Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pre-empted a pending ministerial decision and announced an extraordinary windfall tax on electricity producers using natural gas, amid a recent surge in power rates in the country – a development also seen throughout Europe to a certain degree.
The windfall tax will be levied over the next two months, while retail electricity prices will be subsidized for next month, August 2024, he clarified.
The Greek leader made the announcement during a wide-ranging interview aired on Tuesday evening during the prime-time newscast of Skai TV, and hours after he convened a high-level meeting on the pressing issue of skyrocketing electricity rates. The specific details of both the extraordinary windfall tax and the subsidy program will be announced on Wednesday morning by the energy and environment ministry’s leadership.
“We’ll use this revenue to ameliorate (consumers’) power bills in August. Given the current price trends, citizens will otherwise see a sharp hike in electricity prices.”
Turning to the related and acute problem of inflation in the country, especially continuing increases in prices for foods on a monthly basis, Mitsotakis merely noted that the issue is a global and multifaceted issue, and not just a domestic concern. Nevertheless, he said there are signs of prices de-escalating.
On Trump attack: Political violence has no place in our democracies
Asked about the assassination attempt against former US president and Republican party contender Donald Trump, Mitsotakis referred to a very violent incident, warning that “political violence has no place in our democracies. We should all take a lesson from this incident and always remember that political dialogue must be civil. A mentality of ‘either us or them’, which, unfortunately, has also dominated Greek politics, has no place in Greece’s democracy nor in any western liberal democracy,” he underlined.
Comments over Cyprus, North Macedonia
On the foreign policy front, he said the upcoming anniversary – on Saturday, July 20 – of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus is a “difficult day for Hellenism. It’s also an opportunity for reflection over what we also failed to do right. I am cautiously optimistic over a resumption of (reunification) talks within the framework of UN principles. This is non-negotiable. I don’t know if Turkey is ready.”
Asked about the serious violations of the landmark Prespa Agreement by the new and nationalist-leaning leadership in the Republic of North Macedonia, Mitsotakis was categorical.
“The name (of the country) is North Macedonia and it cannot be called anything else – Greece is a monitor of North Macedonia’s European course. Greece is not alone in this matter; it has all of Europe with on its side. There is an agreement, and our neighbors must respect it.”
