Marinakis: ‘We listen to the Church and society but are obliged to do all that we promised

The government “absolutely respects” Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos, “both because of his office and because of his own presence,” Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said on Saturday. He was speaking on a morning news programme broadcast by the public television channel ERT1 about the clergy’s possible reactions to government legislation allowing same-sex marriages.

“The Church has, over the years but especially in the recent times of multiple, imported crises, played a key role in helping our weaker fellow citizens, especially, in preserving social cohesion and continues to do so. For this there is absolute respect at all times. Beyond that, I think that the answer I gave is something that always has and always will be true in our democracy, in our country. The initiative belongs to governments, after the Greek people deliver their verdict, and they must implement their programme, which is what we are doing,” he said. While the government will always listen to the opinions of the church and society, Marinakis noted, it was also obliged to be consistent and do the things it had promised before the elections.

He pointed out that Greece has paid dearly for division and stressed that the government’s aim was not to divide society. He also noted that an issue that concerned the rights of some individuals and did not affect anyone else, but regulated an existing situation that currently created “two classes” of children, should not be one to divide society. The change would ensure that both partners in a same-sex relationship were vetted for their suitability to adopt, as was currently the case for heterosexual couples, he pointed out. Marinakis reiterated that ministers participating in the cabinet have “a heightened institutional obligation” to support bills, while noting that it was the prime minister’s prerogative to decide what should be done in the opposite case.

Regarding high prices, the government spokesperson stressed that there were no “magical solutions” and, while acknowledging the problem, pointed out that Greece was “a little below the European average” on a two-year level. “There is also the view, which we support, that it is a dynamic phenomenon that is dealt with on three axes,” he added.

“The first and, in my opinion, most important axis are the continuous measures for permanent increases, both direct or indirect, of the income of citizens…and the interventions in taxation, the reduction or abolition of taxes for citizens, freelancers and young people. Interventions, such as the tax-free allowance for families with children, but also support programmes for young families and pensioners….[This] is the best way to deal with higher prices, but these are also measures that remain when prices start to fall, when the crises go away. The second pillar is inspections. You gave an example…some people, citing the crisis, are trying to cash in on the back of the upheaval….These are no longer above the law. More than 23,000 inspections were carried out in 2023. A number of fines were finally seen handed out for the first time for fake discounts, for enrichment arising from unjustified profits. This is what we will continue to do,” Marinakis said.

The third pillar, according to Marinakis, were targeted measures. “Obviously, when you have a dynamic phenomenon, you must also have a dynamic response. That is, in a few words, if more interventions are needed, they are examined, evaluated by the development ministry and implemented,” concluded the government spokesperson.