The general elections will be held at the end of government's four-year term, stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in an interview with SKAI radio on Thursday, underlining that early elections now with the existing problems and challenges would not be a nationally responsible action.
"We should see things with a self-critical attitude, learn from our mistakes and keep alive our reform momentum, continuing with the implementation of our programme. Three years after the elections we are in any case entering an election year. We have a rich legislative plan from September onwards and we want to recover part of the lost time that was spent addressing the crises," Mitsotakis underlined.
Polls show that the government's image in these three years has been positive, Mitsotakis said and referred again to the "bomb" of simple proportional representation that will hinder the formation of a government in the first elections in a very difficult period.
"We have a strong parliamentary majority and my duty is to safeguard the country's stability. I am determined to assume any cost, I will not jeopardise the country's stability in order to serve my political interests," he said.
Commenting on Greek-Turkish relations, Mitsotakis said that he started his talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a good attitude but this had been followed by Turkey's illegal memorandum with Libya, the instrumentalisation of the migration issue and the "hot" summer of 2020.
He said that their last meeting was held in a good atmosphere but "I was clear, there will be no improvement in relations as long as there is any dispute of Greek sovereignty, that I will not accept Turkish fighter jets flying over the Greek islands".
Greece can't block the supply of arms to Turkey from the USA forever, Mitsotakis pointed out, while adding that "we can, however, explain to the US that supplying arms to Turkey, which questions the sovereignty of another allied country, is not in the USA's best interests."
The prime minister also added that if Greece is unable to resolve its differences with Turkey then "we must learn to live with them". He noted that Greece's intention "is not to isolate Turkey, we want to agree that the way to resolve our differences can be none other than international law". Referring to the war in Ukraine, he said that Ukraine must not be defeated, adding that Greece is on the same side as Europe.
On the economy, he said that fiscally the country can't afford to reduce the special consumption tax on fuel and that support will continue with the fuel pass, which is a targeted intervention, adding that the measures for heating are a top priority.
"The fiscal limits are not infinite, no country can fully absorb the increases," he underlined.
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