ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2023) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday night presented a new campaign program of the ruling New Democracy party pledging that Greece's economic growth would be twice as high as in the European Union.
"In 2019, I said that the biggest challenge that will have to face is how to bridge the gap that separates us from the EU in terms of investment, in terms of the size of GDP (gross domestic products)," Mitsotakis said in a televised appearance on Greek broadcaster ERT.
According to the prime minister's program, the party aims to have Greece's economy growing up to 3% per year � twice as high as in the EU, � to double the public investment and increase total investment by 70%, to reduce public debt to 140% of GDP in 2027 and 120% of GDP in 2030, and to achieve and maintain inflation at 2%. The prime minister also pledged to reduce unemployment below 8% by 2027, increase exports to 60% of GDP by 2027 and to 70% by 2030, adding that the tourist season in Greece would last 12 months and the state's revenues from tourism would reach 30 billion Euros ($33 billion) per year.
"Greece will be among the top ten countries in the world in terms of logistics," Mitsotakis said.
The program also includes increasing the average salary by over 25% within the 2023-2027 period, from 1,170 euros to 1,500 euros, and minimum wage to 950 euros per month, and increasing pensions by 3%-4% from January 1, 2024. The prime minister also vowed that taxes and fees would further be reduced.
Infrastructure plans include a total of 2,300 critical infrastructure projects, including roads, airports, metro and subway stations, ports, water and sewage networks in Greece, as well as ten key projects such as the Thessaloniki metro, the Patras-Pyrgos highway, the expansion of the Athens metro, and the Northern Road Axis of Crete.
Among other points of the program, social plans include raising the nursing staff by 10,000, maintenance of 80 hospitals and 156 health centers, creating 315 telemedicine units, 25 modern rehabilitation centers, and free preventative examinations for all nationals.
Mitsotakis also said that Greece would have better public education, better public transportation, the modernization of electric trains, and the delivery of 650 zero-emission buses in Athens and Thessaloniki. The party also planning further digitalization, including all government facilities exchanging all information and data electronically by 2025. By 2027, 94% of the country's territory will be covered by 5G networks, and every public and private building in the country will have optical fiber for fast internet by 2027. All Primary and secondary schools will be provided with high-speed Internet connections, according to the program.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou signed a decree dissolving the country's parliament and holding parliamentary elections on May 21. According to opinion polls, Mitsotakis' ruling party was leading by 4-6% ahead of the largest opposition party, the Coalition of the Radical Left � Progressive Alliance (SYRIZA).
