Let‘s begin with the evaluation issue.

I believe that the way things are, after the last discussions held at the International Monetary Fund and the public European stance, we will have a solution by February 20th, when the positions of the Greek government will have been approved. This is just. The time is now for the creditors and the partners to assume their own responsibilities, irrespective of the political developments in Europe.  

However, it seems that there is an ongoing conflict between the IMF and the EU and within the IMF cycles. Does this imply that you will not be asked to vote for new measures after 2018?

First of all, voting new measures is not provided for either by the European or the Greek law.  That means that the IMF has given a different “prescription” for the same “patient”, different to the one given by the European institutions. The same “patient” cannot simultaneously take two “prescriptions”.

The IMF has suggested interesting things such is the relief of taxation, something I personally agree with, and the debt write-off which no one disagrees with. However, there are some demands which are unacceptable, such is the dramatic reduction of pensions, which will cause the impoverishment of pensioners, who – after all – paid for their pensions as employees.

That said, in case you have to vote for new measures, such the reduction of pensions etc., what are your intentions as  Independent Hellenes Party and what are the intentions of your co-governors?

The government holds one comprehensive position. The agreements we have reached with SYRIZA are obeyed and we are making no political speculations. We are not accepting the reduction of pensions, or the special wages regime of the military. This is the stance of the government as a whole, not just of the Independent Hellenes.

It is said that the surplus income the government appears to have, is exclusively because of the taxation increase, as well as because of the  non refund of taxes to the few people entitled to it.

This is not true. Allow me to remind you that such practices were followed by Mr. Samaras before the 2015 elections, when he made sure that there would be enough income before December 2014 and proceed with the payments in 2015.  This is not a case of political speculation. We have three organisations controlling the finances of the country and such accounting alchemies shall not abide.

At personal level, at some point you had stressed that “we could not possibly cooperate with Rothschild”.

These were never my words. If you read my tweets you will realise that I was referring to that. From that point on, I am not commenting on remarks I have never made, I have no reason to do that.  

Were you informed on the Prime Minister’s trip to Paris?

The Prime Minister is not obliged to inform me and I am not obliged either to tell you if the Prime Minister has informed me or not. That said, we are not using the governmental aircraft the way Mr. Venizelos was, for example to travel to Skiathos for our holidays. The governmental aircraft are used strictly by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and myself for governmental purposes. We have not sent to Qatar the Prime-Minister’s brother, as did Mr. George Papandreou with his brother, to negotiate business with Mr. Halak.  

The overall impression is that with the excuse of the Prime-Minister’s trip to Paris and the issue which arose on Mr. Mitsotakis’ assets declaration and the non-declaration of assets by his wife, the level of political conflict is extremely low.  

Those who lower the level are responsible for their own deeds. The government is not doing this.

It seems that the popularity of the government has decreased dramatically, that is the popularity of both parties separately and the government popularity as a whole.

Some parties may count on the poll results, the bad news for them is that democracy is based on elections. For me it is enough to win the elections, even if we are behind at the polls.

Do you believe that SYRIZA will win the elections whenever they are held?  That is, even if the Prime-Minister will have to lead the country to premature elections in the months to come?  

I reassure you that we are not going to have premature elections. The elections will be held in 2019. When we will have completed the four years of governing, we will have accomplished our mission and when growth is back in the country, then the political scene will be such that I am afraid will render  pollsters like Mr. Theodorikakos unemployed.

What makes you so sure that the parliamentary group of SYRIZA will remain concrete in case the government is obliged to vote for new measures?  

We are not voting for different measures. Let’s make this clear. The parliamentary groups of SYRIZA and Independent Hellenes are not cut off from the government. On the contrary, what I see is that the other Parties have suffered losses.  

Do you mean TO POTAMI?

I mean TO POTAMI. I see for example, the situation in NEA DIMOKRATIA and I feel very sorry for them. New Democracy following the recent neo-liberals  transfers, of Mrs Ksafa, Mr. Arvanitides, Mr. Skylakakis, after the strengthening of far-right abusers, such is Mr. Vorides, has started losing faith in its traditional voters as well as members.  I see for example Mr. Lyberopoulos, representing a great part of the Nea Dimokratia mediocre organizations , the chairman of the taxi syndicate who has resigned. Nobody hears anything for those who resign.

You come from the Nea Dimokratia Party. In the hypothetical case of Nea Dimokratia winning the elections of 2019 without having overall majority, would you be willing to cooperate with Kyriakos Mitsotakis?  

Nea Dimokratia of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is unfortunately following the way paved by Nea Dimokratia of Antonis Samaras. He  became the defendant of PASOK, swept the scandals of Venizelos and Papandreou under the rug, admitted in the party’s cycles neo-Nazi elements, which in the past could not make their way into it.  Let me remind you the remark by Kostas Karamanlis that “we are nor collaborating with the extremes”. Of course, Nea Dimokratia incorporated in its classes neo-liberal members, who are now proposing for example the reduction of pensions, for example Mrs. Ksafa.   This scheme which only bears the name of Nea Dimokratia is something I cannot collaborate with. This is not the Nea Dimokratia of Kostas Karamanlis.

Let’s talk a bit about Turkey. It seems that the Erdogan government is practicing accentuation policies, and the Cyprus issue is once again on top of the agenda. Please comment on the decision reached for the eight Officers.  

Our own policy, the policy of this government has nothing to do with this accentuation, but it aims to facilitate the co-existence of Turkey and Greece in the region, with other countries as well. I am very sorry for this accentuation policy applied by Turkey, we are doing everything in our capacity to avoid it, we will not budge an inch when it comes to defending our national sovereignty and integrity of the country.  

With respect to the eight officers, the other side needs to understand that Justice in European democratic countries is an independent power. From the first minute the government has denounced the coup. However, this has nothing to do with respecting judicial decisions on the defending of human rights of some people who, as Justice decided, will be tortured and their human rights will be violated.  

You have stated with the Trump election and with your trip to the USA that you support the new President of the United States. Do you still  support the President following his  recent decisions?  

I supported Donald Trump and the Republicans  during the campaign  period as well,  when I realized that the Greeks in the US supported candidacies such Gus Bilirakis’  in Florida, and I have always believed that Donald Trump was a candidate, and now a President, who will stop the globalization mentality of abolishing nations and states, and the retreat of flags, a policy followed by Mrs. Clinton and the Democrats.