THESSALONIKI – Two years after being routed by New Democracy in snap elections, opposition leader SYRIZA and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said if he returned to power he would quash many of his old ones broken vows.

Attacking Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as an elitist and leading a corrupt government for the rich and privileged, Tsipras has said if he is elected again that he will keep his promises to help those most affected by his former administration when ‘he hit workers, retirees and the poor with harsh austerity.

Speaking at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) in a rebuttal to Mitsotakis’ opening speech, Tsipras said that “we need a new state that will not be manipulated by the elites, that will be fair in its heart and will avoid corruption and plunder public funds.

Renamed the Progressive Alliance from the old name Radical Left after being defeated in the elections on July 7, 2019, he said his party would try to bring in other elements from the left.

He said a new SYRIZA would abolish what he called the “disgraceful and outrageous ‘golden boy’ wages,” a reference to business leaders and appointed assistants, not to mention that his hires when he governed were rewarded.

He also said, Kathimerini reported, that he would create a National Security Council, that public sector hires would be carried out by an improved Supreme Personnel Selection Council (ASEP), but did not say whether that would rule out the uncontrolled favoritism that his government continued.

He also said that the state television channel and the Athens-Macedonia News Agency (the ANA-MPA0 leaders would be appointed by parliament – which his government would monitor and should follow its instructions.

After pursuing cuts to the healthcare sector during his 4.5-year reign, Tsipras said if he had another chance he would inject an additional 2 billion euros ($ 2.35 billion) plus 1 billion euros ($ 1.17 billion) from a COVID-19 from the European Union. recovery of some 32 billion euros ($ 37.52 billion) in loans and grants.

ATTACKER HACKER

He said he would increase the monthly entry salary of public doctors, whose salaries were maintained during his rule, to 2,000 euros ($ 2,345) and immediately hire an additional 5,500 health workers and 10,000 over three years, although he did not explain where the money would come from.

He had particularly criticized Mitsotakis’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic which lasts more than 18 months and shows no signs of slowing down, amid fears of a fourth wave as it resurfaces.

Unhappy that the New Democracy government has set minimum standards for admission to public universities, Tsipras said he will reverse this trend and essentially open the doors to anyone who wishes to enter even if they cannot pass the tests. once there. He said he would double university spending in four years.

After breaking his promise to raise the minimum wage under his former administration, blaming the country’s creditors, he said this time he really would and raised it to 800 euros ($ 930) per month.

He criticized New Democracy for passing what he called a “miserable” labor reform law that “drives employees into bondage”. “We will restore the sacred right to strike and implement a pilot program of 35 hours per week,” he added.

He said he would also abolish the so-called solidarity tax he maintained after previously swearing to end it – New Democracy suspended it during the pandemic to help besieged workers.

Tsipras said he would cut income taxes up to 65,000 euros ($ 76,218) per year as Greece hits taxpayers up to 45% of their income, but did not say. he would do without the additional income to govern.

Tsipras accused Mitsotakis of “deceiving the middle class… these are not the ones Mr. Mitsotakis talks to… he has lost the trust of the citizens. Mr. Mitsotakis rules for his army of party hackers, ”he added, the newspaper reported.

Tsipras did not mention that he had hired unskilled people in a number of positions, including as advisers, including a former pizza delivery boy who bragged about being a heroin and cocaine user.