Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an interview to the main news bulletin of ANT1 on Wednesday evening.
The prime minister answers questions on all current affairs in the shadow of developments in the Middle East, including the reaction of Turkey to the massacre committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7. You can learn
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Why the trip to Israel was postponed
I express my disgust and pain at the strike with hundreds of civilians. I hope the case is cleared up and we see who is responsible—a murderous attack of unprecedented ferocity by Hamas in Israel. Spirits are so tense in the area. A propaganda war is being played out here on both sides.
The terrorist attack is brutal; we have never seen anything like it. We defended Israel's right to self-defence. We separated the Palestinian people from Hamas to receive humanitarian aid.
Any revenge of Israel
Israel has the right to self-defence within international law. It is a democracy and must react within the rules governing an armed conflict. I am concerned about the possibility of a ground invasion of Gaza; perhaps Hamas wanted to provoke it. We are an ally of Israel and interlocutors with the Arab world.
On the Palestinian issue
I do not share the positions of the Left. We believe in the two-state solution to serve peace in the region and our strategic relationship with Israel. I wouldn't just go to Israel; I have contacts in the region.
I am going to Cairo; I spoke with the prince of Saudi Arabia. No one in the Arab world ascribes unilateralism to the issue.
On immigration
The Palestinians do not want to leave their homeland. This would be neither in their own interest nor in the interest of Europe. Our country now has the infrastructure to register those who arrive on the islands and to grant asylum to those who are entitled to it.
The policy of guarding the borders will go on and on—the dominant position of Greece in the EU. The smugglers will not decide who enters Europe. We will choose the workforce that will come to Greece with agreements.
Mr Moutzouris said the numbers were false; there were 30,000 on the islands when we came to things.
Reactions to the Structures by Palestinians
We are not worried; we are alert, and the authorities are watching, but there are no further indications. Europe has paid an extreme blood toll from Islamic terrorism. We are in close cooperation with all the services of the European countries.
We do not have characteristics of a Muslim population that became radicalised in Greece, but we are careful.
Reactions to the Structures by Palestinians
We are not worried; we are alert, and the authorities are watching, but there are no further indications. Europe has paid an extreme blood toll from Islamic terrorism. We are in close cooperation with all the services of the European countries.
We did not have characteristics of Muslim populations that became radicalised in Greece, but we are careful.
The economy
The Greek economy is doing much better than the European average. I hope that in the next evaluations by the rating agencies we will continue with investment grade. EU policy is to end subsidies to the energy sector with the exception of the vulnerable. I hope we don't have to look at the fiscal reserves.
Reducing VAT and actions against inflation
We are in a more difficult phase because there is an increase in prices, but we are seeing the beginning of the end in terms of inflation. Oil prices are global. Greece exports oil and what is a problem for the consumer is a profit for the producer.
The VAT reduction has a large fiscal cost. I spoke to many counterparts and it hasn't worked in the EU either. Prices will descale at some point. But permanent wage increases are here to stay.
Market operation: We have imposed very large fines and will continue to do so. I want to send a message to the multinationals and if they think that Greece is a banana that they can sell the same products much more expensive than in other countries you will see what we will do very soon.
I care about progress in the economy having an impact on everyone. Accuracy and coverage are the most important issues.
