • That “The granting of 13th salary to the State is much lower than what the government claims”. As he pointed out, the cost is 1.4 billion and not half as PASOK claims.
  • That “VAT reduction will relieve citizens from precision”. As he said, the opposition deliberately ignores that the reduction of VAT did not work in Spain or Portugal and added that by reducing direct taxes, citizens see direct money in their pockets.