The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas during an interview on Wednesday 22 February 2017 on SKAI TV and journalist Anna Bousdoukou stated the following:
On the forthcoming meeting between Merkel-Langarde:
What we are expecting is to continue this good mood ambience and course which started by the Monday Eurogroup, meaning to put this procedure on the track so that the Federal Ministry of Finance of Germany does not insist on unreasonable requirements for high primary surpluses for years to come after the end of the program. This will facilitate the technical echelons which will come to Athens, so that we will swiftly draft a definite plan which will close the evaluation.
I keep in mind the positive fact that we are accelerating the procedure to close the second evaluation. What this means for Greece is that simultaneously we are entering a procedure which has to do with the debt in the mid-term. It has to do with the quantitative easing. Hence a security environment is shaped for the mobility of the economy, so that we can make plans under better conditions without “running out of breath” as does a long-distance runner, making steps for the reconstruction of the country at a productive level, as well as for the social welfare.
It was a great success for the negotiations team not to allow in the discussion for the period as of 1/1/2019, the possibility of further austerity for the Greek society. This is accelerated by the fact that any fiscal limiting measures to be established by the country now for that period will be assorted by related off-set benefits.
The reality is the following: If we take any limiting measures simultaneously respective relief measures will be taken, bearing zero results.
These are the first steps. Concerning how exactly the mid-term measures will be shaped, all I can say is that we aim to significantly relieve the debt, a regulatory mechanism which will in fact lead to the reduction of our obligations. Closing the evaluation and having a specific plan for the mid-term debt are part and parcel of the quantitative easing. In May it could all end, as long as we have the will to work hard.
On New Democracy and its stance:
The opposition is functioning with a time delay mechanism, however in the same context. How else can one evaluate the fact that up to today they have been saying to close the evaluation, or they have been turning a blind eye to the fact that the delay of the evaluation resulted from the contradictions between the IMF and the institutions and not from the Greek Government.
Mr. Mitsotakis as the leader of New Democracy having asked for elections and nothing else, is trapped in a strategic dead-end, because he cannot present any serious proposals for the country and, in order to excuse his policy which led his party to being the oppositionm, is not accepting the fact that the Greek people have condemned this policy.
Three leaders came after Mr.Samaras hence he himself is trapped in a whirlpool, and at some point he should take decisions and not merely stick to the fact that he is leading his party.
We are talking about a new mixture of fiscal policy from 1/1/2019 onwards, after the end of the program. We have managed via mutual compromises, to do away with the initial IMF demand of 3.4-4 billion Euro preventive measures as of 2019. This is a significant success. It will also be a success to put the country back on the track of state-welfare and economy reconstruction. We are placing the cornerstone on the structure which will lead us out of the crisis.
It will relieve is to know that we can loan 3 billion for the establishment of new jobs, which won’t be part of the deficit. However, we need to be careful when being out in market again, not to turn into debt the money earned. We need to take careful steps. This is not an easy case.
I believe that there is an ambience of optimism and relief, not a party atmosphere, in the society. At parliamentary level I believe we are on the same wavelength and we are moving on based on our plan without any wavering. Sometimes the transfer of the feeling of the society is interpreted as nagging. Our priority is what will happen with the society and the economy. Many plans may be on the table, however, one should ask whether they are followed and wthether the problems are solved.
On the Turkish provocativeness:
We are quite concerned by it. I believe that at a communicational level, and at a lower practical level, the friend and allied country, is shaping the conditions for an underlying tension. This is not good. It may be that they are trying this way, since they are going to a referendum, to solve their interior problems or they are aiming here but looking to the east. This is not to the benefit of the two countries’ relations and for Turkey itself.
On our part this means being prepared which under normal conditions may be exaggerating. This also means that we are trying to maintain our deterring power at high levels, which is also costly. For example, our fighter aircraft , were it not for the Turkish provocativeness and violations, would not be up in the air all the time, meaning we would have less damages in equipment, we would save in fuel etc, and we would have less problems to deal with .
