Mitsotakis: Citizens respond to those who advocate change and not promises

The persistent promotion of the reform agenda, which he had presented before the elections of July 2019, despite the pandemic, the migration, but also the serious challenges of Turkey in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, underlined the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his greeting, addressed to the congress of the People’s Party of Spain (Partido Popular), held in Valencia. Mr. Mitsotakis noted that the “real change”, which he submitted as a pre-election proposal to the Greek people, gave him and the New Democracy party the autonomy, but also the domination in the political space from the Right to the progressive center, while allowing him to defeat the “populists of the far left”, as he characteristically said, to express optimism that the same victory may come in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Spain and the People’s Party, under Pablo Casado.

“Despite the pandemic, despite the immigration, despite the difficult differences with Turkey, we remained faithful to our commitments. “We have reduced taxes for all Greeks, we have reduced the bureaucracy, we have created a digital state, we have modernized our party so that the New Democracy now occupies the entire space between the right and the progressive center”, said Mr. Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister went on to say that the people are responding to those who advocate “real change” and not “empty promises”. “We won the elections because we promised, not only to our supporters but to the entire Greek people, a new vision of renewal in which they could believe,” he said. “The Greek people have rewarded us with an absolute parliamentary majority in the last elections, so that we can implement our program.”

“I am here to convey the message that this is possible. The far-left populists, the counterparts of your own Podemos, were defeated in the recent elections by the progressive center-right party. When you take power, I’m sure you will have the same vision as us. A vision not only for a progressive Spain, but a vision for a progressive Europe. A Europe that protects its borders. A Europe that puts defense at the center of its policy. “A Europe that ensures that the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Fund will be used to improve the lives of all Europeans, to reduce income inequalities and to ensure that we all look forward to a common future,” he said.

The Prime Minister was in favor of reducing taxes and increasing investment, noting that “politics has the power to make a difference in the daily lives” of citizens, “not through increased taxation, aggravating regulatory frameworks and excessive state intervention. But through investment, reform and market conditions, which boost entrepreneurship, employment, growth, but also increased productivity. This is exactly what we have done in Greece: tax cuts, labor market reforms, the development of green technologies and the use of smart technology and digital innovation in order to achieve the best possible results for the citizens. “

Pablo Casado: “You have the appreciation of us all – My government will support the protection of the Greek borders”

In his keynote address, the President of the People’s Party in Spain, Pablo Cassado, stressed that Kyriakos Mitsotakis and New Democracy are an example for the effective management of great challenges, such as the pandemic, and pledged that a People’s Party government will support full protection of Greek borders and interests in the Mediterranean. At the same time, he thanked the Greek Prime Minister for the steadfast struggle against populism, referring, in fact, to a conversation he had with him in the past.

“Sunday, you have the appreciation of all of us for the protection of public health and tourism renaissance during the pandemic. And I will say it clearly: tomorrow’s Spanish government of Partido Popular will fully support the protection of your Greek borders and national interests in the Mediterranean against threats from other neighboring countries. We are on the side of Greece as an EU country, beyond and above any other interest “, stressed Mr. Kasado.

” Your example shows that the electoral victory can become a reality when you stand firm against populism and the parties that express it. Not when you shout as opposition just to be heard “, the president of Partido Popular also pointed out.

” One day I spoke with Kyriakos on the phone and we were talking about populism. And he gave me a piece of advice: “Resist! We also had Varoufakis here and we resisted”. And he was right. That is why we also oppose populism “, he added characteristically.

In detail, in his greeting, the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stated the following:

“Good evening and thank you for being here.

It is great to see so many participants. Full of passion for your party. Passion for your future. Passion for your country.

It is a great pleasure for me to return to this beautiful city. Hello Valencia!

Sebastian Kurz, too bad you could not be with us. Pablo, thank you for the invitation, it is a great honor to be able to address this wonderful audience for a while.

We are not just political friends. The bond that unites us makes us part of a wider political family.

A family with similar perceptions of things, common values ​​and hopes for the future. Hope not only for the future of the country of each of us, but for the European Union and the whole of Europe.

I am very happy to be here today. Because in the person of Pablo Casado I believe that the People’s Party has found a leader with energy, vision, ambition and wisdom.

You Pablo understand that what unites all of us here today is the belief that politics has the power to make a difference in the daily lives of the people of our great continent.

We do not do this through increased taxation, aggravating regulatory frameworks and excessive state intervention. But through investment, reform and market conditions that boost entrepreneurship, employment, growth, but also increased productivity.

This is exactly what we have done in Greece: tax cuts, labor market reforms, development of green technologies and the use of smart technology and digital innovation in order to get the best possible results for citizens.

These are the answers to the populism of the far left and the far right. And that is why we collectively – as the European People’s Party – are the most successful political movement in Europe.

Our policies are policies of reform, renewal and freedom.

Our policies, dear Pablo, focus on individual freedom, fiscal stability, a strong economy and the defense of human rights and democracy.

Dear Pablo, I do not want to waste your time this wonderful audience is here to hear you and applaud you. I would just like to share with you some of the challenges that my party, New Democracy, has faced as we made the transition from the politics of the past to the position we have today. Because, as you know, no political journey is easy.

It requires faith, determination, mental strength, courage. Above all it requires willpower.

Willpower for change, for renewal, for compromises, for harder work in the long run, in the effort to fulfill your political goals.

Dear friends,

I became Prime Minister of Greece just over two years ago. We took power after a period of harsh austerity, as a progressive alternative to the failed populism of the left.

But our journey started much earlier. New Democracy is not a new party. We celebrated the 47th anniversary of our founding this week.

However, I believe that today we are indeed a different party dear Pablo, just as the People’s Party is a different party. A party that stands for something more progressive than even the founders could have imagined.

When I took over the leadership of New Democracy in 2016, the goal of making a difference for the Greek people was still a long way off.

Like you Pablo, I was not a favorite for the party leadership. But I did it. And three years later we won the elections because we promised, not only to our supporters but to the entire Greek people, a new vision of renewal in which they could believe.

I see that all of you here today share the same vision for renewal. A renewal that will not be based on slogans and empty promises, but on real change.

This is exactly what we did Pablo , despite the pandemic, despite the immigration, despite the difficult differences with Turkey. We have remained true to our commitments, we have reduced taxes for all Greeks, we have reduced the bureaucracy, we have created a digital state, we have modernized our party so that the New Democracy now occupies the entire space between the right and the progressive center. And the Greek people rewarded us with an absolute parliamentary majority in the last elections, so that we can implement our program.

We have exceeded the formal party limits, utilizing in the system of government the best and most capable specialists who worked in the public and private sector.

And, as I said, we have made the digitization and digital reform of the state a priority, facilitating access for all to a single, central, digital government platform.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to convey the message that this is possible. The far-left populists, the counterparts of your own Podemos, were defeated in the recent elections by the progressive center-right party. When you take power, I’m sure you will have the same vision as us. A vision not only for a progressive Spain, but a vision for a progressive Europe. A Europe that protects its borders. A Europe that puts defense at the center of its policy. A Europe that ensures that RFF funds are used to improve the lives of all Europeans, reduce income inequalities and ensure that we all look forward to a common future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I do not want to take any more of your time, because you are here to listen to your leader, the new , promising leader of Spain, Pablo Casado. It is a great joy, a great honor that you invited me here today. I wish you all the best.

Thank you ».

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ