Mitsotakis says US Congress shift will not hurt Greek ties, prepares for possible Gulf tension

Midterms and Greek-American ties

In an interview with Alpha radio, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said any change in the composition of Congress after the US midterm elections would not affect Greek interests. He stressed that Greek-American relations have considerable depth and said he was confident they would hold. Mitsotakis said he could not predict what would happen in the vote, describing the Congress question as a matter of internal US politics. He also said the midterm picture gave an image of the economy that differed from the one ordinary citizens experience. The prime minister's remarks on the US vote were given as a response to questions about the possible weakening of Donald Trump's position.

Preparing for renewed Gulf tension

Mitsotakis said the Greek government was preparing for the possibility of renewed military tension in the Persian Gulf. He argued that a resumption of military operations against Iran would not help bring down prices, which he called the first problem facing governments around the world. He said nobody can rule out a third round of conflicts. Asked about the risk, he said the country has some barriers against the cost of living, while acknowledging that these barriers are not a complete answer to the problem.

“We are ready for all eventualities. We are also preparing for the possibility of renewed tension in the Persian Gulf.”

Pensions and rent refund

Mitsotakis pointed to two measures that will be applied in November: a payment of 400 euros to all pensioners and a rent refund. He presented them as part of the government's answer to the cost-of-living problem. In his account, the 400 euros would be paid now to all pensioners. The measures were mentioned alongside his comments on the Gulf and the US vote, not as a separate policy announcement.

Corruption cases and the attack on Tsipras

Mitsotakis said large tax evasion cases, which he called the "big fish" cases, were being handled by state authorities over many years and that recent months had brought several to light, including the dismantling of criminal organizations in recent days. He said the cases involved millions, while one account put the figure at tens of millions, and that they were handled with the cooperation of the FBI and AADE.

“These cases have been worked on by state authorities for many years, but political will is also needed.”

Mitsotakis criticized former prime minister Alexis Tsipras over the SYRIZA government's legislative choices in 2015. He said Tsipras's only action at the time was to vote for the Paraskevopoulos law, which he said led to prisoners being released, and to keep Parliament open so the Penal Code could be changed. He also said Tsipras had attacked him personally, and his family, since he became leader of New Democracy, and that rebranding is a repositioning of a product rather than a virgin birth.

“He has to answer why he kept Parliament open and which promissory notes he cashed in.”