On the targeted support measures that the government is expected to announce, the developments regarding the Vertical Corridor and current Greek political affairs were discussed by the Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, speaking on ACTION 24 television.
Mr. Papastavrou underlined that, as the prime minister also announced, next week together with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance specific interventions for heating oil will be announced, with a horizontal increase in the allowance, which will concern approximately 1.2 million of our fellow citizens.
“The prime minister mentioned two interventions yesterday regarding heating oil. The first is that when the season ended the price was at 1.75. Today prices start from 2 euros. This is a very large increase for every household. Therefore, with the measures that will be announced on Monday, the price will be set below 1.75”, he noted.
“The prime minister also made a second intervention. There will be a significant increase in the heating allowance, which is horizontal and concerns approximately 1,170,000 of our fellow citizens, and which is not given only to the approximately 600,000 who last year chose heating oil, since beneficiaries may choose warmth from natural gas - last year approximately 175,000, almost 320,000 from electricity, around 75,000 from firewood. There will be a significant horizontal increase for everyone”, he added.
The minister underlined: “The most important thing is that there are prices that households can cope with, because the issue of warmth for every home is the top priority. No one can change geopolitical developments. What one can do is have as many targeted support measures as possible, so that every household and every family can cope”.
“The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis has proven -and we did it from the very first moment the crisis occurred in March- that with targeted measures we are trying to support society”, he pointed out.
Regarding the European response, he explained that “one thing is important, that now everyone sees that the crisis, which some had predicted would last a few weeks, has lasted much longer and no one really knows how long it will last. It has become a new normality”.
“Unlike other countries, which in order to think about giving support measures must get permission, we have the fiscal space to be able to do this in a measured way”, he added.
Asked about the discussion taking place in Europe regarding the Special Consumption Tax (EFK), Mr. Papastavrou said that for such issues there is usually a need for a “decision at the level of a Summit of heads of state”.
He added: “I want to be honest. It is difficult, because Europe does not leave much room regarding the fiscal ceiling. And it does so precisely because at this moment the Economic and Monetary Union has very strict terms regarding what you can spend”.
Speaking about the Vertical Corridor, he stressed: “When we laid the foundations for the Vertical Corridor last year, many considered it an ambitious plan that would not work. And already, one year later, it has taken shape and form”.
“I remind you that a few weeks ago in Thessaloniki North Macedonia and Serbia joined the Vertical Corridor and let me tell you that in a few months the 125 km interconnector pipeline will be completed -a large part of which is being implemented by DESFA- which will connect Greece with North Macedonia and will begin operating as early as 2027”, he said.
Finally, when asked to comment on current political affairs and the recent polls, the minister underlined: “The higher you set the bar of expectations, the more you solve problems that improve the citizen’s quality of life every day, the more you carry out effective reforms, the more you regain the trust of those who at this moment had some distance”.