Main opposition New Democracy (ND) president Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday evening emphasized that the previous day’s political “breakup” between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his one-time coalition partner, now ex-DM Panos Kammenos, is a “staged divorce”.
“SYRIZA-AN.EL did not break up, they merged,” Mitsotakis said during a studio appearance on the Ant1 television station’s prime-time newscast. AN.EL is the acronym of the Independent Greeks’, the small right-wing and populist party founded and led by Kammenos.
“This suits them both, because Mr. Kammenos does not want to put his signature on the Prespa agreement, and, essentially, it will give him (Tsipras) the opportunity to eke out a vote of confidence (in Parliament),” he said.
In continuing to stoke opposition to the provisional agreement, Mitsotakis warned that a vote of confidence for the current government means a “yes” to the Prespa pact, which if ratified will resolve the bilateral difference revolving on the fYRoM “name issue”.
Asked what will happen if the agreement is not ratified, the ND president said everything will commence from the beginning, while stressing that if elected fYRoM’s European course will be “conditional”.
“From the very first, I explained to the European Peoples Party that the large majority of the Greek people are against the agreement. I also insist on my view that there was an (under-the-table) exchange, economic measures for a fYRoM deal,” he said, adding that he told visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel the same thing last week.
“It’s possible that Mr. Tsipras will find the 151 deputies, but he does not have the trust of the people,” he said, again saying a snap election is necessary.
Turning to the economy, Mitsotakis “stayed on message” by repeating that, if elected, a ND government will cut taxes and create new jobs.
“Our pensioners do not want their grandchildren to be dependent on their 100 euros (allowance), but to find jobs,” he said, charging that the leftist-rightist coalition since 2015 has increased 29 various taxes, many indirect, and proceeded with 17 “interventions” that cut pensioners’ income.
