Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-22

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Economy on good course, difficult road still ahead, PM tells parliament debate

[01] Economy on good course, difficult road still ahead, PM tells parliament debate

"No one has the right to seek perpetuation of the problems, thinking that it this way it is harming the government. The government cannot be harmed in this way. It is the citizens that are harmed. And the citizens are much more mature than certain of those among us think," Karamanlis said.

The premier acknowledged the right of everyone to exercise criticism, but noted, however, that no one had the right "to attempt social division" and "transpose his party's problems, his political weakness, onto the backs of society and the country".

"The era of irresponsible populism is irrevocably gone," he stressed, adding that the active and mature citizens "demand a responsible stance from all of us".

Referring to the Civil Servants' Auxiliary Pension Fund (TEADY) affair concerning a suspect bond purchase, Karamanlis stressed that "deductions are not made in any instance", adding that "our only commitment is the pact we have made with the citizens".

Karamanlis said that, contrary to the inertia of the past, the regulatory mechanisms "operated" and the government itself and the official authorities "are confronting, revealing and referring (to justice) anything that creates suspicions of harm to the public interest".

He also recalled the recent governmental decisions for a modern institutional framework in the management of the social insurance/pension Funds' assets, for limiting the management of the social insurance organisations' movable assets, and for an in-deputy audit into the Funds' investments "which will not stop anywhere", and for the requirement, henceforth, of approval by the presidiums of the Funds' administrative boards, the Bank of Greece and the Capital Market Commission.

The government was also actively proving its stated volition for transparency everywhere, Karamanlis said, adding that "Greece will not return to the past".

He said that those who believed they could poison the public life in order to cover up their own political weakness, erase their past and conceal their lack of positions and proposals were "deluding themselves".

"The clash with corruption is incessant and head-on," Karamanlis stressed.

The prime minister also compared the achievements of his government in its three years in power with those of the preceding years (under the PASOK governments), thus responding to those "who purposely reverse the reality and confirm that their target is distortion and negativism, danger-mongering and polarisation".

"We dare the comparison in all the sectors, on all the issues," he said.

Acknowledging that all the problems have not been solved, Karamanlis said that "the initial results prove that we are (moving) in the right direction" and guarantee "a new, better prospect".

Turning to the changes in the education system, Karamanlis criticised those who "became lost in the internal-party confusion and failed to formulate a position", but also to those who "misunderstood their role, 'prohibiting' every change". However, as a responsible government, ND had the duty to take decisions. "And in a democracy the majority decides. Parliament decided. And Parliament's decision is the law of the State. A law that responds to the needs of the new era and the demands of society".

On the social resources and confronting poverty, karamanlis said that more effective targeting and a structured politically and socially responsible plan were necessary. He said that, in that direction, the government intended to establish a minimum national pension, while it was also setting up a Fund to Combat Poverty that would be funded by the State Budget. Social expenditure would be gradually increased by 2 billion euros, meaning 1 percentage point of GDP, over the next five years, he said, adding that the goal of the targeted interventions was to financially reinforce those under the poverty level.

"And this is not an announcement. It is a plan that we have been working on for some time. A plan of political and social responsibility," the premier concluded.

PASOK

Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou launched a scathing attack on the government during the debate, charging that "the corruption, lack of transparency and fraud being revealed these days are not at all incidental They have a 'blue' identity and have to do with ND's perceptions and the officials it imposed on the state".

He said the present government was "the worst the country has ever had, even worse than that of Constantime Mitsotakis in 1990-93, with a weak prime minister who is incapable of dismissing the employment minister (Savvas Tsitouridis) and other ministers".

Papandreou said that the only solution was an immediate recourse to elections. In actuality, he said "one phrase by the prime minister that he is submitting his government's resignation and that we are going to elections would suffice."

"This is what the Greek people were waiting to here," he added.

On the issue of the management of the Funds' reserves, Papandreou said that "an entire mechanism was set up by the reserves, with the social insurance recipients' monies, so that some individuals -- parasitic party middle-men -- could get commissions", adding that ND bore immense responsibility in the affair because high-ranking ND officials were sitting in all those seats.

"This is not incidental. It has to do with a perception that you are systematically cultivating -- that the state belongs to you. But the state doesn't belong," Papandreou said, adding that "your scandal with the bonds constitutes a rewarding of fraud".

"You came (to power) to temporarily manage the assets of the Greek citizens with transparency and efficiency. You failed miserably, and that is why the people will soon send you to the opposition. And no more hide-and-seek regarding Justice. The prime minister tolerates, conceals and covers up -- naturally, everything that he can cover up," Papandreou said.

The PASOK leader said that "the crime is at the expense of the pensioner, and you are accountable, Mr. Karamanlis. We expect you to find and return the money to the fund -- and this before the elections, before you leave the government".

Papandreou also personally pledged not to succumb, as prime minister, to any interests.

He further called on the prime minister to reveal in parliament what he promised European Commissioner for monetary affairs Joaquin Almunia in return for the Greek economy's exit from the excessive deficit procedure. "Tell us today, here, in this hall, that which you are concealing from the citizens: The commitments you undertook on the social insurance sector following the elections, the increase in the retirement age and the decrease in pensions as a proportion of the salary, the commitments for extended austerity," Papandreou said.

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