“You have divided Greece, and now you are talking about consent,” said Stavros Theodorakis, addressing the Prime Minister, adding that “this government is casting darkness over darkness, leading to more and more expenditures”.
“You used to say that hope is coming. We ended up with exasperation and despair. A non-stop roller-coaster ride, which is not a game anymore and does not end with smiles”. This is how the leader of Potami Stavros Theodorakis described the governmental days of SYRIZA and ANEL.
“You have divided Greece, and now you are talking about consent,” said Stavros Theodorakis, addressing the Prime Minister, adding that “this government is casting darkness over darkness, leading to more and more expenditures”.
Explaining the reasons why To Potami votes down the budget, Mr Theodorakis said “the country needs to cut down on the expenditures. Besides, the privileged ones and trade unions are the ones that benefit from these expenditures. Funds are supposed to end up to the ones that got hurt from the Memorandums, and the world of production”.
Stavros Theodorakis referred to the funding of political parties, pointing out that, from 1997 to 2014, political parties received 900 million euros.
“We have been urging the government to cut down on the subsidization of political parties by 50%. We urge them to decrease the number of civil servants, working for the political system. This is what we have been proposing, since the first day of the establishment of our Movement,” pointed out Mr Theodorakis, adding that “This year’s budget grants 1,75 billion euros to 18 public enterprises. All this is money spent in a barrel without bottom”.
Stavros Theodorakis also stressed that, although in 2015 a minor rise was reported in consumption and VAT rates, there was a fall in revenues.
Mr Theodorakis was wondering “Do you honestly believe that this is how you tackle tax evasion? Taxation is getting higher, while revenues decrease”.
As far as the recapitalization of banks is concerned, Mr Theodorakis stated that, “Right now, the government is imposing taxes indiscriminately, while throwing 17 billion euros off the window”.
“Therefore, it is clear that we are not allies in this path. We are rivals,” concluded Stavros Theodorakis, pointing out that “To Potami votes down the budget, without vacillation”.
Photo credit: Theodore Manolopoulos
