to work in favour of businesses and their workers,
not only in favour of their shareholders. Moreover,
we want to utilise European funds (e.g. NSRF) to
the benefit of both businesses and workers. We
want to put an end to the unacceptable practice of
doling out benefits through the EU’s Structural
Funds.
Finally, the absurd social security contribution
system has led society to despair. The Tsipras
government is punishing those workers and
employers who work and produce more. This pol-
icy will only succeed in increasing tax and contri-
bution evasion.
Politics requires nerve and courage. This govern-
ment’s political behaviour is irrational and erratic.
It says different things in Greece than it does
abroad. It declares that it welcomes investments,
while at the same time doing its best to under-
mine them.
The conclusion is straightforward: you cannot sail
on two boats at the same time. We immediately
need clear solutions. Nea Demokratia and its
president, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, have a straightfor-
ward and budgeted plan: reduced taxes and
expenditures, structural changes, regaining confi-
dence, lower surpluses, a more efficient and
effective state.
Our vision is to help Greece become again a nor-
mal European country, with profitable businesses,
more jobs and increased public revenues. The
poverty distribution model has to be turned into a
wealth distribution model.
Nea Demokratia believes in a productive Greece.
We believe that a free, competitive economy will
bring out the Greeks’ creativity. The way forward
is hard. But we are in favour of hard and worth-
while choices.
Trade with Greece
27
privatisation of the Hellenic Gas Transmission
System Operator (DESFA) for its own publicity
purposes. After rejecting the Azeri proposal and
burdening the budget with a financing gap of 188
billion euros, it has not yet come up with a reliable
alternative in regard to this investment. Finally, it
is worth noting that, according to the WEF,
Greece has dropped to the 131st place in terms
of the macroeconomic environment.
Third, the Eurogroup of February 20 was another
lost opportunity for Greece’s economic recovery.
The conclusion of the evaluation was postponed
and there was absolutely no agreement on the
programme. The return of the institutions to
Greece was accompanied by new capitulations
and defeats of the government, which:
Agreed to high surpluses, when it previously
claimed that they are untenable. Agreed to the
legislation of measures in advance, when it previ-
ously said that this is unconstitutional. Agreed to
the reduction of the tax-free bracket and to the
extreme (as it claimed) positions of the IMF on
pensions and labour issues, which it supposedly
rejected. Every time the SYRIZA-ANEL govern-
ment negotiates, the cost for the society and
economy rises.
Moreover, there was neither any commitment in
regard to the debt, nor any provision for Greece’s
inclusion to the quantitative easing programme,
which would send a signal that uncertainty is
over. Nea Demokratia insists that the evaluation
should have been completed last year. We knew
too well that if it was completed on time, no new
measures would be on the table. Now the addi-
tional cost for the economy and society will be
unbearable.
Fourth, it is imperative to move forward with struc-
tural changes that will simplify the context of
doing business and will support entrepreneurship.
For example, everyone agrees that there is a
pressing need to secure liquidity, but the govern-
ment does nothing for this. It prefers to mete out
rents to certain social groups in order to benefit its
own client network, instead of ensuring the grad-
ual repayment of the State’s overdue obligations.
The same applies to the issue of non-performing
loans .Nea Demokratia has repeatedly demanded
the enactment of Law 4307 to deal with this issue.
This is why we have presented a comprehensive
plan. In regard to business loans we propose out-
of-court settlement for companies with turnovers
of up to 2,500,000 euros. At the same time, we
are proposing fast-track court settlement for the
debts of large enterprises, and the reform of insol-
vency proceedings. Our differences from the gov-
ernment are obvious. We want debt restructuring
