The European Business Review published a guest article by Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on its online journal last week where he outlines his government’s achievements and progress for 2017 whilst also expressing optimism for 2018.
Tsipras noted that the unemployment rate had dropped 7 points since 2014 with 300,000 new jobs created and with a financial sector where ‘’we have achieved a historic, credible adjustment for the first time in the European history.”
“With this positive dynamic, we will welcome the New Year, and therefore, 2018 will be a year - crossroads for Greece and the Greek economy, with the country leaving behind the memorandums in August 2018, and with them, I would say, and an entire era, an entire historical age, and enters the next day with strong growth rates, renewed and, most importantly, with faith in its own forces.
The Greek PM outlined the many necessary reforms his government implemented such as the introduction of online payment systems, the independent authority of public revenues, the Law on voluntary disclosure of income, controlling and restraining ministry spending where possible, which allowed to an increase in social spending by 30% in allowances.
“The market has already placed the Greek economy to the pre-crisis levels and the green light for the final exit from the Memoranda in a few months from today, the next summer, in the summer of 2018, is lit. This is the scene.
“The current situation allow us to be optimistic, but it does not allow us to rest on our laurels,” concludes the Greek PM.
In his message for the New Year yesterday, marking the first day of 2018, Tsipras referred to the sacrifices of the Greek people and the government's struggle to take the country out of the crisis and reassured that Greece will not return to the conditions that caused the Greek tragedy.
The PM also wished everyone a "creative, peaceful, and happy 2018, with optimism and the certainty that Greece is on a path of democratic regularity, economic progress, equality and justice" and promised that the government will continue its hard work.
