Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke to patrons in a barbecue shop during his visit to Agora Modiano and Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki.
The Prime Minister has been in the northern city since Monday morning and is visited parts of the city.
During the tour, he stopped outside a well-known restaurant in Vasileos, Heraklion, where he spoke to patrons who were enjoying their food, according to Thesstoday.
"You will be fasting from Good Friday?", asked the Prime Minister humorously to the patrons, who laughed and continued their meal.
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Talking to local residents in Evosmos, Thessaloniki on Monday, Mitsotakis appealed to all democratic forces to agree and vote in favour of a measure being tabled by the government in Parliament on Tuesday, in order to erect a barrier to the criminal organisation 'Golden Dawn', which he said is seeking to participate in the elections behind a "thin veil".
"We are bringing a new amendment that ... should, under normal conditions, unite all the democratic forces" the prime minister said. "Tomorrow in parliament everyone will assume their responsibilities. Those that do not vote for this amendment are the same people... that want this formation to somehow end up in parliament," Mitsotakis asserted.
"So I appeal to all the democratic forces, tomorrow, the last day of operation of this parliament before it is dissolved, to finally agree and put aside any differences and understand that this matter is a major issue of democracy. Golden Dawn is a convicted criminal organisation", Mitsotakis concluded.
In an interview later on Monday with the Thessaloniki-based radio station Status 107.7 FM, Mitsotakis said that main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, through its refusal to support legislation designed to bar the entry of far-right Golden Dawn into Parliament, "is making a grave mistake".
The party's actions "make it appear as though it does not want to achieve that which we all want, which is to bar Golden Dawn from any possibility of participating in the elections," he added.
According to Mitsotakis, meanwhile, it was "not the first time that eclectic relations have been detected between SYRIZA and Golden Dawn".
Asked whether he would agree to a televised debate proposed by SYRIZA-PA leader Alexis Tsipras, Mitsotakis noted that the rules for such debates stipulate the participation of all political party leaders and that he was personally "available for a debate at any time, as provided for by the law, so that the citizens can be fully informed about the positions of the parties".
He also noted that there had been more than 80 discussions in Parliament, adding: "I do not think that the citizens are not aware of my positions or Mr. Tsipras' positions".
Hospitals Park
The creation of a health services park comprising several hospitals was outlined by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his visit to the area of Evosmos in Thessaloniki on Monday.
It will be built in the northwestern part of Thessaloniki, putting under one roof the hospitals 'Papageorgiou', the '424 Military Hospital' and the new 'Oncological Hospital' - with the latter to be erected in the former 'Karatassios' military camp.
The Premier visited 'Karatassios' camp earlier in the day, accompanied by Alternate Health Minister Mina Gaga, Deputy Macedonia & Thrace Minister Stavros Kalafatis and Deputy Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias.
Talking more about the government's plans for Western Thessaloniki, Mitsotakis said that the Thessaloniki metro project was restarted during the last four years of his government and is due to open to the public in 2024. He also mentioned bringing both the metro system and the suburban railway network (Proastiakos) to western regions in Thessaloniki.
Modiano Market
Mitsotakis also visited the 'Modiano Market', a.k.a. 'Central Food Market of Thessaloniki', a historic building that has been renovated and restored.
At Modiano, Mitsotakis spoke with shopkeepers and said he is pleased with the fact that Modiano "is one more private [exemplary] investment project for a property that has come under the ownership of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), but is now being managed by private investors, highlighting Thessaloniki as a unique tourist and gastronomic destination," he noted.
