Mitsotakis says Greece is in “need of political change to bring about better life”

Greece’s main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece is in need of political change in order to bring about a better life.

In an article published in the Greek version of the "Economist: The World in 2019”, which was distributed with the Sunday edition of the Greek newspaper “ Real News”, with an overview of the eight years of crisis, Mitsotakis claimed that Greece “ has not turned a page” despite completing the third financial assistance programme.

"The confidence of the markets has not been restored, competitiveness is declining, the quality of government institutions has deteriorated and the economy growth rates are anaemic and lower than estimates,” Mitsotakis said, blaming the four years of “ populist” governance.

The great wager, according to Mitsotakis, was for “ Greece to be the first European country to turn the page after populism prevailed.”

The main opposition outlined his plan for reviving the real economy and improving state services, noting that in order to restore confidence in the Greek economy, so that the country was able to borrow from the markets, it must implement a series of structural reforms to become competitive, change the business climate and attract investments, both domestic and foreign.

Among the proposed measures, Mitsotakis included a simplification of tax law and lower tax rates, simpler licencing laws and less bureaucracy to “ unblock” investment plans, boosting liquidity to the real economy via European financing instruments and the Public Investments Programme and a leaner, more efficient state sector making use of e-governance, assessments and PPPs.

Mitsotakis highlighted the key role of education, lifelong learning and labour support in his policy agenda, as well as policies to fight poverty and social exclusion, ensuring dignified living conditions.