PASOK-Movement for Change spokesperson Kostas Tsoukalas launched a fierce attack on Kyriakos Mitsotakis in response to the prime minister’s post today, Sunday.
According to the relevant statement, the prime minister appears less “angry” about inflation because, as the government claims, prices have remained stable for two months across 2,000 product codes.
“Of course, they’re probably keeping these product codes a secret as a surprise, because neither Mr. Theodorikakos nor the Hellenic Supermarket Association knows them. Based on the announcements from the Ministry of Development, consumers won’t know these SKUs to buy them, unless they hire a private investigator,” he comments.
“Mr. Prime Minister, every day, the country’s low ranking in competitiveness and productivity, the high current account deficit, and the plummeting purchasing power prove that the economy is not outperforming as you claim. Inflation is indeed outpacing growth and leading to excessive profits for cartels and state profiteering through indirect taxes. Not only have you not reduced taxes as you claim, but through indirect taxation you have increased the burden on households and businesses.
On the issue of widow’s pensions, a question arises. Why did it take you seven years to repeal a deeply unfair provision? If you claim there was no money, then you are vindicating Mr. Katrougalos and the previous government, which enacted the pension cuts. If not, explain to us why your government issued the Tsakloglou circular, which enforced the law’s provisions even more harshly than its original architects, effectively cutting an entire national pension?
And one last thing: Following the revelations about the gaps in security protocols and the country’s humiliation caused by the National Security Secretary being duped by Russian pranksters, do you still insist that you are the best person to answer the phone at three in the morning? When the incident in Kasos occurred—the one that led to the cancellation of the cable-laying operation—did you consult with Mr. Dokos?
P.S. As for the culpability of the President’s favorite at OPEKEPE, Mr. Mela—whom he praised as “excellent” when announcing him as a New Democracy candidate for the European Parliament—the news probably hasn’t reached Maximos yet. “He must have read it but wasn’t informed,” Tsoukalas notes characteristically.