“There is no such thing as a patriotic tax or a good tax when it is raised,”said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis during a briefing with political editors, in response to related announcements from Alexis Tsipras’s party.
According to Mr. Marinakis, what sets him apart from the other prime ministerial candidates “is that he had the opportunity to govern and imposed over 30 taxes. Actions speak louder than words,” he emphasized.
The government spokesperson denied that New Democracy MPs who are vindicated in the OPEKEPE case will take legal action against the European Public Prosecutor’s Office:“We have confidence in the justice system and harbor no desire for revenge against judicial officials. That is not the case,”he said.
Regarding assurances from government officials in Cyprus that an audio recording published recently and falsely implicating Deputy Minister Giorgos Mylonakis was unfounded, Mr. Marinakis noted: “I want to know if some people still believe that there is no issue of toxic rhetoric and misinformation, which can lead to very serious consequences.”
Asked to comment on Haris Theocharis ’s description of Antonis Samaras as “far-right,” the government spokesperson distanced himself from the New Democracy MP: “It is best to avoid labels in general, and especially when speaking of a former party president and prime minister, even though he has been expelled. We may have differences of opinion, particularly on national issues, and we have responded adequately, but labels have nothing to offer.”