Greece’s conservative party leader, Antonis Samaras (Nea Dimocratia) revealed the party’s economic programme 17 days ahead the June 17 elections. “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” Samaras said during his programme presentation on Thursday afternoon in Athens.
Jobs, no new taxes, no new horizontal cuts, cancel emergency taxes or scale them back are the pre-election promises Samaras gave in an effort to win debt-ridden and austerity-hit Greek voters.
His programme contains 18 points:
1. Restoration of very low pensions and benefits for parents of more children at 2009 levels and specific benefits. Compensation for insurance funds and the bondholders who drew damages from the Greek bond swap (PSI)
2 Extension of unemployment benefits to two years
3. Unemployment benefits to self-employed who are currently not entitled.
4.Tax regulations so that they won’t exceed 25% of the average family income.
5. No further cut sin the private sector.
5. Increase the tax-free income from 5,000 euro to 8,000 and later to 10,000 euro -when state revenues stabilize
6. Replace the ’emergency property tax’ with a new regular property tax (ETAK= Special property fee)
7. Gradual reduction of tax rates for businesses. Immediate reduction of VAT in the catering sector at the level of 9% already in the next year.
8. Progressive tax reductions for individuals up to 32% from 45% today. “The increase in tax rates from 2010 to date caused a reduction in revenue of 9%,” said Samaras.
9.The measures of 11.5 billion euro [to go in effect in June] to be extend for two more years. “We will introduce the 3.5 billion. euro cuts in 2013 rather than seven billion So, the cuts will be made by the wasteful use of public money rather than by wages. ”
10. No lay-offs for civil servants for three years after the closure of public organizations. “No other horizontal cuts, no more reduction in wages and pensions, no more cuts in public investment program, not another tax. Those who speak of unilateral termination lead to a rupture with partners and lead to new taxes and cuts. ”
11. Measures for borrowers. The monthly loan payment will not exceed 30% of the income.
12. Suspension of the consequences of Tiresias [system for debtors] or those who have registered.
13. Ensure liquidity to SMEs through a special sponsorship from the bank and the funds of the ERDF. “The basic mechanism to restore liquidation is that banks deposits will return to the banks”.
14. Offset of debts from and to the state.
15.Release of the public property.
16. Decisive promotion of privatization.
17. Beyond the economy, policies to restore the security of Greek citizens, combat illegal immigration and crime, disclosure of hooded [protesters], combat illegal trade.
18. Acceleration of the proclamation of the EEZ to exploit the seabed energy wealth.
Where he will find the money to materialize this programme and how he will renegotiate the terms of Memorandum of Understanding to make some of his programme’s targets to come true, Samaras did not reveal…
In public opinion polls ahead June elections, ND heads with 1%-3% ahead of SYRIZA.
Is there still someone to believe him now, in Greece ?
From a party that did exactly the opposite of what they say they will do during the last few month/year ?\
-fx
apparently some 24%
I wonder what the handlers in Brussels and Berlin make of this…
a paper arrow to keep busy Rompuy and Barroso.
As long as DEH, EYDAP, ELTA, OTE are given to them on a piece of place, they ll be willing to cut some slack…
Forgot to mentions his main slogan: “Recovery-Relief-Renegotiation”
Ehhr…
-Restoration of benefits?? Didn’t Samaras signed the terms of the Memorandum that require 11,5 billion euro in cuts? Where are these cuts going to come from but from pensions and salaries? Except, of course, if he is going to reduce the services of hospitals and schools to plain mockery as these services are barely surviving in Greece any longer due to the previous cuts.
-Doesn’t the memorandum require 150,000 workers to be laid off from the public sector? What is he implying by saying no lay offs after the closure of public services? Does he mean no more lay offs after most workers have been laid off?
-Privatizing always causes job losses as private owners try to keep costs down and the first cutting measure is usually the payroll. Adding more unemployed in the unemployment pool is not going to help Greece very much.
-Suspension of Tiressias? And who is lending in Greece anyway?
-“The measures of 11.5 billion euro [to go in effect in June] to be extend for two more years.” If troika agrees, of course, and this should not be taken for granted.
-“Replace the ‘emergency property tax’ with a new regular property tax (ETAK= Special property fee)”: same thing, different name. Samaras knows that he will not dare go against his voting base, the rich Greeks, so he cannot afford to reduce taxes. Same ol’ same ol’ ND!!
-Tax reductions? And where are the 11,5 billion cuts are going to come from? And pay down the loan? The numbers just DON’T ADD UP!!
-Privatizations when the Athens stock exchange is below 500 points is selling off the property of every man, woman and child in Greece for peanuts.
-Illegal immigration and crime? Oh, Samaras is trying hard to please the fascists that have recently joined the ND party ranks!!
-Samaras should be careful trying to ‘please the ears’ of the extreme nationalists in the party ranks. It should not be wise for Greece to stir up tensions in the Balkan hot spot. Greece should try hard to live peacefully along its neighbors as they are not in a position to face a conflict!
I hope the Greeks think hard about what they have lost the latest years and don’t choose the destruction of their country by the gang of Karamanlis, Samaras, Meimarakis and the like again.
Enough voting for the lackies of Siemens and Ferrostaal in Greece! Time for a change of faces. One international embarassment should be enough!!
man! what kind of things you have in mind in the middle of the night?
I think he forgo tto mention “combat tax evasion’.
No he did that on purpose. Combat tax evasion is not in his interests. This man, and his party, are acting criminally irresponsable. That must be clear by now. Promises, promises and not one word where the money comes from. God help Greece when this lot will become the government.
Let’s see what Tsipras will come up with. Can’t be worse.
I agree, that whole program is in total opposition with what has been done in the past few years by the same man/party !
How can 24% of voters can still believe him ? that’s unbelievable 😉
-fx
Personally, I shudder when I see Karamanlis sitting first row during the ND meetings. Then, I remember all the insults I ve been heard the last two years for being Greek! We became the laughing stock of the international press thanks to this man! And he is still there asking for votes. And people vote for him. This is beyond me. Sorry for the late comments, I just had to vent it somewhere, lol…
“How can 24% of voters can still believe him ? that’s unbelievable”
Would the old saying “Follow the money” make any sense here? I would imagine it would.
follow promises …. Many Greeks are still believers.
Samaras knows the one and only rule of politics only too well, and uses it to great effect.
Rule: We promise, You pay”
One day, a great tragedy hit the country of Greece, and all it’s people perished. Their political leaders joined forces and lead the people to the gates of Heaven, to face judgement. The Lord said he had never in eternity had to deal with such a tragedy, and asked the leaders for their opinion. The leaders asked the Lord, given the special circumstances, to allow the People of Greece to spend 24 hours in Heaven and 24 hours in Hell, so that they could make up their minds an choose their destination. The Lord agreed, and the People of Greece entered Heaven. For 24 hours they floated around on fluffy clouds, singing hymns in praise of the Lord, and not much else.
The next day the People of Greece followed their leaders to Hell to spend 24 hours there before making up their minds. When they arrived, they received the most ruptious welcome from the Devil and her friends. They were immediately taken to an area where they were giving plenty of food and drink, including alcohol if they so wished, much dancing and fun went on, and then they were on a guided tour through Hell. They stopped in awe to see the green pastures, with people smiling, playing golf, sun bathing, shopping for anything they could dream of with all the money they could dream of. Speeches from Devils in charge of various entertainements were very convincing, and backed up by lots of evidence. The car parks they passed were full of the newest, most expensive looking sporty cars, all the women looked like cover models on Vogue, the men were in fantastic shape. The People of Greece had never seen anything like this, and it didn’t take them long to make up their minds. They voted, and their leaders took them back to the Lord, to convey their decision. They told the Lord the People of Greece had voted to spend the rest of eternity in Hell, they really liked it there. The Lord granted them their wish, and down they went, laughing and singing, anticipating the great life ahead of them. When they reached Hell, the doors opened, and the people of Greece found themselves looking at a desolate landscape, people scavaging through heaps of rubbish, wearing rags for clothes. Gangs of devils went around randomly beating up people, it was a dirty, hot, smelly place with destitude plainly visible everywhere. The head devil came to greet them once more, and handed their leaders a small parcel each, thanking them for the job well done. The People of Greece complained, and asked the Devil why this was not what they were promised and saw yesterday.
Ah, answered Angela, you see, yesterday we were canvassing, today, you voted!
Another professional politician and representative of an inept political party.
Another talking head presenting a laundry list of too good to be true promises.
Another bogus attempt to demonstrate that he feels the Greek people’s pain and suffering.
More political opportunism and populism.
More tax cuts and less government revenues.
More benefits and increased government spending.
No references to equivalent measures.
THE NUMBERS JUST DON’T ADD UP.