New Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ first interview to a foreign media outlet was aired on Thursday, and specifically to BBC’s HARDtalk, with the center-right political leader reiterating that his “selling point” to persuade European creditors to ease high annual fiscal targets – required from Greece – is to strengthen credibility.
Asked if an ambitious plan to cut tax rates in the country will threaten social subsidies and pension, if implemented, Mitsotakis ruled out any reductions in social security benefits. At the same time he said the first round of tax cuts will affect business profits and property taxes, as of Jan. 1, 2020.
The pro-reform Mitsotakis and his conservative New Democracy (ND) made tax cuts for businesses, individual taxpayers and consumer the “banner” of their pre-election campaign, as Greece endured a “tax tsunami” unleashed by the previous leftist Tsipras government in 2016 and 2017 – primarily enacted to meet an annual 3.5-percent primary budget surplus demanded by creditors until 2022.
Queried over the contentious issue of Brexit, Mitsotakis said: “I don’t think there is another deal available for the UK…I don’t see a reason for changing what has been agreed’.”
