Referring to the government's refusal to take measures against high prices, at a time when banks and energy and fuel companies are recording exorbitant profits, PASOK MP Michalis Katrinis spoke on SKAI television, accusing it of constantly searching for excuses. “How many excuses will the government find in order not to take measures against the high prices that are sweeping through?”, he said characteristically.
Specifically, as a guest on the program “Atairiastoi,” with journalists Giannis Ntsounos and Christos Koutras, Michalis Katrinis stated that we are all tired, and much more so the citizens of this country, of hearing New Democracy officials speculate about the future and say what they will do, at a time when high prices are rampant and a billion-euro party is taking place in the market. The banks are distributing an interim dividend of 600 million euros, energy companies are recording net profits of more than 2.5 billion euros in the first half of the year, and refining companies net profits of 1 billion euros.
As he pointed out, three months ago Mr. Mitsotakis was saying that we cannot reduce the special consumption tax, because revenues would decrease. Now he has found a new excuse, that Europe does not allow us to do so, while other countries are doing it. However, he does not tell us whether Europe also forbids him from imposing taxation on the excess profits of energy and fuel companies.
Michalis Katrinis added that the prime minister does not explain why ten European countries have for months now taken measures for fuels, with most having reduced special consumption taxes and Poland having also proceeded to tax the excess profits of refining companies at a rate of 60%.
PASOK, he stressed, proposes the reduction of the special consumption tax, which we hear the government is now also discussing, seven months after the proposal was put on the table. It also proposes the taxation of the excess profits of all those who are making a fortune amid this profiteering crisis.
Asked about Mr. Tsipras’s recent statements, he said that “either us or no one” is reminiscent of “either Mitsotakis or chaos” and constitutes the other side of the same coin.
As he commented, Mr. Tsipras seems to have forgotten that he is the only leader of the official opposition who managed, within four years, to see his party lose 60%–70% of its strength and be led to dissolution, while the government, in the same period, not only did not lose strength, but increased its percentages. “The one who had the responsibility as leader of the official opposition in the period 2019–2023 achieved the impossible,” he concluded.