“It is not good for the official opposition leader to lie on a pan-Hellenic broadcast”
The government representative Pavlos Marinakis during the briefing of the political editors on the confrontation between the USA and China over the port of Piraeus, he mentioned that Greece is becoming an entry point for American energy in the European market, strengthening its strategic relationship with the USA and that there are agreements that have been signed without questioning investments made in the past.
Asked about what he said yesterday, former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis replied that “the positions of Mr. Karamanlis and the positions of Mr. Mitsotakis move in the same context.”
Regarding what the Chinese embassy said about Mrs. Guilfoyle’s intervention in the internal affairs of Greece, she stated that there is no intervention but a strategic cooperation with the USA which we want to strengthen. “One does not conflict with the other,” he emphasized.
For Mrs. Zakharova’s remarks against Greece and the confrontation between the Chinese and US embassies over the port of Piraeus, Mr. Marinakis stated that “in a global environment with storms, Greece is actually getting stronger, its opinion counts, I don’t want to say anything about the announcements”.
The government representative regarding Mrs. Zakharova said that our position with the defender is justified and can be disturbing. “We stand by the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he noted.
Regarding Nikos Androulakis’s attack on the government yesterday, Pavlos Marinakis said that the tones should be lowered. “He wanted to turn a debate about a bill of historic importance into just another show about a very serious matter. The tactic as in the Tempe accident. On top of the fury, the rage and the tension, he also lied, most notably about the alleged physical attack he witnessed from Mr. Lazaridis. It is not good for the official opposition leader to lie on a pan-Hellenic broadcast. The investigation continues its work. It defies predictions. She is doing her job. This contrived attempt to attack the absence of the witness failed. One cannot want to cover up someone who sends them to the prosecutor. They are not achieving anything and this is also evident from the polls,” he added.
“Elections are a balance of every voter. For the government to have double the percentage in a politically neutral period, it means that in this scale the citizens consider the positives more than the negatives. We consider OPEKEPE to be in the negative. That’s why if we run, the stolen things should be returned, justice should do its job, all the witnesses came, the one who didn’t come, we sent him to the prosecutor. Others do not listen to the conclusions of the polls”, he answered a related question.
Regarding the opposition’s request for the violent bringing in of the witness, he stated that tactics are what the opposition does. “They themselves don’t know what to support. The opposition is making tactics. What would be the next step? The investigation department should send him to the prosecutor. We are two steps ahead. These don’t stand. Now whether or not he has the right to remain silent will be decided by justice. If it was a coordinated plan, others wouldn’t have come and if we wanted to cover up one, we wouldn’t have sent him to the prosecutor,” he added.
Regarding what Mr. Voridis said about Mr. Varras, Mr. Marinakis said that “what we have said up to today is valid” and that “our attitude and position regarding what has been attributed to Mr. Voridis is clear and his positions have been justified.” He added that “there was a disagreement at the political level, Mr. Varras remains in his role and Mr. Voridis was vindicated and the opposition’s effort fell into vain.”
“It’s not pleasant to be slandered, cursed and you don’t react,” he answered about the atmosphere in the exam room. “They don’t like the questions asked by Mr. Lazaridis. But it is not possible for them to make such announcements. You cannot call a ND MP a fascist. ND restored Democracy in the country. Politically, let them answer”, he said.
Regarding the possibility of Mr. Pierrakakis being nominated for president of the Eurogroup, he stated that we are talking about rumors which, even as rumors, tell the truth. “Would such a rumor ever come out in 2015? Our country was synonymous with sloppiness, unreliability, deficits and debts. It would probably be the shortest anecdote. Now this rumor has come out and no one perceives it as a joke. That’s all we can say because we don’t know anything more,” he added.
Regarding what the President of the Republic said to “Vima”, Pavlos Marinakis said that his position is absolutely respected and it is not the job of the government representative to comment on the positions of the President of the Republic.
Regarding the issue of photographic recruitment through KEDE, the government representative said that the Ministry of Interior replied that it is not a matter that concerns them as KEDE is not a government body. He added that KEDE replied that the recruitments are completely legal.
Regarding the recent positions of the Minister of Defense on European defense, he stated that having a Europe that is equipped and strengthened at all levels does not conflict with the fact that our country is essentially growing and is growing an important role in our wider region and throughout Europe.
“There is no such thing,” he answered when asked about reports about a new package of financial support measures for citizens. “As long as we continue to have more revenue and less taxes, the more we will have positive news”, he said, while noting that we will have the emergency aid for the affected farmers and an emergency measure for housing that the prime minister will announce in the budget vote in parliament.
Regarding the term “coffee economy” from the LSE and the position of the government, Mr. Marinakis noted that Greece has the largest reduction in unemployment in Europe, that it has one of the highest rates of wage growth, that we are the country that has increased the volume of investment more than any other country in Europe, that Greece has doubled exports, that in industry and manufacturing the share in the economy has also increased, that in terms of energy Greece is a net exporter of net energy. “Greece is not the country of coffee. These are the official figures from Eurostat and not from our heads,” he pointed out.
Regarding the criminal prosecution of the current head of the Coast Guard and whether he will be removed, Mr. Marinakis stated that the head and the entire leadership of the Corps enjoy the absolute confidence of the government. He added that any criminal responsibilities will be attributed by the judiciary and at the same time at the administrative level the required EDE for the wreck in Pylos will be carried out.