"The country currently has ten priorities. Whichever party is first, we would put these priorities as prerequisites, and if it committes itself to serving them, then we will support it, " Stavros Theodorakis said this morning in Giorgos Aftias' "Kalimera" news broadcast, in SKAI TV.
Subsequently, the head of the Potami party referred to Alexis Tsipras by saying: "The fact that Tsipras made a U turn at the last moment does not mean that he is not responsible for what he did in seven months. For the closure of banks, the capital controls, the ridiculesness we witnessed inside and outside the country". He also referred to the Potami's leading candidate in the state ballot stressing that "I am very proud of Nikiforos Diamandouros. He is a man with real knowledge of the situation in Greece and in Europe and the one who launched the institution of the Ombudsman". Furthermore, Stavros Theodorakis appealed to the voters to support and "strengthen the Potami party, making sure that there is a new and clean figure in our political system" . He also urged the voters "to reflect on which of the SYRIZA ministers or New Democracy ministers they would entrust their jobs to." Finally, he touched upon corruption issues in public sector, reminding that "we have proposed the way to end the "feast" in public administration. We need to create a Single Procurement Authority, headed by a serious man and with an Audit Authority next to him."
The main points of the interview are:
- We are obligated to find solutions for the country. On the 21st day of this month we must be in a position to see if we can save the country instead of pushing it over the edge. The fact that Tsipras made a U turn at the last moment does not mean he is not responsible for what he did in seven months. For the closure of banks, the capital controls, the ridiculesness we witnessed inside and outside the country.
- I do not understand what Mr. Tsipras' objection is to what Potami is saying. Is Mr. Tsipras suggesting that, if the voters choose New Democracy as the leading party, his answer will be: "I am not helping. Let's have elections again"? We say "let's decide what we put above all. We put the country above all else, because it is our patriotic duty. And for us this means stability. People want, at last, this ongoing political crisis that plagues the country to come to an end. Right now Greece has lost a large part of its value. This is bad, but it is also a potential opportunity for investment. But someone willing to invest will not do so unless normality is restored.
-The country currently has ten priorities. Whichever party is first, we would put these priorities as prerequisites, and if it committes itself to serving them, then we will support it." Lately, there have been some discussions among political leaders. In principle, this is positive. The good relations though among us do not suffice for us to govern together. We must agree upon these ten priorities. And of course there must be people whom we will agree upon and who will undertake the task of carrying out these priorities. It is the people that make the institutions, therefore the quality of the people who will be invited to serve the country and solve its problems, is very important.
- This country can not be governed with a majority of 152 deputies because the changes we should implement are enormous. If half of the Parliament is undermining the other half, we won't be able to do anything. The changes that the Greek society must make, which Mr. Tsipras and Mr Meimarakis have agreed upon, how will they be implemented? Are they going to be implemented by a minister who is afraid not to bring down the government at any time? We urge the voters -since the bill we paid for two major parties was very costly- to just clip the wings of the two major parties. We urge you to strengthen the Potami party, making sure that there is a new and clean figure in our political system. We know how to force consensus. I was the first to say in the House "bring a deal and we will sign it" and many reacted, then. They all ended up doing what we had said.However, if Tsipras had listened to us and brought the deal when we said, and not three months later, the country now would be in a much better situation.
-Pollsters and communicators advised the Potami party to play partisan and the power will come by itself in our hands. They said "curse the old, curse the new, too." But we said "no" and chose the role of being useful and responsible. It is very easy to say "no." However, with only 6% we defined the outcome in the previous Parliament.
-If we don't get rid of the Memoranda, the smile will never return to the faces of the Greek people.
-I am very proud of Nikiforos Diamandouros and of the fact that he will be the leading candidate in the state ballot of Potami. He is a man with real knowledge of the situation in Greece and in Euroope and the one who launched the institution of the Ombudsman.
- If the country doesn't deal with unemployment and undeclared work, it will never be able to get back on track. This is our great goal and there is no greater priority than this. Recently I learned that of the 2 billion NSRF for digital media we managed to absorb just 1 billion. We lose money continuously. But we should ensure that this money does not go to the wicked.
-The Potami party has proposed ways to end the great "feast" in public administration. We need to create a Single Procurement Authority, headed by a serious man and with an Audit Authority next to him. He, and he alone, must sign public procurement. We said that in the House, but they did not listen to us. Only thus will put an end to the looting and wasting in the public administration. If honey is in front of you it is very easy to put your fiinger in. We suggest that there is no honey in front of anyone.
- The political system must be united in finding the rules, that will prevent the country from harming itself. As a country we lost 35 billion in uncollected taxes. New Democracy fired Charis Theocharis because the old parties can't stand transparency. They can't withstand combat tax evasion.
-I visited the border islands twice. When I returned, I said, in detail, what needs to be done with the immigration and refugees issue. They did nothing and we got to a point where the UN told us that there is not a single person in Greece authorized to work with them. They represented us to the world as a country that can not provide nor solidarity to refugees, nor safety to its citizens. We must stop immigration flows to Turkey. And of course the refugees, which we are obligated to provide for, should be distributed in Europe from the first moment.
- Of all parties in Parliament, Potami gets the least amount of money from the state and of course it does not get money from banks. All other parties are indebted to banks.
-"Each citizen must reflect on which of the SYRIZA ministers or New Democracy ministers they would entrust their jobs to. We asked our rival parties to tell us who they think they are going to govern with the day after the elections. As far as we are concerned, we will reveal the names of those we recommend for the governance of the country. Let the others do the same.
