Androulakis: Low quality of life as a result of gov’t policies

"In your hands the country is moving on a trajectory of divergence rather than convergence with the average European standard of living. The execution of the 2024 Budget will be the first real test of your effectiveness."

PASOK-Movement for Change leader Nikos Androulakis’ criticism against the government’s policy was rather strong during his speech in parliament on Sunday. “Your policies offer a low quality of life for the great majority of the Greek people in a country with low-paying jobs and very expensive daily life,” the leader of PASOK-Movement for Change said, while adding that this is another lost opportunity to rebuild the country’s productive base, support the welfare state and create a resilient economy and a fair society.

“In your hands the country is moving on a trajectory of divergence rather than convergence with the average European standard of living. The execution of the 2024 Budget will be the first real test of your effectiveness.”

Regarding the high prices affecting the middle and low incomes, he highlighted that the government has increased its revenues from indirect taxes, burdening the weakest and the middle class. “To return only a part to society with the ‘baskets’ and ‘passes.’ This is how you hold the poorest Greeks hostage instead of making substantial institutional interventions to protect them,” Androulakis noted.

He also commented on the position of the economic staff that salaries have increased and reached the levels of 2009, saying that it is better to read the Eurostat data according to which the average salary is 20% lower than in 2009 and on a path of permanent deviation from the rest European countries.