Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis highlighted three indisputable facts about the electricity interconnection with Cyprus in an interview with SKAI television.
He noted that the two countries with authority to license the project are Greece and Cyprus, stressing that the fact the French sought approval from both countries sends a very clear message.
He also pointed out that Athens issued a NAVTEX, followed by a counter-NAVTEX from Turkey, showing that the other side is not satisfied. “If everything were going according to their preferences, they would not have issued a counter-NAVTEX,” Kostis Hatzidakis said.
Foreign policy
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the country does not conduct foreign policy for domestic consumption, but is steadily strengthening its position through alliances, defence and strategic moves. “What will matter, and what we will all be judged on, is whether the cable is built or not,” he added.
He also urged people not to cast themselves as victims, pointing to the mutual defence assistance agreements with France, the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets, the securing of F-35s, the spatial-planning submission to the EU, the delivery of the frigate “Nearchos”, and the business activity of Chevron and a US drilling rig in Crete and Corfu, respectively.
Responding to criticism from the opposition, he said the country was advancing the European project in cooperation with Brussels and its partners, who unanimously backed Athens over the Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
Political dispute
Responding to Alexis Tsipras’s comments on corruption, Mr Hatzidakis urged him to consult former Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, referring to Kontonis’s remarks on the changes to the Criminal Codes in 2019.
He also said the former prime minister was judged by his record and election results, highlighting the fall in his share of the vote from 32% to 17.5% in 2023.
On lawbreaking, the Deputy Prime Minister referred to initiatives to tackle violence at sports grounds, inspections on beaches, the demolition of illegal structures and the transfer of urban planning departments to the Cadastre.
Tax evasion and construction
He singled out the law on tax evasion, noting that 11 measures had led the state to expect additional revenue of €9.1 billion between 2024 and 2027. The measures include linking 490,000 businesses to cash registers and POS terminals, measures concerning fuel, and 300 cases solved by the Greek FBI and AADE.
Finally, on the transfer of development rights, he clarified that, following discussions with the Ministry of the Environment, the relevant announcement by the General Secretariat for Urban Environment and Spatial Planning makes clear that the consultation concerns zones designated to receive development rights.
He categorically stressed that the government had no intention whatsoever of transferring development rights from one municipality to another, citing Athens, Psychiko and the Municipality of Papagou-Cholargos as examples.