Greece has nothing to do with the country that was just 10 years ago, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed, speaking tonight at the Economist Impact event.
The panel, along with the prime minister, was the Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Nobel Prize in Economics Award (2024), Daron Atsemoglou.
The discussion of the two entals has emerged a deep concern about the course and impact of artificial intelligence in modern societies and citizens, and issues concerning the quality of democracy in the modern world were raised.
Mr Mitsotakis, responding to The Economist’s top coordinator and top executive Daniel Franklin on the state of Greece and the world, said that the country was 10 years ago, a week before the referendum, and said that Greece was living in a time when it was “in a time” The experiment was the third program and the country was further deviated from its goals. “
After six years our budgets are in order, Mr Mitsotakis said and said that “we borrow cheaper than Italy, while producing primary surpluses, and we can implement development and growth -friendly policies.” He emphasized that he is a fan of inclusive growth and noted that progress should be diffused equally to society.
The world is different than years ago, he said and said that what was formed after the war are not valid. He stressed that European leaders have a responsibility to ensure that united Europe will make changes to a multipolar world that will allow it to remain competitive.
Asked about Ms. Merkel, she said she would see her tomorrow, and described what she thinks about the progress of Greece and expressed hope to recognize the progress that, as she said, made the country. He said that Mrs Merkel “contributed to the most aggressive plans of some to exit Greece from the eurozone would not be implemented”, while pointing out that he had agreed to establish the recovery fund and understood that Europe had to do something immediately drastically to stop the recession.
He added that Greece is ahead of many European countries in digital progress and said that efficient public administration, which will not be happy, and will not manage people according to what they are voting, and technology can play a role in it.
Then, Mr. Azemoglou, who expressed his deep reflection on the impact of artificial intelligence on societies, then spoke. He spoke of some great trends today in the world that, he said, each of them is causing a great deal of overthrow and can change the image of our culture in a dramatic way.
He said that artificial intelligence is awakened by both productivity and labor and many more, he expressed his concern that “we see that democracy today is not the only choice for many and there are enormous threats to world cooperation”, while referring to the world. Finally, he noted that the same wound is the climate change that will have a major impact.
The choices we make now are of great importance at the level of governance, whether we will have businesses, and how democracy will change, affect businesses, the impact on civil society playing a crucial role for democracy, he said.
He stressed that we do not know the future of artificial intelligence and said that the most important would be its extension in jobs. Now – he said – the only sure way for society was to create well -paid jobs, and if we begin to remove positions with artificial intelligence this will shock the world.
According to him, in the eyes of the world, democracy did not fulfill its promises of prosperity for all and crosses the new world order.
“We need a better global governance,” Mr Azemoglou said, believing that we live in a world where climate change will change models of consumption. Demographic change will bring about changes in issues such as public health and others, and the partners who will seize the opportunity and the new markets.
“Depending on how you perceive artificial intelligence you can use it,” he said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for his part, stressed that the governance of liberal democracy is increasingly provocative for various reasons, and complex problems are demanding complex solutions.
“In Greece we have a majority that is a luxury in Europe that we have coalitions that make things difficult. There is competition of governance models, which are more effective in what they give to the public, adding that we are “judged by the results we bring” and that honesty is needed in politics, times are provocative, artificial intelligence can be used to make governance more efficient, it can help.
He added that we do not know the speed at which these jobs will be abolished or changed, but many of them can be replaced by AI, such as those robots we see in China that can change many employees.
“A technology that does not create positions, but abolishes many, will have an impact on social security on health systems, and the question is who will pay for all this. Will Robot Tax and Insurance Pay? If a job is destroyed, these contributions will be missing, pensions are paid by contributions, “the prime minister said, adding that there is skepticism to regulate this technology around the world. It revealed that there is a draft of this technology in the EU to respect the principles of Europe.
Mr Azemoglou again took the floor, who said that AI is a path that is fueled by the desire that brought the automation of social processes. With AI, office positions will have an impact when the game enters the game and the General Ae will eliminate many office jobs, but other kinds will be created. He needed, he said, a regulatory framework for governments to reduce the impact.
“Governments have great responsibilities, and every government can take significant steps because we are not yet at the height of the strengthening of the AI, and – he said – that we need China’s cooperation on many issues, but today the debate on AI leads us to a conflicting environment.
Mr Mitsotakis referred to the issue of duties, and how they influence the US-Europe and China relationship, and estimated that “the contents of a European and US agreement will be completed by July 9.” He said it would be very optimistic to hope for zero duties, “but I am sure it will be negative for everyone a full -scale economic war.” As he said, we must ensure that the deal is also beneficial for us, and we have no reason to bend our heads to the US.
“Obstacles within Europe for a single market are equivalent to a kind of duty. Let’s see how the internal market should work. We have to focus on an agreement with India. The Draghi exhibition reports the erosion of European competitiveness and we must return to competitiveness and defense, because we understand that our citizens’ safety is our first priority accompanied by difficult compromises, “Mr Mitsotakis said. He added that “our finances allow us to spend 3% on defense but not everyone can”, while pointing out the accuracy in the energy sector.
“We need to see energy prices we cannot be competitive with such prices. To focus on cheaper energy through investment in many ways, to build its own self -sufficiency Europe. We have to move faster, “he said and expressed his confidence in the new German leadership. Finally, he raised the issue of decisions in Europe and said that if we had to make difficult decisions “which hat will we wear? Of Europe or domestic interests? A champion in a country may not do it in a European landscape. Are we ready to admit that this is good? ” He wondered and said that some decisions in the EU conflict with the interests of large social groups and can hardly support governments in their countries. When we are influenced by decisions in our country we want a brake, when not, we agree with them, said Mitsotakis.
He said that the recovery fund is successful in Greece and we need more financial tools, and stressed that the challenge would be great for the government that will emerge after the next election. “No one can predict who it will be,” he said.
Continuing, the prime minister emphasized that in an uncertain environment the first thing a government has to make is to keep the country safe, something that has happened, while in the 2nd four years it honors the confidence of the people who have brought him up.
And Mr. Mitsotakis ended up saying:
“If in 2027 we implement our program by admitting that we made mistakes, we will be a successful government because we did not do the opposite of what we were saying. Today, in democracies we have a crisis of trust, younger ages are not optimistic and trust relationships must be built. I want to implement as much as possible because I said this in 2023 that I will do. Accountability means being consistent with your promises. All of this is related to the economy with good wages, to deal with accuracy, to make people think that they are in a better position a few years ago. “