Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis broached the issue of persistent inflation in his opening remarks during a debate in Parliament on Friday, calling the high cost of living the most serious problem plaguing Greek society.
Mitsotakis said tackling high prices was his government’s top priority laying out a series of actions already in force to curtail rising costs. The Greek Premier highlighted the energy crisis following the war in Ukraine and how it had impacted overall costs across Europe.
The Prime Minister went on to criticize multinational companies for their pricing strategies, saying, “The same product cannot have different prices in Paris, Athens, and Sofia. This is profiteering. The EU must enforce updated, stringent regulations.”
Commenting on the stance of the opposition parties regarding his proposal to the European Commission to control monopoly practices by multinational corporations the PM quipped: “Aren’t you on the Left against monopolies? How can you criticize our proposal?” He added, “I hear harsh criticism from the opposition, but also many uncosted proposals.”
Responding to the opposition’s suggestion to reduce or eliminate VAT, Mitsotakis mentioned that this measure had been tested and failed in other countries, such as Spain. “How much does this measure cost? Four billion euros in the first year alone. Two percent of GDP for each subsequent year,” he stated.
