«Nowadays, the country is sinking in a dead-end. It is high time for a new deal, a new start. A new deal with the vivid forces that worry about the country, not their own career. A new deal with specific and tangible measures, which will allow us to move to a new chapter,” stated Stavros Theodorakis, in a speech that he delivered during the fourth convention of Drasi movement.
The leader of To Potami stated that this new deal “must also include a deal with our European partners, as Europe is not always right about everything. In a national level, this must be a deal between politicians and entrepreneurs, a deal between employees and employers. This must be a generations deal. The deal in question could have been concluded, on the occasion of the social insurance bill. But, this never happened. He then pointed out the imperative need for us to “face the reality without distorting lenses, set priorities, transfer in Greece effective practices that have been implemented abroad. We need to give battles in the fields whre we are really strong, like tourism, agriculture, shipping and education”.
Stavros Theodorakis referred to the reforms that brought to Potami and Drasi closer. “We must reorganize the public sector in Greece, and we need to start right from scratch. We must eradicate the political party state. We must proceed with lifting permanence in many positions in the public sector. We must proceed with a brave constitutional reform. Non state universities. The separation of the church and the state. And, we must finally launch the debate on the change of the regime. We must talk about the Presidential system – a President elected by people”.
Stavros Theodorakis stressed that to Potami will keep following the path of proposals, having set as “ultimate priorities the increase of job positions and the cuts in taxes”. He said, “This is the path that we are determined to follow,” adding that “We try to reinforce the understanding and cooperation of the productive forces of the country. We keep supporting those who excel and contribute. We want to form alliances with the modernists of local societies. To Potami is leading the debate on the center and it will keep doing so. We will be present, in all those things that unite us, in this constant dialogue. So that we can talk about all those things that unite us and those that keep us apart. In any case, we do share one common belief; that this country is running out of time. Our kids are leaving Greece; companies transfer their activities abroad. The forces of logic, the progressive forces of this country, they must all join their forces and give a convincing answer to the tired Greek people”.
Photo credit: Theodore Manolopoulos
